Ranking The Albums: Bryan Adams

Written: May 2025

Bryan Adams has had one of the most enduring and eclectic careers in rock music. From Canadian upstart to global arena-filler, his catalogue spans decades, genres, and moods. For this ranking, I have focused purely on his main studio albums meaning I have excluded soundtracks, live recordings, and acoustic reinterpretations. So ahead of his new album later this year, here are my thoughts about each release.

There is also a difference between what might be considered the best album and what is simply a personal favourite. I have tried to account for both, but emotional pull sometimes wins out. This is not a definitive or correct list. Ranking albums is always subjective, and personal connection matters just as much as critical reception. Some records I return to because they bring joy, others because they reveal more with time. You may strongly disagree with my order – or at least, certain individual placements and that is perfectly fine. Feel free to share your own views at the end.

13: On A Day Like Today (1998)

On A Day Like Today feels like an album that tries to blend past and future and does not quite commit to either. There are some interesting ideas here but for every well-judged moment, there is a misstep not far behind. The title track promised something more expansive and mature, but elsewhere Adams often sounds stuck, as if unsure whether to embrace the poppier tones he had begun to explore or return to the gutsy rock of old. Too often, the hooks are unmemorable, the production oddly sterile. Despite flashes of quality - Before The Night Is Over is one of the best songs of this period – On A Day Like Today is ultimately, for me, the least convincing entry in his catalogue.

Three favourite tracks: On A Day Like Today, When You’re Gone, Before The Night Is Over

12: Bryan Adams (1980)

As debuts go, it is hard to be too critical; there is a certain charm to it all. Bryan’s voice is recognisable but lacks the grit that would later define his sound. The production is typical of the very early 1980s; everything in its right place but lacking bite. Songs that had the potential to feel more impassioned come across a little watered down. However, the ambition is clear and it is not hard to see the seeds being sown for what would follow. Nevertheless, in the grand scheme of Adams’s discography, this is one that I do not reach for often.

 Three favourite tracks: Hidin’ From Love, Win Some Lose Some, Remember

11: Shine A Light (2019)

I wanted to really enjoy Shine A Light and while there are some sparks that threaten to ignite the album, the results are a mixed bag. There is an attempt to blend Bryan’s anthemic instincts with a modern pop sheen (even roping in Ed Sheeran for one co-write and J-Lo for one duet). Some songs are catchy enough on their terms but there is too much of the album that feels like its chasing trends instead of setting them. As you might expect, the best moments are those that lean into Adams's strengths rather than running from them.

Three Favourite Tracks: Part Friday Night Part Sunday Morning, All Or Nothing, Talk To Me

10: Room Service (2004)

Largely written and recorded largely in hotel rooms, Room Service sits with the middle ranked albums of this article as good in places but not consistent enough to be considered amongst his best work. Most of the songs are tidy and inoffensive but there is often a lack of risk and therefore often a lack of punch. Bryan’s voice still carries a certain gravitas and there are glimpses of the old melodic instinct: the best part of the album is the run of three upbeat tracks in the middle. On the whole, it is a reasonably serviceable collection but lacks the emotional punch or storytelling depth of which he has proved he is capable.

Three favourite tracks: She’s A Little Too Good For Me, Open Road, Room Service

9: Get Up (2015)

For me, this was one of the hardest to place. It seems to be an album to which I respond differently on different days. Jeff Lynne’s production style is all over the album and there are times when if it was not Adams's distinctive voice, you might mistake some of the songs (albeit it was mainly co-written with Jim Vallance) for some of Lynne’s solo efforts. Perhaps this dichotomy is why I struggled to think about where to put this one. It's an album where the good certainly outweighs the average, but given the pedigree of those involved, the overall end product should have been more consistent.

Three favourite tracks: You Belong To Me, Go Down Rockin’, Brand New Day

8: So Happy It Hurts (2022)

There’s a warmth and defiant optimism about So Happy It Hurts that’s undeniably appealing. Released during a time when the world was in recovery mode, the album wears its heart on its sleeve and benefits from a looseness that some of his more recent output lacked. It is not his most innovative album but there is something refreshing in its honest energy. Adams sounds genuinely engaged again, and while some of the lyrical themes are familiar, the delivery feels sincere. It is not without its lulls but there is a comfort in hearing an artist enjoying himself again and that carries a lot of weight at this stage in his career.

Three favourite tracks: So Happy It Hurts, Kick Ass, Just About Gone

7: 18 Til I Die (1996)

In hindsight, 18 Til I Die is a slightly uneasy fit trying to prove it can party with the post-grunge crowd while keeping a firm hand on stadium rock’s shoulder. Although ranked quite highly here, it is an album of extremes. When its good, its great, and when its bad, its I Wanna Be Your Underwear. In that vein, some of the lyrics are a little cringy but there is enough of worth to mostly overcome these setbacks. Obviously, the singles are the best known tracks here but there are some overlooked gems such as Black Pearl. The album was never going to replicate the conquering sales of Waking Up The Neighbours but it is still look on fondly by many fans.

Three Favourite Tracks: The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You, 18 Til I Die, Black Pearl

6: 11 (2008)

Based on what I have said so far, it may be a surprise to see 11 ranked so highly. After the release of 18 Til I Die, I drifted away from following Bryan closely and so 11 was the first album I bought on the day of release since that album. Perhaps it is the fact that I have been with it from the beginning that I seem to enjoy it more than its simple, fairly gentle approach might suggest. It certainly is not his most rocking album but equally, there is no unnecessary bloat or bombast. I have always found it surprisingly consistent. It does not try to reinvent the wheel but it never pretends too. It is probably too subtle and not immediate enough to win over new fans but for long-time listeners there is a comfort to be found here.  

Three favourite tracks: Tonight We Have The Stars, Oxygen, Way Of The World

5: You Want It, You Got It (1981)

On only his second album, You Want It, You Got It showed significant growth: more focused, more confident and crucially, more memorable. The rawness is still there but this time, it is tempered by better songwriting and a clearer sense of identity. The production is leaner, punchier, and Adams sounds more in control of his sound. While still a step away from the commercial juggernaut he would become, this album gives a glimpse of the songwriter and performer he was growing into. There is an eagerness here that is hard not to admire and it remains one of the more underrated albums in his catalogue.

Three favourite songs: Lonely Nights, Fits Ya Good, Tonight

4: Waking Up The Neighbours (1991)

The Adams/Lange partnership reaches its zenith here. Waking Up The Neighbours is a bombastic, arena-sized behemoth of a record. It’s shamelessly big: every chorus is engineered to echo through stadium rafters, every guitar solo perfectly placed. Some have criticised its slickness or length (let us be honest, no one would miss Touch The Hand or a couple of others) but it’s hard to deny how fully-realised the vision is. Adams sings like a man possessed, the production sparkles, and a good number of the deep cuts carry weight. If the ten best tracks had been selected, this would be sparring for the top couple of positions. I even still like “that song” and have the 7” and 12” singles I bought in 1991 that contributed to it staying at Number 1 in the UK for sixteen weeks! As an amusing side note, this album has one of my funniest misheard lyrics. For ages, I thought he sang, You made love to me, lying on a bed rather than You made love to me, like it oughta be at 3:21 on Thought I'd Died and Gone To Heaven. :)

Three favourite tracks: Thought I’d Died And Gone To Heaven, Do I Have To Say The Words?, There Will Never Be Another Tonight

3: Cuts Like A Knife (1983)

This is where Adams really starts to sound like himself. Cuts Like A Knife is packed with anthems yet still feels personal. The balance between rock grit and pop sensibility is nailed throughout from the crunching guitars to the heartfelt balladry. Everything feels sharper, more deliberate. The title track alone is a masterclass in building tension and release, and Adams’s voice, now fully developed, conveys both swagger and vulnerability. It is no surprise this album broke him internationally, polished but never sterile, radio-friendly but never pandering. An important turning point and one of his most satisfying listens. On another day, this could have switched places with Waking Up The Neighbours but the overall consistency here wins through.

Three favourite tracks: The Only One, Straight From The Heart, Cuts Like A Knife 

2: Into The Fire (1987)

Here is one of the places I had to decide between favourite and best.  If pushed, I would say that Into The Fire is his best album and Reckless my favourite. A more introspective follow-up to Reckless, Into The Fire confounded expectations and was all the better for it. There is a seriousness here; a shift in lyrical ambition that adds weight to Adams’s usual melodic instincts. At times sombre, at others hopeful, the album explores political, social and personal themes with surprising depth. It is not as flashy as what came before or after but that is part of its strength - it demands a closer listen. The arrangements are more spacious, the hooks more subtle, but it rewards patience - possibly his most underrated work and certainly his most reflective. For me, this album reveals Adams as an artist growing into his own voice, rather than relying on the formula that worked before.

Three favourite tracks: Heat of the Night, Native Son, Remembrance Day

1: Reckless (1984)

Reckless is that rare beast - a rock album that feels effortless yet perfectly constructed. Every track serves a purpose, every lyric feels iconic. Adams and Lange struck gold here: killer riffs, unshakeable hooks, and a youthful hunger that pours out of every note. Several singles are still staples on rock radio but the whole album plays likes a greatest hits collection. Adams sounds energised, confident, and fully in command of his sound. This is the album that made him a global star, and decades on, it remains a definitive statement.

Three favourite tracks: One Night Love Affair, Run To You, Heaven

Listen to my Bryan Adams Through the Years playlist featuring my three favourite songs from each album in chronological order.