Ain’t Gonna Cry

Bryan Adams recorded it in four minutes and six seconds, no frills attached. The track Ain’t Gonna Cry doesn’t seek adornment: it goes straight to the point with a melody that sticks in your head from the first chord. There are no fillers, just a rhythmic backbone that supports the vocals without distracting, as if every note had to justify its place. It’s one of those songs that sounds just as good on a small speaker as on a large sound system, without losing strength along the way.

The track was born the moment Bryan Adams and his team locked themselves in to work on what would become the album Reckless. The record was released on November 5, 1984, the same day the Canadian turned 25, and it wasn’t a coincidence: they wanted the launch to coincide with a personal milestone. Among those responsible for keeping the sound from spiraling out of control were Bob Clearmountain as lead engineer, joined by Mike Fraser, Bruce Lampcov, and Michael Sauvage, while production was handled by Adams alongside Clearmountain and Jim Vallance. The result was an album that sold over twelve million copies worldwide, becoming Adams’ second best-selling record at the time, only behind Waking Up the Neighbours from 1991. Within Canada, Reckless was also the first Canadian album to surpass one million copies sold in the country, where it eventually achieved eleven platinum certifications. In the United States, it reached number one on the Billboard 200.