"The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You," Bryan Adams

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Bryan Adams’ music fell into two distinct categories:  upbeat rock songs and monster power ballads.  While his songs became international hits, they were about as predictable as the singer’s usual T-shirt and jeans wardrobe.   

That all changed in 1996 when Adams released the album 18 ‘Til I Die.  As the title suggested, we were about to witness a musical mid-life crisis.  The album’s first single, “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You,” certainly did not change this perception:

Adams had become all flash, slicking back his hair with copious amouts of gel and replacing his old threads with designer clothes.  (He even namechecks certain designers in the lyrics as if he were P. Diddy.)  The video primarily centers on a fake runway show where models vogue and strip in tune with the Def Leppard-like riff.  Inexplicably, most of video’s scenes with Adams show him dancing with a model, singing to himself in a mirror, and most bizarrely, playing his guitar on a toilet.  

While the video proved too much for American audiences, “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You” was successful throughout Europe and hit number 1 in the U.K.  Adams continues to tour and record today, and he is scheduled to perform several dates in the U.S. within the next few months.