It's been 27 years since Bon Jovi first released their Slippery When Wet single "Livin' On A Prayer," but now the song has returned to the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 25 this week. Why is an '80s arena rock anthem beating tracks from the likes of Jason Derulo, Macklemore and Rihanna? The answer lies in one very viral video.
A clip from 2009 has seen renewed interest on YouTube and Utrend.tv has helped launch "Livin' On A Prayer" back into the top of the charts, according to Billboard. "HD video of Jeremy Fry - Celtics Fan Dancing to Bon Jovi 'Livin' On A Prayer'" has received over 11 million views and been shed on Facebook 1.6 million times in the last month, finally cumulating to a rise in chart points for the 1986 classic.
The viral video comes from a break in a basketball game for the Boston Celtics. During a standard jumbotron pan of the audience, the camera eventually lands on Jeremy Fry, who sings and dances his heart out to the power-packed ballad. The humor in the clip comes not only from Fry's unbridled enthusiasm but also from his relatively geeky look. A tan shirt, baggy jeans and flowy hair help to add to the sheer ridiculousness of the video.
Fan-made videos featuring "Livin' On A Prayer" have also increased, counting to 96 percent of the song's streams. The power of YouTube views (which were added into the Hot 100 formula earlier this year) helped chalk up to 94 percent of the song's total chart points. According to Billboard, the song has also seen a rise in downloads sold and rock airplay.
The No. 25 re-entry of "Livin' On A Prayer" is highly impressive 27 years later, but it's not the song's highest peak. In 1987, "Livin' On A Prayer" topped the Hot 100 for four weeks.
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