By 1980, Bryan Adams released a self-titled album. Though the album would neither chart nor be certified, it brought the musical pair from Toronto to New York. The next album, You Want It You Got It, made an appearance on the charts, giving a glimmer of hope to the Canadian singer.

It would be the third album, Cuts Like A Knife, that he emerged as a respected and popular songwriter. All of the sudden he could concert tickets because of the singles “Straight from the Heart”, “Cuts Like A Knife”, and “This Time”. The singles may not have given him a headlining tour, but they did bring the album to number eight on the charts and was eventually certified platinum.

Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance really broke through the following year, in 1984. The album, Reckless, hit number one on the U.S. charts and rolled to five-time platinum. “Heaven”, “Summer of ‘69”, and “Run to You” have become classics. The follow up album, Waking Up the Neighbors, was a hit on the charts at first, but had disappointing record sale.

The movies proved to be the next move for Bryan Adams. Chances are if you bought tickets to the movie sin the ‘90s you heard an Adams song. He recorded “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, “All for Love” for The Three Musketeers, and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” for Don Juan DeMarco.

His record sales continued to drop during the ‘90s as the grunge rock took over the mainstream radio and his concerts had more Bryan Adams accessible tickets. At the turn of the century Bryan Adams was still singing, but rarely recording. His return to the studio came with a movie soundtrack for Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and his first individual studio album, Room Service, was released in 2004 and sold big in Europe.

Bryan Adams still has a loyal fan base willing to buy tickets to his concerts and happy to purchase his albums. The release of his latest album, 11, was helped by his appearance on American Idol.