On a Day Like Today (album)

On a Day Like Today is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released on October 27, 1998.

Singles
"On a Day Like Today" was the first single released. It reached number thirteen in the UK and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. Follow-up single "When You're Gone", featuring Melanie C, reached number three in the UK, and was in the top-ten for ten weeks, while peaking at number eleven in Canada. "Cloud Number Nine" reached number six in the UK and number seven in Canada.

Critical reception
On a Day Like Today received mixed reviews from critics. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Tom Lanham gave the album a B+ rating, stating that "Adams started searching for that perfect balance of mature grace and useful guitar grind".

However, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave the album two-out-of-five stars, claiming that "Adams simply had no contemporary audience left, and this was not the record to rebuild his career. It was defiantly bereft of ballads, nothing to break on the AC chart, and even if his rock audience had been listening, there was nothing here to rank with his earlier signature hits".

Commercial performance
On a Day Like Today was a success around the world, peaking at number three in Canada, and number eleven in the UK. However at the time in the U.S. market, it became the first of Adams' albums since 1983's Cuts Like a Knife not to obtain a platinum sales certification. According to AllMusic, the record company didn't do a lot of advertising for album, as Adams and this album got caught when his record company sold his recording contract to rap label Interscope, who in turn did very little in the USA to promote it.

Personnel

 * Bryan Adams – vocals, Wurlitzer electric piano, Mellotron, guitars, bass, arrangements, string arrangements
 * Robbie Buchanan – keyboards
 * Mike Gillies – programming
 * Vincent Jones – Hammond organ
 * Dave Pickell – acoustic piano, Hammond organ
 * Phil Western – keyboards, programming
 * Olle Romo – programming
 * Keith Scott – guitars, six-string bass
 * Phil Thornalley – guitars, bass, string arrangements (4)
 * Dave Taylor – bass
 * Mickey Curry – drums
 * Danny Cummings – percussion
 * Bob Buckley – string arrangements
 * David Munday – string arrangements (4)
 * Vancouver Orchestra – strings
 * Melanie C – vocals (8)

Production

 * Bryan Adams – producer, package design, photography
 * Bob Rock – producer (1, 2, 3, 5-9, 11, 12, 14)
 * Phil Thornalley – producer (4), additional recording
 * Phil Western – producer (10), additional recording
 * Randy Staub – recording
 * Bob Clearmountain – mixing
 * Dean Maher – additional recording, mix assistant
 * Ron Obvious – technical engineer
 * Bob Ludwig – mastering
 * Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine) – mastering location
 * Sandy Brummels – art coordinator
 * Glen Ross – package design