Bryan Adams

This article is about the Canadian singer and songwriter. For other uses, see Bryan Adams (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Ryan Adams.

Bryan Adams
OC OBC FRPS
Adams in 2024
Adams in 2024
Background information
Birth nameBryan Guy Adams
Born (1959-11-05) November 5, 1959 (age 65)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • photographer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • harmonica
  • keyboards
Years active1975–present
Labels
Websitebryanadams.com

Bryan Guy Adams CC OBC (born November 5, 1959) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million[2] and more than 100 million records and singles worldwide,[3][4] placing him on the list of best-selling music artists. Adams was the most played artist on Canadian radio in the 2010s[5] and has had 25 top-15 singles in Canada and a dozen or more in the US, UK, and Australia.

At age 20 his eponymous debut album was released. He rose to fame in North America with the 1983 top ten album Cuts Like a Knife, featuring its title track and the ballad "Straight From the Heart", his first US top ten hit, which he wrote at age 18. His 1984 Canadian and US number one album, Reckless became the first album by a Canadian to be certified diamond in Canada and made him a global star with six charting singles including "Run to You" and "Summer of '69", both top ten hits in the US and Canada, and the power ballad "Heaven", a US number one hit.[6] His 1987 album Into the Fire, with its US and Canadian top ten song, "Heat of the Night", rose to number two in Canada and the top ten in the US and several other countries.

In 1991, Adams released "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", which went to number one in at least 19 countries, including for 16 straight weeks in the UK.[7] It is one of the best-selling singles of all time, having sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. The song was included on Adams' Waking Up the Neighbours (1991), a worldwide number one album that sold 16 million copies, including being certified diamond in Canada.[8] Another major hit off the album was the Canadian number one and US number two hit "Can't Stop This Thing We Started", which also went top ten in several other countries. Beginning in 1993, Adams' hits were mostly ballads, including the worldwide number one or two hits "Please Forgive Me" (1993); "All for Love" (1993); and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" (1995), the latter two topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[9] Adams' 1993 greatest hits compilation album, So Far So Good, topped the charts in numerous countries selling 13 million copies worldwide, including being certified 6× platinum in Canada, 5× platinum in the US, and 14× platinum in Australia. In 1996, Adams' 18 til I Die was a top five album in many countries, but only reached number 31 in the US. He did duets with Barbra Streisand ("I Finally Found Someone" (1996), his last US top ten hit) and Melanie C ("When You're Gone" (1998), an international top five hit). In the 1990s, Adams had six European Radio Airplay number one songs for 32 weeks, the fourth and third most, respectively; and three number one songs on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for 29 weeks total, the most weeks of any artist. Since 1999, Adams released eight albums, three reaching number one in Canada, and the last three reaching the top three in the UK, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Adams is ranked 48th on the list of all-time top artists on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] Adams has won 20 Juno Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media amongst 16 Grammy nominations, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards for his songwriting for films.[11] Adams has been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Canada's Walk of Fame, the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame,[12][13] the Canadian Music Hall of Fame[14] and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.[4] On May 1, 2010, Adams received the Governor General's Awards in Performing Arts – Lifetime Artistic Achievement for his 30 years of contributions to the arts.[15]

  1. ^ Connolly, Amanda (September 18, 2018). "Here's why Canadian rock star Bryan Adams wants politicians to change copyright laws". Global News. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Jones, Chris (March 9, 2018). "An exclusive behind the scenes look at the 'Pretty Woman' musical, coming to Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  3. ^ Krewen, Nick (September 10, 2013). "Brian Chater helped build Canadian music industry". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Krewen, Nick (March 17, 2022). "Bryan Adams On Family Bonding, Writing a Musical and Releasing Upbeat Tunes in Troubled Times". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Mielke, Christine (March 11, 2023). "Most-played artist on Canadian radio in the 2010s Crossword Clue". TryHardGuides. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Bagish, Corinne (November 20, 2014). "Bryan Adams' iconic album 'Reckless' turns 30". Mashable. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart, Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It for You". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  8. ^ Marotta, Michael (September 18, 2016). "Remember September: 25 awesome albums turning 25 years old this month". vanyaland.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  9. ^ Pareles, Jon (March 8, 1994). "Review/Pop; Bryan Adams, More Mr. Nice Guy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  10. ^ "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'Bryan Adams'". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  12. ^ "Canada's Walk of Fame: Bryan Adams". Canada's Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008.
  13. ^ BRODSKY, RACHEL (March 11, 2022). "We've Got A File On You: Bryan Adams". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "Bryan Adams". Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Bryan Adams". Governor General's Awards. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.