In more than a quarter of a century of rocking, Jon Bon Jovi has seen all of the music industry's well-publicized changes. So what does he see to be among the biggest differences? "It's very hard. Radio is fragmented," he tells Spinner. "There was Top 40 radio and DJs could be influential and you could make a career out of Philadelphia or Cleveland and you built to Chicago and all points west and north. That doesn't necessarily exist."

So are today's artists at a disadvantage? "You got a poor kid that wins 'American Idol' and then he's expected to be on the same level or playing field as the Rolling Stones or U2 or Bon Jovi the next day. That's not fair," Bon Jovi says. "We were allowed to have the third album be the one that was the breakthrough record. I don't know if a kid these days is ever gonna break 100 million in album sales. I don't think that's ever gonna happen again."

So how does an artist make it today? Is it better to ride around in a van from town to town or do 'Idol?' "Well, both of them are good launch pads. Getting in the van, deciding who and what you are -- there's nothing wrong with that," he says. But for those who win 'Idol,' it's still ultimately about the music. "Of you're brave enough to go on and win one of those 'Idol' contests, ultimately you better have the songs to back it up," he says. "Chris Daughtry has delivered songs on two albums in a row. But I'm sure there are 10 Idols I can think of that didn't do that or had a flash in the pan."

Still, he has a lot of respect for those that go through the 'Idol' process. "It's a very difficult spotlight to be in and a microscope to be under," he says. "I couldn't have survived it to be honest with you."