"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | ||||
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Single by Bryan Adams | ||||
from the album Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Original Soundtrack) and Waking Up the Neighbours | ||||
B-side |
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Written | 1990 | |||
Released | June 17, 1991 [1] | |||
Recorded | March 1991 | |||
Studio | Battery, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | A&M | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Robert "Mutt" Lange | |||
Bryan Adams singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams,Michael Kamen,and Robert John "Mutt" Lange,the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves and Adams's sixth studio album, Waking Up the Neighbours (1991). The single was released on June 17,1991,by A&M and the accompanying music video was directed by Julien Temple.
The song was an enormous chart success internationally,reaching the number-one position on the music charts of at least nineteen countries,notable exceptions in the Western World being Italy (number three) and Spain (number four). It is particularly notable for its success in the United Kingdom,where it spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart,the longest uninterrupted run ever on that chart as of 2024. It also topped the Europe-wide sales chart for eighteen continuous weeks. In the United States,it topped the Billboard Hot 100,which combines radio airplay and sales,for seven weeks,but stayed at number one for seventeen consecutive weeks on the sales-only chart. [3] It went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide,making it Adams's most successful song,and one of the best-selling singles of all time. [4] The song has been covered by hundreds of singers and artists around the world.
The musicians on the original recording are Adams on lead vocals,backing vocals and rhythm guitar,Bill Payne (piano),Mickey Curry (drums),Larry Klein (bass),Keith Scott (lead guitar and backing vocals),Robbie King (organ),and Mutt Lange (synthesizers). The song was based on the film's love theme by Kamen,"Maid Marian". [5] The song was written in London,UK at the studio Adams was working at in 1990,and he and Lange wrote it in 45 minutes,recording it the following March,and releasing it three months later. [6] The song is performed in the key of D♭ major. [7]
In the United Kingdom,"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" had the longest unbroken run at number one,spending sixteen consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart from July 7,1991,to October 27 when it dropped to number four, [8] surpassing the record 11 weeks set by Slim Whitman's hit single "Rose Marie" in 1955. [9] Adams' achievement was celebrated by Whitman in November 1991,when he joined Adams on stage at Wembley Arena to sing "Rose Marie",after which he presented Adams with a plaque commemorating the achievement. [10] "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" also topped the Europe-wide sales chart for eighteen continuous weeks,still an all-time record,and topped the European-wide radio airplay chart for ten weeks. [11]
In the United States,the power ballad [12] spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100,which combines radio airplay and sales,the longest running number one song since 1983,and seventeen consecutive weeks at number one on the sales-only chart,which at the time set the all-time record for consecutive weeks at one. [3] Billboard ranked it as the number-one pop song for 1991. [13] It also held the number one spot on the US Adult Contemporary Chart for eight consecutive weeks,the longest run atop that chart since 1979,and was the number one song of the year on that chart. [14]
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" also spent nine weeks atop the singles chart in Adams's native Canada, [15] eleven weeks atop the Australian Singles Chart,and twelve weeks atop the Sweden Singles Chart. In most of the countries which hit ascended to number one,it was the number one song for the year 1991,exceptions being Germany (number two),Austria (number two) and Switzerland (number three).
The official music video for the song was directed by British film,documentary and music video director Julien Temple. [16] It shows Adams and his band performing the song in a forest with a silk mill in the background,and Adams alone performing on a rocky beachside,intercut with scenes from Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves. The video was filmed in a forest with the derelict silk mill near Holford in the Quantock Hills and on a beach with geological cliff formations near Kilve,Somerset. [17] [18] A video was also commissioned for a live version of the song,directed by Andy Morahan. [19]
Adams,Kamen,and Lange won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, [20] and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1992. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song,but lost to "Beauty and the Beast." [21] As recently as July 2020,it placed at number 13 on YouTube's "Most Listened to Rock Countdown",a monthly tally of the most viewed and listened to songs of the rock genre,both in current release and from the past;this was the second highest song by Adams' after "Please Forgive Me" at number 10. [22] The song was placed 18th in a survey of the favourite songs of British readers of the Guinness Book of Records. [23]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [53] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [77] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [78] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [79] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [80] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [81] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [82] | Gold | 250,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [83] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [84] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [85] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [86] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [87] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [88] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [89] | 3× Platinum | 1,850,000 [90] |
United States (RIAA) [91] | 3× Platinum | 4,100,000 [3] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
The Irish band Fatima Mansions released a heavily altered cover of the song as part of an NME tribute album in aid of the charity, the Spastics Society. [92] The single was a double A-side with the Manic Street Preachers' version of "Suicide Is Painless". The single entered the UK top ten in 1992, [92] and reached number 12 in the Republic of Ireland. [93] However, the Manic Street Preachers song received most of the UK radio airplay. [92] [94]
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | ||||
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Single by Brandy | ||||
from the album Never Say Never | ||||
Released | November 1999 | |||
Genre | R&B [95] | |||
Length | 4:09 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | David Foster | |||
Brandy singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" on YouTube |
American singer Brandy rerecorded "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" for the standard version of her second studio album, Never Say Never (1998). Producer David Foster reworked the arrangement of the original song, with Dean Parks playing the acoustic guitar.
In 1999, her cover version was released as the album's final single on a double A-side with "U Don't Know Me" on the Oceanic music market, where it reached the top 30 of New Zealand's RIANZ singles chart. That same year, she performed the song live at VH1 Divas Live '99 alongside Faith Hill.
Credits are taken from Never Say Never liner notes. [97]
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
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New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [98] | 28 |
Waking Up the Neighbours is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released on September 24, 1991. The album was recorded at Battery Studios in London and The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, mixed at Mayfair Studios in London, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York City.
18 til I Die is the seventh studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on June 5, 1996, by A&M Records, the album became a commercial success peaking at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in his home country Canada. It was recorded on different locations which included Jamaica and France. 18 til I Die featured the number one song "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", which had been released as a single and on the soundtrack to the film Don Juan DeMarco over a year prior, and 4 other singles: "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You", "Let's Make a Night to Remember", "Star", and "18 til I Die"; the album track "I'll Always Be Right There" was also released to radio in the United States. Adams traveled throughout North America and Europe to promote the album after its June release, notably playing in front of over 70,000 people at Wembley Stadium in July 1996. The album performed lower than expectations in the US but it sold 5 million copies worldwide.
So Far So Good is a compilation album by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records in November 1993. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and was a number one hit in the United Kingdom and many other countries.
"Summer of '69" is a song recorded by the Canadian singer Bryan Adams from his fourth album, Reckless. It is an up-tempo rock song about a dilemma between settling down or trying to become a rock star. The track was written by Adams and his longtime songwriting collaborator Jim Vallance. "Summer of '69" was produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain. "Summer of '69" was released in June 1985 under A&M Records as the fourth single from Reckless. According to later claims by Adams, the title is a reference to the sex position, not the year, but Vallance disputes this.
Reckless is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records on November 5, 1984 to coincide with Adams' 25th birthday. Like its predecessor Cuts Like a Knife, the album was entirely produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain.
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" is a song written by Canadian musician Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and recorded by Adams for the 1995 film Don Juan DeMarco, starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway. The melody is used as a musical motif through the film, and the song is featured three times in the movie, twice performed by other artists in Spanish, and finally performed by Adams himself during the closing credits. The Adams version of the song, which features flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, is featured on the soundtrack album and also on the album 18 til I Die, which was released over a year later.
"All for Love" is a song written by Bryan Adams, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and Michael Kamen for the soundtrack The Three Musketeers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It is performed by Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting. The power ballad was released as a CD single in the United States on November 16, 1993, by A&M and Hollywood. It was a worldwide hit, reaching number one across Europe, in Australia and in North America.
"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.
"Love Is All Around" is a song recorded by English rock band the Troggs. Released as a single in October 1967, it was a top-ten hit in both the UK and US.
"When You're Gone" is a song by Canadian musician Bryan Adams featuring English singer Melanie C, from the former's eighth studio album, On a Day Like Today (1998). The song was written by Eliot Kennedy and Adams, while produced by Adams and Bob Rock. It was released by A&M Records on November 30, 1998, as the second single from the album in addition to being Melanie C's first single outside the Spice Girls. Musically, it contains genres of pop, pop rock and soft rock, and is performed as a duet between Adams and Melanie C with a guitar solo.
"Don't Give Up" is a song by British electronic music artist Chicane featuring vocals from Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The track was released on 6 March 2000 as the second single from Chicane's second studio album, Behind the Sun (2000). "Don't Give Up" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and became a popular dance track in clubs across Europe and North America.
"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by British pop band Right Said Fred, released in July 1991 by Tug Records as their debut single from their first album, Up (1992). The song was written by band members and brothers Fred Fairbrass and Richard Fairbrass with Rob Manzoli and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, it topped the charts in seven countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States. James Lebon directed the music video for the song, featuring various clips of models walking on the catwalk. In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "I'm Too Sexy" among the 500 best pop songs of all time.
"Please Forgive Me" is a song by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams. It was released in October 1993 by A&M Records as the only single and bonus track from his first greatest hits compilation album, So Far So Good (1993). The single reached numbers seven and three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the United Kingdom, "Please Forgive Me" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It is his only Australian number-one single not written for a motion picture, and it also topped the charts of Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal. The accompanying music video was directed by Andrew Catlin and filmed in a recording studio, featuring a dog.
"There Will Never Be Another Tonight" is a song written by Bryan Adams, Robert Lange, and Jim Vallance for Adams sixth studio album Waking Up the Neighbours (1991). It was the third single released from the album, in November 1991. The song peaked at number two on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart, number six on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has only appeared on one compilation album released by Adams: Anthology (2005). Starting in 2009, the song is used as the opening theme song for the CBC reality competition, Battle of the Blades.
"Can't Stop This Thing We Started" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. The song was written by Adams and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and was released in September 1991 by A&M Records as the second single from Adams' sixth studio album, Waking Up the Neighbours (1991). The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 while topping the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart for three non-consecutive weeks. The track received two nominations at the Grammy Awards of 1992 for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance, Solo, winning neither. It served as the 2009 British Columbia Liberal Party campaign theme song.
"Right Here, Right Now" is a song by British alternative rock band Jesus Jones from their second studio album, Doubt (1991). It was released as the album's second single on 24 September 1990. Although it spent only nine nonconsecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 31, it became a top-10 hit in the United States; it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1991. The single sold over one million copies, won a BMI award, and was the song most played on college radio in 1991.
"On a Day Like Today" is a song by Canadian musician Bryan Adams, released on September 22, 1998, as the first single from his eight album, On a Day Like Today (1998). The song reached number one in Canada and number nine in Hungary. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number thirteen on the UK Singles Chart.
"Run to You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from his fourth album, Reckless (1984). The track deals with the subject of infidelity, and is sung from the perspective of a man who declares that he will continue to "run to" his seductive mistress over his faithful partner; critic Ira Robbins for CMJ called it a "cheating classic". In the accompanying music video, however, Adams portrays his guitar as the object of desire.
"Do I Have to Say the Words?" is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams from his sixth studio album, Waking Up the Neighbours (1991). It was written and produced by Adams and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, with Jim Vallance serving as its co-writer. It was released in July 1992 as the sixth single from the album. "Do I Have to Say the Words?" is a mid-tempo pop rock ballad with guitar riffs and soft synths in its instrumentation, while Adams gives a dramatic vocal delivery.
American country music singer Luke Bryan has released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 34 singles.
Here's the soft-batch R&B cover of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" that Brandy released in 1998...