Def Leppard’s Top 10
Def Leppard played their first gig in ’78 and were recording the following year. While doing passably well in their native U.K., they didn’t have much impact elsewhere and found themselves stuck in the “opening act” slot.
Enter Robert John “Mutt” Lange who had built a reputation as a highly successful producer. His main function was to guide a group through the recording process. For a band so close, Lange provided the polish and significant touches to put Def Leppard over the top.
10. Rocket
From the “Hysteria” album, it was the band’s final single from the album to be released with guitarist Steve Clark before his death in 1991.
9. Armageddon It
Also on “Hysteria,” the song was released as a single in 1988 and went to #3 in the U.S., becoming their 3rd Top 10 hit.
Lead singer Joe Ellliot has termed the vocalist “T-Rex meets Eddie Cochran, with backing vocals.”
8. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
From their 1981 album “High N’ Dry” the song was written by three of the band’s members: lead guitarist Steve Clark, rhythm guitarist Pete Willis and vocalist Joe Elliot.
7. Rock Of Ages
The band was in a recording studio when Elliot came across a hymn book left by a member of a children’s choir that had just used the studio. In the book, he saw the words “Rock Of Ages, which prompted him to compose the song’s lyrics.
6. Animal
“When people saw us on Top of the Pops (in the U.K.) doing ‘Animal’ they heard a really great song that, style-wise, had more in common with IINXS or U2 … And that was the band we wanted to be.”
5. Foolin’
Issued in 1983, the single from “Pyromania” reached #9 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
The music video was directed by David Mallet and shot at the Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth, NJ.
4. Love Bites
The “Hysteria” power-ballad was Def Leppard’s only #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by the band (except drummer Rick Allen) and producer “Mutt” Lange, who also provided backing vocals.
3. Photograph
Elliot described the lead single from the band’s third studio effort, “Pyromania” (1983) as generally about “something you can’t ever get your hands on.”
In 2013, the song was featured in the Grand Theft Auto V video game.
2. Hysteria
The title track from the band’s fourth studio set (the third produced by Lange) was the band’s first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #10.
1. Pour Some Sugar On Me
By the spring of 1988, “Hysteria” had sold 3-million copies, which was not enough to cover the album’s $5 million production costs. So the band edited footage from an upcoming concert film to make a new promo clip for “Pour Some Sugar On Me.”
It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 and is considered the band’s signature song.
Def Leppard:
Joe Elliot – Lead Vocals
Phil Collen– guitar/Backing Vocals
Vivian Campbell – guitar/Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass
Rick Allen– Drums
Former Members:
Pete Willis – Guitar/Backing Vocals (1977–1982)
Steve Clark – Guitar/Backing Vocals (1978–1991; his death)
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