There was a new Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100” on June 22, 1985: “Heaven” (video up top) by Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams. It was Number One for two weeks, his first Number One hit and his third in the Top Ten song.
The song was the third single from his fourth studio album album, Reckless, and was written in 1983 while Adams was touring with Journey, which is probably why the song is inspired by the band’s song, "Faithfully". According to the Wikipedia article linked about the song above, Adams didn’t think the song was right for his album and almost didn’t include it.
There were two different music videos made for the song, and the one above appears to be the first. I don’t remember this video, and Wikipedia’s description of the other doesn’t sound familiar. It’s entirely possible I didn’t see either, or else, not maybe just not often.
I do remember the song, though, even hear it on the radio every once in awhile (Number One songs often reappear for years afterward…), however, I wasn’t exactly a fan of the song back in the day. In fact, when I saw it on the list of Number Ones for 1985, at first I couldn’t remember how it went. However, when I watched the video—as I do for every song I share in this series, of course—I recognised it immediately. To be clear, it definitely wasn’t that I DISliked the song, I just didn’t actively like it. I thought it was fine for what it was, but maybe a bit slow for my taste.
There’s one thing that I feel obligated to mention: In those days, some people liked to make a point of disliking Bryan Adams (kind of like in more recent times when some people made a point of stating their dislike of Nine Inch Nails…). One must wonder how much of that was performative, given Adams' success, right? Personally, I never disliked Bryan Adams, and I didn’t pretend that I did (a Canadian friend of mine did, though). I've liked a lot of different pop music in various genres and years, and it’s actually pretty rare for me to actively dislike a song, let alone an artist or band. Having said all that, I never bought any of his music, though there may have been a song on a compilation here or there, but I don’t remember any off the top of my head. Kind of like when I saw this song on the list, I suppose.
“Heaven” reached Number 12 in Australia, Number 11 in Canada (Gold), Number 17 in New Zealand (Platinum), Number 38 in the UK (Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s Billboard, as well as Number 12 on their “Adult Contemporary” chart and Number 27 on their “Mainstream Rock Songs” chart. The song was ultmately Certified Gold in the USA—in 2009.
The album Reckless reached Number 2 in Australia (Platinum), Number One in Canada (11x Platinum), Number 1 in New Zealand (Platinum), Number 7 in the UK (3x Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard 200” (5x Platinum).
This series will return July 6, 2025 with a brand new Number One single for that week. Will I remember that one?
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1985” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 1 – February 2, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 2 – February 16, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 3 – March 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 4 – March 30, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 5 – April 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 6 – May 11, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 7 – May 18, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 8 – June 1, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 9 – June 8, 2025
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