#15: "Reckless" by Bryan Adams

#15—He looks more like the
Canadian David Spade.

Best song: Heaven
Notable tracks: One Night Love Affair, Run To You, Somebody, Summer of '69, Kids Wanna Rock, It's Only Love
Released: 1984
Chart Peak: #1 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 12 million copies sold worldwide

One of my favorite lines from the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother was when Canadian native Robin Scherbotsky is asked to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert, and she replies, "Bruce Springsteen? Oh my gosh, he's like the American Bryan Adams!" It may be hard to believe almost 30 years later, but in 1984, Bryan Adams WAS as big, if not bigger, than the Boss himself.

Reckless is one of those quintessential eighties albums that when played reveals a consistent soundtrack of irresistible hit songs. Side one opens with "One Night Love Affair," which was featured in the great (but underappreciated) comedy Real Genius. Track three is "Run To You," one of the best songs of his career and the first big hit from the album; it also spawned a great video featuring actress Lysette Anthony, who would appear in several of Adams' videos.

Other great songs include rock anthems "Somebody" and "Kids Wanna Rock," the nostalgia-laden "Summer of '69," and a terrific duet with Tina Turner, "It's Only Love." In fact, all six singles released from the album all made it to at least #15 or higher on the Billboard charts, a distinction shared only by Michael Jackson's Thriller and (who else?) Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Alas, neither of those albums are in my top 25, even though they should be—I used to own them, but they have disappeared at some point over the years.

Of course, the truly transcendent song on the album is the love ballad "Heaven," a mainstay of proms, weddings, and class reunion slow dances for time immemorial. What else can be said about such a perfect song? It was playing on the radio for one of my rare successful dates in high school, and my wife and I have danced together to this song many times. Perfection.

Let the slow dancing begin...now!