The Leppard Albums

Getcha Rocks Off

- This was their first EP released in January of 1979 on their own record label, Bludgeon Riffola, which is what some news reporter had called their music. The album sold 1,000 even before Polygram picked up Def Leppard and went on to sell 24,000 more and peak at #84 in the UK. Joe Elliot (vocals), Rick Savage (bass), Steve Clark (guitar), and Pete Willis (guitar) played on this EP. Peter Noon filled in on drums because they had just recently fired their drummer. Joe borrowed money from his parents to finance the EP, which included the tracks "Getcha Rocks Off", "The Overture", and "Ride into the Sun". Two of those tracks can be found on later albums.

On Through the Night

- Mercury (in the US) released this album March 14, 1980. Reportedly selling 30,000 copies, it peaked at 15 in the UK and 51 in the US. The line up: Joe Elliot (vocals), Rick Allen (drums), Rick Savage (bass), Steve Clark and Pete Willis (guitars). I personally recommend listening to this. If you're used to the Hysteria era, you'll be mildly surprised to find out these guys can rock. Check out "Wasted," my favorite track.

High 'N' Dry

- This album was first released in July of 1981 and then re-released in 1984 with two bonus tracks - "Bringin' on the Heartbreak (Remix)" and "Me and My Wine" - that is a track you should check out. The video is a riot, too. You can catch it on their video collection Historia. With the release of the "Heartbreak" video on MTV, the album hit #38 in the US and #26 in the UK. These guys still rocked pretty hard on this album, although they were toned down a bit due to working with producer John "Mutt" Lange for the first time. It's also interesting to note that they add special thanks to Phil Collen who would come to replace Pete Willis. : )

Pyromania

- This album released in January of 1983, showed a change in line up. Pete Willis had been fired for showing up to work drunk. Phil Collen, formerly of Girl, was called in to replace him. These songs don't have the hard edge that the earlier work did - but in no way does it make it bad. This album launched them into stardom. "Photograph," the first single whose video was influenced by Marilyn Monroe, began their rise to stardom and a 92 week run on the US Hot 100 chart. It hit #2 in the US (behind Thriller) and reached #18 in the UK. As of 1992, it has sold 10 million worldwide, with 7 million in the US alone. The Pyromania tour saw them headlining for the first time. This would also be the last album that Rick Allen played drums with two arms.

Hysteria

- Between Pyromania and Hysteria was a long stretch of 4 years. Released August 29, 1987, this album showcased Rick Allen's return to drumming thanks to an electronic drum kit. This was their ballad album. These songs made sure Def Leppard's career would be forever. It entered the charts at #1 in the UK and spent 95 weeks total on the charts. The album also hit #1 in the US. Worlwide the album has sold 15 million copies, with 10 million in the states alone, making Def Leppard the only band in history to have 2 albums consecutively sell more than 9 million copies. No one can deny rocking to "Pour Sugar on Me." All of these songs are awesome; I'm surprised they didn't release more singles. When they began touring, they introduced the rock world to an in-the-round stage. A second live video collection, appropriately titled In the Round, in Your Face, was released around this time. In the sleeve for this record, was an advertisement for their book Animal Instinct. If you need a laugh, go back and read the nicknames they assign to each other in the album sleeve. And while you're reading what instruments they play, check out what Joe plays.

Adrenalize

- Released March 30, 1992, this album also saw a change in line up. Tragically, Steve Clark could not control his drinking, and he passed on on January 8, 1991. The band opted not to find a replacement guitarist, so Phil finished all the guitar work by himself. "Let's Get Rocked" was a favorite for a while on MTV. They were even asked to perform on the MTV Music Awards. However, I don't even know if they released the videos for "Heaven Is" or "I Wanna Touch You" in the United States. This record also went to #1 in the UK and debuted at #1 in the US. There is a connection between the eye on the album and the name. Adrenaline is produced in the eye and as Joe Elliot once explained, he wanted it to look like an explosion of adrenaline. This album had nice pics of all members (although they're better in the cassette version). And this is another sleeve you should read.

Retro Active

- Def Leppard decided to get the skeletons out of the closet with their next album. They were trying to clear their archive of old songs from a different era in the band. "She's Too Tough" was the b-side for "Tonight," and "From the Inside" was the b-side for "Stand Up", just to name a few. Released October 4, 1993, Steve Clark played on 5 songs, while newcomer, Vivian Campbell, handled the other 5. Steve in fact wrote "Fractured Love" and "Desert Song" with Joe Elliot and Rick Savage. This is where you can hear "Ride Into the Sun" which was originally from Getcha Rocks Off. The cover from afar resembles a skull, but a closer look will reveal a lady seated at a vanity. If you read the sleeve on this one, you'll get a small explanation of each song. Definitely worth listening to. They rock one minute, then beautifully sing a ballad. My favorites are the electric versions of "Miss You in a Heartbeat" and "Two Steps Behind." The acoustic version of "Two Steps Behind" was featured in "The Last Action Hero." The movie pushed them back into the spotlight for a while. The album hit #6 in the UK.

Vault

- Although when talking about their album Retro Active Joe Elliot said they didn't plan on releasing a greatest hits album, in October of 1995 they released Vault. With this album, they were entered into the Guinness Book of World Records - for doing three concerts on three different continents all in one day. Slipped inside the album was a note signed by all 5 (or a photocopy of a signature) promising new work entitled Slang in 1996. Peter Mensch (an old manager) wrote an overview of the last 15 years, and after each song title, at least one band member wrote a little blib of history. The mix is definitely greatest hits although I was surprised to see "Miss You in a Heartbeat" on here. It was too new of a song. They also added one new song, "When Love and Hate Collide." The video was released here although MTV only played it a few times. Vault hit #4 in the UK. Along with the album, they released another video collection, titled Video Archive.

Slang

- Def Leppard resurfaced in May of 1996 with a new album and a new sound. They've added a few "Indian" instruments (thanks to Phil) like the mandolin and a few others I can't spell. Rick also plays mostly acoustic drums (with a little help from a few electronic foot petals) on this album. Amazingly, they still rock! This could be considered the first official album Vivian Campbell appears on. He also wrote a few of the tracks with the guys and wrote "Work it Out" completely although it was Leppardized. The album shows some really cool artwork and photography. This is also the only album I have that contains lyrics. Of course all of mine are on tape and CD may be different. They released a video for "Slang," but it might have only been a promo. It never got airplay here by MTV. The album has peaked at 5 in the UK.

Euphoria

- Def Leppard released an album June 8, 1999 (in US) that went back to their more familiar sound. Although reported to sound like Pyromania, I just don't hear it. I love the music - fave songs are 21st Century Sha La La Girl and All Night - but the artwork and little booklet/CD sleeve thing could have been better. They had the same guy doing the artwork that did the Pyromania, Hysteria, and Adrenalize covers, but I think he could have done more for the band. The album debuted at #11 in the US and sold 98,000 in the first week. The 1st single Promises is #1 in Mainstream Rock charts (Week of June 14). It also managed to place 3rd in internet sales (according to Billboard) behind Ricky Martin and the Backstreet Boys. To read reviews of this album from different magazine articles click here. You can request Def Leppard on MTV's Total Request. If they get enough requests for "Promises", they may actually play it!

Click here for the complete discography including unreleased songs.

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