35 Years Ago, a Movie Ballad Became a Record-Breaking No. 1 Hit

Whether or not you're acquainted with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, you're almost certainly familiar with "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," the signature song of the 1991 film by Bryan Adams, which has arguably had a much more significant cultural impact than its source.

Despite an impressive box office run of $390 million (approximately $950 million in 2026, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator), the historical fiction epic received mixed-negative reviews from critics, sitting at a "Rotten" score of 53% on review site Rotten Tomatoes. While many films initially met with dismal reviews go on to further acclaim with time, Prince of Thieves did not exactly go through any major reappraisals, sitting at a meagre 200k logs and an average rating of 3.3 on Letterboxd.

Adams' power ballad, however, had a historic run that was nothing short of fantastic, sitting atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks, going up to 17 weeks on the pure sales chart. In Adams' home country of the UK, the song, initially released in June 1991, went on to smash records that still stand today, with 16 consecutive weeks atop the singles chart, holding the title of longest-running no. 1 on the UK Top 40.

"I Do It for You" bested its attached film by earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, the only nod the film received at the 1991 awards, just pipped by the titular song from Beauty and the Beast, which garnered five nominations. The song is also estimated to have sold 15 million copies worldwide, making it one of the highest-selling singles of all time, and boasts an impressive 856 million streams on Spotify, as of June 2026.

Just like the declaration of love in Adams' tear-jerking tribute, the song's longevity stands alone, being covered by artists including Brandy, Faith Hill, Katherine Jenkins, Yuridia, and Journey guitarist Neal Schon, in addition to being a mainstay on singing competition shows like The Masked Singer, The Voice, and The X Factor.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM.