Bryan Adams

"I try to write songs and create records that show my personality, but moreover, I try to write songs that are going to work well when we get on tour. Everything is determined by the live show because that's the only real vehicle you have for measuring their success....Writing songs is easy. Writing good ones is really hard."--Bryan Adams, Billboard, September 7, 1991

Bryan Adams was signed by first as a staff song writer by Almo/Irving Music of Canada on September 5, 1978 and later as a recording artist with A&M Records of Canada in 1979.

BRYAN ADAMS (1980)

Adams' debut album was released in the U.S. and seven European countries in early March 1980, following its release in Canada. Adams helped promote the album by appearing on television programs in England and France.

YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT (1981)

The You Want It, You Got It album was almost titled "Bryan Adams Hasn't Heard of You Either." Bryan's favorite song from the album was "No One Makes It Right."

In 1982, Adams with the song "Let Him Know" was selected as one of 23 finalists at the World Popular Song Festival held in Tokyo. No small accomplishment as there were 1,907 applicants from 49 countries. 

CUTS LIKE A KNIFE (1983)

In 1984, Bryan won Junos for the male artist of the year, producer of the year, composer of the year (with Jim Vallance) and album of the year. By June 1984 Cuts Like a Knife sold more than 300,000 copies in Canada.

RECKLESS (1984)

Reckless shipped platinum on November 4, 1984. It was the first album by a Canadian to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart since 1974 and the first to spend two weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart. By January 1985, Reckless was double platinum in Canada and in May it was certified 5x platinum and by October it had sold over 750,000 copies in Canada and more than six million worldwide. As the album approached one million in sales, A&M continued to promote the album with (1) the Tears Are Not Enough film; (2) a 14-day television campaign on music shows and prime time; (3) the Million Selling campaign, and (4) a general retail campaign through Christmas with display contest that highlighted the million copies sold.

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Extreme front profile: Ray Rosenberg, Ontario Branch Manager, Bryan, Pat Ryan (Ontario Promotion), holding notes, back to camera, J. Monaco, smiling, Bruce Allen (Bryan's Manager).

Reckless was the first album by a Canadian artist to sell one million copies and was the first to win CRIA's Diamond Award. It was the biggest selling album of all time in Canada in 1985. At one point, Reckless was selling more than 30,000 copies each week in retail stores. In the U.S., Reckless was the first foreign album with six singles from it that reached the Billboard Top 100 chart. Internationally, it sold seven million copies.

Reckless had six singles that charted making Adams the first international artist to chart six singles from one album on the Billboard chart. It was seven times platinum in Canada; four times platinum in the US; double platinum in New Zealand; gold in Britain;gold in Portugal and platinum in Japan, Sweden, Norway and Australia.

In 1985, Adams was nominated for five Juno Awards and won the three major Junos for male vocalist of the year, Reckless was album of the year, and with Jim Vallance Adams won composer of the year. His Cuts Like a Knife album was certified triple platinum in January.

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Pat Ryan (A&M), Band, Jim Monaco (A&M), Keith Scott, JP Guilbert (A&M),  Bryan Adams, Joe Summers (A&M), Rob Sabino, Mickey Curry. Bruce Allen going over the top in the last row.

Bryan Adams was the opening act for Tina Turner's "Private Dancer" tour in Europe.

At Canada's Performing Rights Organization of Canada (PRO Canada) Awards, Adams was the most nominated in 1985. "Heaven," "Run to You" and "The Best Was Yet to Come" were among the ten most broadcast songs in Canada during 1984.

In 1985, Adams co-wrote "Tears Are Not Enough," Canada's song for Ethiopian famine relief. The song sold more than 250,000 copies.

"Bryan has matured as an artist and a songwriter, but the reason for his success? The quality of his product and the amount of dates that he has played over [the last seven] years. He's played an amazing number of live performances--he has committed himself to his career--and we have committed ourselves to his career. The climb to No 1 has been a long, hard haul."

"Success is a progression--a process--and there is no denying that Bryan is a prolific songwriter--all the elements are there; the hard work, faith and commitment."--Jim Monaco, RPM, August 31, 1985

By the end of 1985, Adams sold 12 million albums in Canada, half for Reckless.

A&M Records Canada invitation to attend the Diamond Award celebration. National radio, retail and media were invited to a lunch 
to celebrate the first-ever Canadian album to exceed sales of 1,000,000 copies.

"This kind of tremendous distinction could only be achieved by a person as talented and dedicated as Bryan. He's worked extremely hard for a long time to get it all just right and now he enjoys a massive appeal that supersedes all formats and demographics and has touched millions of people all over the world. Bryan has solid support from everyone, his fans, radio, retail and the media and now he joins the handful of artists who have achieved this level [Diamond Award] of popularity and sales in Canada."--Gerry Lacoursiere, RPM December 21, 198

A&M Records President Gil Friesen, Bryan Adams and Charlie Minor A&M Vice President of Promotion.

INTO THE FIRE (1987)

In 1987, Entertainer of the Year was a new Juno Award. Nearly 300,000 ballots were cast by the public. Adams won the award.

Into the Fire sold three million copies when it was released.

The first cassette single from A&M Records was "In the Heat of the Night" by Bryan Adams released in March 1987.

In Canada, pre-orders for Into the Fire were more than 200,000 copies and "Heat Of the Night" single were over 50,000 units. A&M Records Canada also issued "Heat Of the Night" as a cassette single, and single with cassette. This was the first cassette single from A&M in Canada. For the vinyl, cassette and CD albums there were free-standing display units that went to 1,500 Canadian retailers. There were also color header cards, mobiles and other items to be used in-store for the two weeks before the album was released. There were pre-release listening sessions for retail and radio and radio was allowed to air the CD while an A&M staff member was present. The rep took the CD back after the airing. The stations were supplied with copies in time for the release date.

_{Bryan Adams receving his triple platinum award from A&M Canada vice presidents Jim Monaco and J.J. Guilbert.}

Bryan Adams donated the song "Remembrance Day" for use in a video celebrating Canada's Victoria Cross and the memory of Canadian soldiers who fought in World Wars I and II. Canada's Department of Defense financed the video and distributed it to 8,000 high schools. The video won the bronze medal in the music video category of the International Film and Television Festival.

LIVE, LIVE, LIVE (1988)

The album was released only in Japan in December 1988. A&M Records in the U.S., Canada, Britain and Europe expected Waking Up the Neighbours would be released in April 1989.

^{Bryan Adams and Veronique Beliveau, J. P. Guilbert, Gerry Lacoursiere 1989 Juno Awards}

In 1990, Adams told Billboard, "I want every song to stand up on its own as a good song. I feel better about this record than any other I've made so far." Adams had not released an album in three years. In that time he recorded an album with producer Steve Lillywhite that was not released.

WAKING UP THE NEIGHBOURS (1991)

Adams began writing material for Waking Up the Neighbors in 1989. Billboard reported that two complete albums were recorded with Steve Lillywhite and the other with Bob Clearmountain producing but were shelved. The album that was released was produced by Mutt Lange. The completed album included 15 tracks. 

The album was promoted with tours of Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, North America.

In 1992 Waking Up the Neighbours won a Diamond Award from CRIA making Bryan the only Canadian to win two Diamond Awards. By the end of January 1992 the album sold over eight million copies worldwide. By April 1993, the album sold more than three million copies in the U.S. and 11 million worldwide. 

Waking Up the Neighbours shipped 1.2 million units ahead of its release on September 24, 1991 and sold four million copies within three months of release. By early 1993 the album had sold ten million copies around the world. It was double platinum in Germany and Britain, four times platinum in Australia and triple platinum in Belgium and the U.S. 

In Britain the album shipped more than 200,000 copies on its release. 

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications System determined that Neighbours did not meet the criteria for Canadian content. They reviewed the album for music, artist, production and lyrics (MAPL) and decided only the artist met their criteria. The result was that the album's songs could only be played 19 times a week per FM radio station. 

In 1993, Bryan Adams became the first international artist for A&M to have toured Southeast Asia and the first Western act to play in Vietnam.

In 1993, Bryan became the first major international musician to perform in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

(EVERYTHING I DO) IDO IT FOR YOU

Adding "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" was an idea from the movie production company for the "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves" film. They asked the film score's composer, Michael Kaman about it then approached Bryan Adams about writing a song. Adams wrote the song with Mutt Lange who produced Bryan's Waking Up the Neighbors album. They included dialog from the movie in the lyric. The album was already recorded but they decided to include it on Neighbours in addition to having it appear in the movie and on its soundtrack album. As a single, by September 1991, it sold over 2.8 million copies. Similarly the music video for  "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" promoted both Adams and the movie. The song was #1 in the U.S. and a hit in 12 other countries.

By April 1993 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was the fourth biggest selling single of all time. It was No. 1 in 19 countries and set an all-time sales record for a single in Britain. Adams told David Yonke, "I'm just trying to push myself to keep going and make records. If you're working, you're not complacent. It's very enjoyable to make records, and I hope to continue making them for a few more years."

"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was #1 in 30 countries. In the US, it sold over 3 million copies and was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven weeks. It was also #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, Top 10 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. Internationally, it sold another five million copies. In Britain "I Do It For You" was #1 for 12 consecutive weeks making it the longest running hit ever. It sold 1.2 million copies in the U.K. It was the largest selling single for A&M Records, Ltd. selling 600,000 7-inch, 400,000 cassettes,  200,000 CDs, 70,000 12-inch.  In the Netherlands the single sold more than 150,000 copies and was the biggest-selling single of the year. Canada's SOCAN Awards honored it was the most performed song in Canada in 1991.

SO FAR SO GOOD

The album So Far So Good sold 1.2 million copies in 1993 and 2.7 million copies in the U.S. by the end of 1995.

In 1995, Adams won SOCAN Classics Awards for "The Best Was Yet to Come," "Straight from the Heart" and "Heaven."

Bryan Adams's song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was in the movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."

The first A&M recording to sell one million copies in Great Britain was Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You."

"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" was used in the movie "Don Juan DeMarco" and the soundtrack was on A &M Records.

"Heaven," "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," "All for Love" and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" all went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. All of them were from movie soundtracks. This accomplishment made Adams the first Canadian artist to have four No. 1 singles in Billboard's history.

In 2014, the Australian Recording Industry Association ranked "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" as its #7 single with the longest stay on their chart with 11 weeks. His single "Please Forgive Me" was #1 for seven weeks in 1993.

OFFICIAL PROMOTION BY A&M RECORDS

The Best of Me and Unplugged press release 
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, The Best of Me and Unplugged DVD press release 
Live At Slane Castle press releae 
Live At the Budokan press release 
Waking Up the Neighbours sellsheet
Bryan Adams official biography 1981 
Bryan Adams official biography 2000 
Bryan Adams official biography 2002
Bryan Adams Remastered vVdeos 2020 press release