The definitive Def Leppard playlist

"Let's Get Rocked" is the first single from 1992's Adrenalize, the triple-Platinum follow-up to the massively popular Hysteria record. The album was also the band's first following the death of guitarist Steve Clark. That caused the massive wave of success and popularity Def Leppard was riding at the time to ebb a bit. "Let's Get Rocked" is one of the harder tracks on a somewhat more mellow album compared to the band's previous projects. A song about rock and roll rebellion, it reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Just putting out the massively successful Hysteria (1987) album was a labor of love for the band, which faced an uncertain future following the automobile accident involving drummer Rick Allen. However, Allen overcame the loss of an arm to triumphantly return behind the kit. Hysteria went on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide and topped the Billboard 200 albums chart. "Rocket" was the seventh and final single released from the album. A solid pop rock offering with a glam-rock vibe, it was underrated, even though it cracked the top 15 in the Billboard Hot 100.

From Hysteria's last single released to its first. "Animal" also has the distinction of being Def Leppard's first top-10 single in the United Kingdom. It also helped jumpstart Hysteria in America, since the first released U.S. single "Women" didn't achieve much success. While there would be more notable singles from Hysteria that made the record a smash, credit the pure pop rock of "Animal" for getting the ball rolling — depending on what kind of Leppard fan is listening. The word "sellout" was being tossed around.

By the 1990s, Def Leppard had mellowed while still poised to remain relevant on the pop rock scene. The band even gave into the acoustic, unplugged fad of the early-to-mid '90s. "Two Steps Behind" is a combination of all that, and it's actually a worthy listening experience compared to those softer moments also put forth by other hard rockers at the time. The tune, part of both 1993's compilation album Retro Active and the Last Action Hero soundtrack, peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100.

It all began with 1980's On Through the Night. A key component within the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal," Def Leppard would need a little more time before truly breaking out in the United States, but this was a strong introduction. The first track and third single from On Through the Night, "Rock Brigade" certainly captures the spirit of the movement. We're thinking classic UFO? Rick Allen's stellar drumming and Pete Willis' guitar solo highlight the track.

It was the late 1990s, and hard rock's prominence in the mainstream was fading. Def Leppard, however, enjoyed some critical success with 1999's Euphoria. A solid bounce-back from the disappointment of Slang (1996). "Promises" has a pop vibe, but it also takes us back to Def Leppard's 1980s' glory of High 'n' Dry and Pyromania. Guitarist Phil Collen and renowned rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange co-wrote the track that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

From Def Leppard's second studio album High 'n' Dry (1981), "Let It Go" opened the record, and it had a real AC/DC feel. Especially Pete Willis' guitar work. It was an example of the strides Def Leppard was making when it came to producing radio-friendly tracks. It's raw and dirty but hooky enough to see the direction the band was headed. Def Leppard was destined for commercial greatness, and songs like "Let It Go" helped lay the foundation.

"Armageddon It" might be the one song that epitomizes the whole purpose of the entire Hysteria album. The point was to make a hard rock record with a pop feel. A crossover approach that would reach the masses and take the band to the next level in terms of mainstream popularity. It's a slick number that reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, and it catered to most FM radio and MTV regulars of the day. It's also another memorable Steve Clark guitar moment.

One of Leppard's more complex tracks — from a production standpoint. From the album of the same name, "Hysteria" featured multi-tracked vocals and the arduous job of processing one note at a time. The grueling song proved worth it in the end. While "Hysteria" peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Hot 100, it seemed the tune never received its just credit. The album's more bombastic pop rock or power ballad moments still overshadow one of Def Leppard's best musical moments. 

The opening number from 1983's Pyromania, the album that reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and made Def Leppard mainstream rock stars while selling more than 10 million copies in the U.S. The record was slickly produced by "Mutt" Lange, building on the sound from High 'n' Dry, but with more polish and accessible hooks and guitar performances (highlighted by Phil Collen replacing Pete Willis). "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" was never released as a single, but grabs the listeners' attention from the get-go and certainly makes us wanting more.

Interestingly enough, this is perhaps Def Leppard's most controversial song. Due to the fact that Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) cited it because they felt it glamorized alcohol and intoxication. Regardless, it has long been one of the band's most popular songs, and it was a live-show staple in the early-to-mid 1980s. It helped the High 'n' Dry album earn multi-Platinum status in the United States, though it was released later in the decade.

Pyromania is one of the those albums that's simply stellar from start to finish. The epitome of "all killer, no filler." Perhaps the best deep cut from the record can be found in "Action! Not Words." An unabashed celebration of, what we presume, is the tale of videotaping a night of passion. While Pyromania certainly has its noteworthy melodic moments, this is full throttle rock and roll. 

A top-20 Billboad Hot 100 hit and MTV staple from Pyromania, "Rock of Ages" is one of the most recognizable songs in Def Leppard's stellar musical arsenal. It's also perhaps most known for its opening "Gunter glieben glauten globen" lyric. According to "Mutt" Lange, it was an attempt at German gibberish that added an element of campiness, which the band took from longtime glam influences like T. Rex and Mott the Hoople. 

One of the most well-known power ballads of all time, and the only song in the band's history to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in the United States. According to Classic Albums: Def Leppard – The Making of Hysteria, "Mutt" Lange introduced the piece to the band as a country song. They then helped "rock" it up, making it more radio friendly and into something that would earn heavy rotation on MTV. The mid-to-late 1980s were the era of the power ballad, and Def Leppard certainly cashed in with contribution.

Released as a single in the United Kingdom but not initially in the U.S., "Too Late for Love" is another shining moment from Pyromania. It's long been part of the band's live performances and continues to be played on stage. Considered a power ballad, "Too Late for Love" is another example of a melodic rock song that was heavier than anything coming out of the hair-metal world that Def Leppard became lumped in with over the years. Back in the day, it showcased the range of Joe Elliott's voice.

Another strong deep cut from Pyromania, "Stagefright" is a severely underrated track that was never released as a single or earned any radio play during the early 1980s. Instead, this is a hard-charging rock song with plenty of 1970s vibes and sexual undertones about hesitancy for yet another night of passion. It became a live favorite and one that often opened shows. It also includes some of Phil Collen's best guitar work.

Another top-40 hit from Pyromania, and a song that seemed to be played endlessly on MTV and Friday Night Videos (remember that show?). "Foolin'" helped the album become one of the biggest within the hard rock genre during the 1980s. Like other songs on the record, it offers a rather perfect balance of melodic emotion and heavily fueled rock that harkens back to Def Leppard's heyday within the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal."

If Def Leppard has an "anthem" associated with its legacy, this is it. Great for group singing, dancing on top of the bar right around last call, or when in the mood for a randy rock-and-roll good time. The musical centerpiece of Hysteria, and one of the last songs written for the album, "Pour Some Sugar on Me" reached No. 2 on the Hot 100. It remains the undisputed highlight of the band's live shows. Pop-rock at its best, but with the right amount of camp even old-school Leppard fans can appreciate. 

"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" never received serious radio play at the time of its release off High 'n' Dry, but thanks to a budding little cable network called MTV, the music video became quite popular. With that, fans also rediscovered the album. With the mega success of Pyromania, fans journeyed back into the Def Leppard catalog. Often described as a power ballad, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" seems more like a melodic rollercoaster of sound and emotion. Steve Clark's guitar work is second to none.

The song that turned Def Leppard into a successful hard rock outfit into mainstream superstars. Call it glam rock or pop rock, "Photograph," the song about longing for something — or in this case someone — you can't have, spent six weeks atop the Billboard Top Tracks chart. It was an MTV staple. We can go round and round about whether "Photograph" or "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is Def Leppard's signature song, but fans should agree that the former was the defining moment in the band's legacy.