The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You

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"The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You"
Single by Bryan Adams
from the album 18 til I Die
B-side
  • "Hey Elvis"
  • "I Want It All"
ReleasedMay 8, 1996 (1996-05-08)
Length
  • 3:37 (album version)
  • 3:24 (single version)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Bryan Adams
  • Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Bryan Adams singles chronology
"Rock Steady"
(1995) 		"The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You"
(1996) 		"Let's Make a Night to Remember"
(1996)

"The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Adams co-wrote and co-produced the track with Robert John "Mutt" Lange. It was released in May 1996 as the lead single from Adams' seventh studio album, 18 til I Die (1996). The song peaked at number one in Canada, number six in the United Kingdom, and number 52 in the United States.

In 1997, Adams was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song but lost to Beck's "Where It's At".[1] Adams was also nominated for a Juno Award for Best Producer the same year.[2] The track appears on Adams' compilation albums The Best of Me and Anthology.

Critical reception[edit]

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Adams' single output has been so ballad-heavy in recent years that it is easy to forget that he is a diehard rocker at the core. This first peek into his forthcoming "18 'Til I Die" collection is a fun reminder of that fact, as Adams tears through a hearty spree of blues-tinged pop beats and jittery guitars with the glee of a hormone-crazed kid in his first band."[3] Another editor, Paul Verna noted that "Adam excels" on "the straight-ahead rocker".[4] Daina Darzin from Cash Box described it as "a happy, driving rocker with a big, catchy hook".[5]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" was directed by Matthew Rolston, who also directed "Let's Make a Night to Remember". The video was nominated for MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video. In an interview with Songfacts, Adams stated that the clip is his own favorite video.[6] It features various male and female models (including Ana Cristina Oliveira) walking and dancing up and down a catwalk wearing sexy and outrageous outfits. It also features Adams in a bathroom sitting on the toilet with his guitar and standing in front of the mirror trying to do his hair. A shot from recording sessions is used as the cover of Adams' 18 til I Die album cover. The music video is shown in the film Red Corner (1997) starring Richard Gere.

Track listings[edit]

  • Canadian, US, Australian, and Japanese CD single[7][8][9]
  1. "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (single version) – 3:24
  2. "Hey Elvis" – 3:23
  3. "I Want It All" – 4:46
  4. "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" – 3:40
  • US 7-inch and cassette single; Japanese mini-CD single[10][11][12]
  1. "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (single version) – 3:24
  2. "Hey Elvis" – 3:23
  1. "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (single version)
  2. "Summer of '69"
  3. "Cuts Like a Knife"
  4. "Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven"

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Canada May 8, 1996 — A&M [41]
United States May 14, 1996 Contemporary hit radio [42]
United Kingdom May 20, 1996
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [43]
Japan May 22, 1996
  • CD
  • mini-CD
 [44]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1996 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "1997 Award Winner: Producer of the Year 1997". Juno Awards. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Flick, Larry (May 18, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 70. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Verna, Paul (June 22, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF). Billboard. p. 85. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  5. ^ Darzin, Daina (June 8, 1996). "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 9. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  6. ^ Songfacts interview with Bryan Adams
  7. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (Canadian & US CD single liner notes). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1579 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (Australian CD single liner notes). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. 581 579-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (Japanese CD single liner notes). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. POCM-1169.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (US 7-inch single sleeve). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1578 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (US cassette single sleeve). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1578 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. PODM-1063.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You (UK CD single liner notes). Bryan Adams. A&M Records. 1996. 581 639-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  16. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3034." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3028." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  19. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 22. June 1, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 23. June 8, 1996. p. 16. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  21. ^ "Bryan Adams: The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  22. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  23. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 28. July 13, 1996. p. 22. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  24. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (25.5. – 30.5. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). May 25, 1996. p. 26. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  25. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  26. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 25, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  27. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  28. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You". Top 40 Singles.
  29. ^ "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 24. June 15, 1996. p. 23. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  31. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You". Singles Top 100.
  32. ^ "Bryan Adams – The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  34. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  35. ^ "Bryan Adams Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  36. ^ "Bryan Adams Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  37. ^ "Bryan Adams Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  38. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". Australian Record Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  39. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 31, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  40. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 31, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  41. ^ LeBlanc, Larry (May 4, 1996). "Canada Nice Alternative for Reid" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 18. p. 47. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  42. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1145. May 10, 1996. p. 32. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  43. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 18, 1996. p. 25. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  44. ^ "Bryan Adams Discography" (in Japanese). PolyGram. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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