The song was an enormous chart success internationally, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart (the longest in British chart history).
It went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide, making it Adams' most successful song and one of the best-selling singles of all time.
The musicians on the original recording are Adams on lead vocals and guitar, Bill Payne (piano), Mickey Curry (drums), Larry Klein (bass), Keith Scott (guitar) and Mutt Lange (keyboards and background vocals).
The song was written in London, England at the studio Adams was working at in 1990, and he and Lange wrote it in 45 minutes.
Adams, Kamen and Lange won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1992.