The power ballad specialist!
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams dropped his debut album in 1980, but it would take a few attempts before his first tune would resonate with the world and four albums before he was a superstar.
The first hit came on album three, Cuts Like A Knife (1983). Reaching #6 in the U.S. must have been enough to attract Bob Clearmountain to co-produce and mix his next album, Reckless (1984).
On Reckless we find Run To You, Heaven, and Bryan’s signature song Summer of 69, a tune every covers band in the world has played since.
After three years of enjoying the success, Bryan teams up with Clearmountain again to release the follow-up, Into The Fire, but no tunes were found here and sales were less than 2 million, a flop compared to Reckless 12 million.
After licking his wounds for four years, Bryan was back with a vengeance in 1991 with Waking Up The Neighbourhood. Here we get Can’t Stop This Thing We Started and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
Everything I Do features in the Kevin Costner blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves and broke chart records when it was #1 for sixteen weeks in the U.S. as well as claiming the top spot in 19 countries.
Combined sales in just the U.K. and the U.S. for Everything I Do hit 6 million singles.
Two years after the enormous success, Bryan’s Greatest Hits seems like a logical follow-up, suitably entitled So Far, So Good, and it came with one new tune in Please Forgive Me.
In 1993, he also released All For Love, another power ballad for a big movie (The Three Musketeers). Joined by Sting and Rod Stewart, this was yet another #1 for Bryan. In Canada, it actually knocked his previous single, Please Forgive Me, off the top spot.
Adams’ next studio album came in 1996, 18 Til I Die. Apart from the title track, two more tunes in The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You, and Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman.
The latter was featured in yet another expected blockbuster, this time it was Antonia Banderas playing Don Juan, and even though it did well, it wasn’t anywhere near the success he’d had with Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers.
In 1997, the obligatory Unplugged album came as an acoustic live version of his Greatest Hits. 1997 was late, most bands did the unplugged thing in the early half of the ’90s. Nevertheless, Bryan’s attempt did reasonably well.
His next studio album, On A Day Like Today, was to be his last big success. Here we find When You’re Gone, a duet with Mel C. Originally intended for Sheryl Crow, but when Sheryl ghosted him, and he bumped into Mel C in a lift, his final single with worldwide success was sealed.
Following A Day Like Today, Bryan has released more soundtracks, studio, and live albums but no big tunes have been featured and the Canadian rock star’s bright light has faded.
He will always be remembered for his power ballads and of course, for writing one of the most obvious cover band tunes ever, Summer of 69.
Bryan Adams Tunes | Related Pages
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Learn how to play (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, TAB, and the original recording.
| Db (Dbadd4) | Dbsus2 |
Look into my eyes you will see…
Summer Of ’69
You can learn how to play Summer Of 69 by Bryan Adams using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, TAB, and the original recording.
| D5 | D5 | A5 | A5 |
I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five and dime…
Bryan Adams on the web
Artists & Bands
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About me | Dan Lundholm
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