“I still think it’s a great lyric. Probably the best I’ve ever written. Those first four lines are the most memorable in my entire catalogue”: The classic ’80s rock anthem and the ’70s hit that inspired it

Bryan Adams.

In 1981, after his debut album had flopped, Bryan Adams joked about naming his second album Bryan Adams Hasn’t Heard Of You Either. But four years later he had one of the biggest selling albums of the ’80s in Reckless – and among its many hit singles was the classic rock anthem Summer Of ’69.

Originally titled Those Were The Best Days Of My Life, the song was inspired by a great American rock hit from 1976, Bob Seger’s Night Moves.