Can't Stop This Thing We Started

"Can't Stop This Thing We Started"
Single by Bryan Adams
from the album Waking Up the Neighbours
B-side	"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" "It's Only Love" (live)
Released	September 2, 1991 (1991-09-02)
Genre	Rock [1]
Length	4:29
Label	A&M
Songwriters	Bryan Adams Robert Lange
Producers	Robert Lange Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams singles chronology
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (1991) "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (1991) "There Will Never Be Another Tonight" (1991)

"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 100 Hit Tracks 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. ^[2] It served as the 2009 British Columbia Liberal Party campaign theme song.

Track listings

• Single-CD: A&M Records / 390812-2 Europe

Music By, Lyrics By – Bryan Adams, Robert John Lange

1. "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" – 4:35
2. "It's Only Love (Live)" – 3:36
3. "Hearts On Fire (Live)" – 4:20 1

• Single-CD: A&M Records / PCDY-10030 Japan

Music By, Lyrics By – Bryan Adams, Robert John Lange

1. "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" – 4:35
2. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" – 5:36 2

• Single-CD: A&M Records / 75021 7276 2 USA

Music By, Lyrics By – Bryan Adams, Robert John Lange

1. "Can't Stop This Thing We Started (LP Version)" – 4:29
2. "Can't Stop This Thing We Started (Single Radio Version)" – 4:11 3

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1991–1992) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [3] 9 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [4] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [5] 4 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [6] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [7] 13 Denmark (IFPI) [8] 2 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [9] 9 Europe (European Hit Radio) [10] 7 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [11] 10 France (SNEP) [12] 10 Germany (GfK) [13] 14 Ireland (IRMA) [14] 4 Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) [15] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [16] 5 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [17] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [18] 7 Norway (VG-lista) [19] 7 Portugal (AFP) [20] 8 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 3 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] 8 UK Singles (OCC) [23] 12 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [24] 3 US Billboard Hot 100 [25] 2 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [26] 40 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [27] 2 US Cash Box Top 100 [28] 1 Zimbabwe (ZIMA) [29] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1991) Position Australia (ARIA) [30] 85 Belgium (Ultratop) [31] 40 Canada Top Singles (RPM) [32] 3 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [33] 84 Europe (European Hit Radio) [34] 64 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [35] 62 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [36] 66 Sweden (Topplistan) [37] 28 US Billboard Hot 100 [38] 59 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard) [39] 38 US Cash Box Top 100 [40] 25 Chart (1992) Position US Cash Box Top 100 [41] 50

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [42]	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA) [43]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	September 2, 1991	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	A&M	[44]
Australia	September 16, 1991	CD cassette		[45]
Japan	October 16, 1991	Mini-CD		[46]

References

1. "Bryan Adams' 'Waking Up the Neighbours' Album Review – by Jacob Wingate-Bishop". Splendid Fred Magazine. June 1, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
2. Rock On The Net: 34th Annual Grammy Awards - 1992
3. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
4. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
5. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1660." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
7. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1691." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
8. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 42. October 19, 1991. p. 39. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 42. October 19, 1991. p. 41. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
10. "European Hit Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 44. November 2, 1991. p. 39. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
11. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
12. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (in French). Le classement de singles.
13. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Can't Stop This Thing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
15. Radio Luxembourg Singles. September 29, 1991.
16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bryan Adams" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
17. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
18. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Top 40 Singles.
19. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". VG-lista.
20. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 2. January 11, 1992. p. 18. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
21. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Singles Top 100.
22. "Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Swiss Singles Chart.
23. "Bryan Adams: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
24. "Playlist Chart" (PDF). Music Week . September 28, 1991. p. 18. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
25. "Bryan Adams Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
26. "Bryan Adams Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
27. "Bryan Adams Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
28. "Cash Box Chart Entries 1990-1996" (PDF). popmusichistory.co.uk. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
29. • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
30. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
31. "Jaaroverzichten 1991" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved April 2, 2020.
32. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM . December 21, 1991. Retrieved November 23, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
33. "Eurochart Hot 100 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 21. Retrieved January 17, 2020– via World Radio History.
34. "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
35. "Single top 100 over 1991" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
36. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved April 2, 2020.
37. "Årstopplistan 1991, Singlar" (in Swedish). Grammotex. Archived from the original on February 25, 2001. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
38. "Billboard Top 100 – 1991". Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
39. "The Year in Music 1991: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. 41.
40. "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LV, no. 20. December 28, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
41. "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVI, no. 18. December 26, 1992. p. 8. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
42. "Canadian single certifications – Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Music Canada.
43. "American single certifications – Bryan Adams – Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Recording Industry Association of America.
44. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . August 31, 1991. p. 19.
45. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 16/09/91: Singles". The ARIA Report . No. 86. September 15, 1991. p. 19.
46. "ブライアン・アダムス | 愛は止められない" [Bryan Adams | Love Is Unstoppable] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved September 19, 2025.