The music of Bryan Adams is a lot of what makes the 1980s such a memorable era, a distinction that continued into the 1990s and beyond. But it’s in the 1980s that some of his best music was released, including these three songs, which still sound just as good today as they did back then.
“Heat Of The Night”
The debut single from Into The Fire, “Heat Of The Night” was written by Adams and Jim Vallance. The song was reportedly at least partially inspired by the Orson Welles 1949 movie, The Third Man.
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“Heat Of The Night” says, “Met a man with a message from the other side / Couldn’t take the pressure, had to leave it behind / He said it’s up to you / You can run or you can fight / Better leave it alone in the heat of the night / In the heat of the night they’ll be comin’ around / They’ll be lookin’ for answers, they’ll be chasin’ you down / In the heat of the night / Where you gonna hide when it all comes down / Don’t look back, don’t ever turn around.”
“Run To You”
Perhaps one of Adams’ most beloved songs among his fans, “Run To You” is his first No. 1 single. The song, written by Adams and Vallance, is part of Reckless.
“Run To You” may seem like it’s a romantic song. But it’s really about being unfaithful, and choosing the other person over the one in the committed relationship. “Run To You” says, “When it gets too much / I need to feel your touch / I’m gonna run to you / I’m gonna run to you / ‘Cause when the feeling’s right I’m gonna run all night / I’m gonna run to you / She’s got a heart of gold she’d never let me down / But you’re the one that always turns me on / You keep me comin’ ’round.“
“Summer Of ’69”
“Summer Of ’69” remains one of the biggest hits of Adams’ career. The song, written again by Adams and Vallance, also appears on Reckless.
The nostalgic song says, “Ain’t no use in complaining / When you’ve got a job to do / Spent my evenings down at the drive-in / And that’s when I met you, yeah / Standing on your mama’s porch / You told me that you’d wait forever / Oh, and when you held my hand / I knew that it was now or never / Those were the best days of my life / Oh, yeah / Back in the summer of ’69.”
Reckless is one of Adams’ most pivotal records. It also includes “Heaven” and “It’s Only Love“, his duet with Tina Turner.
Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images
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