Bryan Adams
One of Canada's most successful musicians, Bryan Adams entered the music industry as a songwriter in the late 1970s before achieving solo fame in The Eighties. Initially marketed as a "Canadian Springsteen" with a guitar-and-organ dominated sound, Adams developed his own distinctive melodic rock beginning with his breakthrough album, Cuts Like A Knife.
In 1984, Adams became a global superstar with the release of his most successful album, Reckless, which produced a number of hit singles, including the anthemic "Summer of 69" and the Power Ballad "Heaven".
In 1991, Adams teamed up with Mutt Lange to record the album Waking Up The Neighbours. During these sessions they wrote a new ballad for the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack. Originally intended to be given to another artist, Adams released "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" himself, and it subsequently became ludicrously successful.
While his success has declined in America, Adams is still very popular in Europe and remains one of the most influential and best-selling Canadian artists of all time.
Not to be confused with Ryan Adams.
- Award Bait Song: Starting with the Robin Hood song, he became well known for these.
- The Best Years of Our Lives/Love Nostalgia Song: "Summer of 69".
- Black Sheep Hit: "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" was not well-liked by the producers of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, who complained that it sounded "too modern" (because of the piano, surprisingly, rather than the guitars), so they put it over the end credits. It ended up becoming the biggest hit of the year almost everywhere.
- Breakaway Pop Hit: "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?" (Don Juan Demarco) and "Heaven" (A Night In Heaven)
- Canada, Eh?
- Double Entendre: 18 'til I Die is essentially "Double Entendre: The Album".
- Epic Riff
- Freud Was Right / Getting Crap Past the Radar: He confirmed in an interview that, yes, "Summer of 69" actually is named in reference to the sex act and that anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. The producers, of course, claim otherwise.
- Glory Days: Deconstructed by "Summer of 69".
- Pop Star Composer: He wrote an album's worth of songs in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.