Bryan Adams was born in Kingston, Ontario, to parents who had emigrated from England in the 1950s. Adams' father joined the Canadian Army, followed by a stint with the United Nations as a peace keeping observer, and finally as a Canadian diplomat. Adams grew up traveling the world with his parents at numerous diplomatic postings in Europe and the Middle East. After his parents divorced in 1973, Adams and his mother returned to settle in Vancouver, British Columbia.
From 14 to 18 years old, Adams worked as a dish washer to save money to buy a guitar. He started auditioning as a guitarist while rehearsing his own band in his mother's rented basement in North Vancouver. He later quit school to play nightclubs and go on the road and upon his return, he settled into the Vancouver studio scene, working as a background vocalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Adams' self-titled debut album was released in February 1980, and marked the beginning of what was to become a long songwriting partnership between Adams and co-writer Jim Vallance, but it was not until his third album, Cuts Like a Knife, that he achieved international recognition, popularity and sales. The album garnered such hit singles as “Straight from the Heart,” “Cuts Like a Knife” and “This Time.” Since then, Adams has churned out monster hits that have charted both in the U.S. and Canada and is known for his romantic ballads. In honor of his 54th birthday, here is a top 10 list of Bryan Adams songs.