Showing posts with label Def Leppard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Def Leppard. Show all posts

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Mutt Lange: Top 100 Songs/Top 20 Albums

Mutt Lange

Top 100 Songs

Producer Mutt Lange was born Robert John Lange on November 11, 1948, in Mufulira, Zambia. His father was a mining engineer from South Africa and his mother was from a prosperous family in Germany. He was nicknamed “Mutt” at an early age. He grew up a fan of country music, particularly Slim Whitman. He and future-wife Stevie Vann played together in the band Hocus during the ‘70s, but the marriage dissolved by decade’s end.

In the late ’70, he wrote and sang for his own band Supercharge, including the 1979 song Do You Believe in Love? which became a hit for Huey Lewis & the News in 1982. He also did his first production work for the Boomtown Rats, most notably on their 1978 #1 UK hit Rat Trap.

During the ‘70s and ‘80s, he did production work for some of the biggest albums in rock history, including AC/DC’s Highway to Hell (1979) and Back in Black (1980), Foreigner’s 4 (1981), and Def Leppard’s Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987). He was also a co-writer on major singles including Def Leppard’s Photograph (1983) and Rock of Ages (1983), Loverboy’s Lovin’ Every Minute of It (1985), and Billy Ocean’s Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car (1988).

He also co-wrote one of the biggest hits of the ‘90s, Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do (I Do It for You) and produced his Waking Up the Neighbours album. He met and married Shania Twain in 1993, producing her next three smash albums.

He has also produced or written songs for the Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Loverboy, Muse, Nickelback, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick.

Links:

Awards:

Top 100 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. These are the top 100 songs produced and/or written by Mutt Lange.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
2. AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” (1980)
3. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1997)
4. AC/DC “Back in Black” (1980)
5. Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
6. AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (1979)
7. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981)

DMDB Top 2%:

8. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983)
9. Bryan Adams, Sting, & Rod Stewart “All for Love” (1993)
10. Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” (1995)
11. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
12. Shania Twain “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” (1997)
13. The Cars “Drive” (1984)

DMDB Top 5%:

14. Foreigner “Urgent” (1981)
15. The Cars “You Might Think” (1984)
16. Def Leppard “Rock of Ages” (1983)
17. Foreigner “Juke Box Hero” (1981)
18. Shania Twain with Bryan White “From This Moment On” (1997)
19. Shania Twain “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (1997)
20. Billy Ocean “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” (1988)

21. Def Leppard “Hysteria” (1987)
22. AC/DC “Hells Bells” (1980)
23. Billy Ocean “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” (1985)
24. Shania Twain “Forever and for Always” (2002)
25. Def Leppard “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (1981)
26. Bryan Adams “Please Forgive Me” (1993)
27. Def Leppard “Foolin’” (1983)
28. Def Leppard “Animal” (1987)

DMDB Top 10%:

29. Heart “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” (1990)
30. Huey Lewis & the News “Do You Believe in Love?” (1982)

31. Bryan Adams “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” (1991)
32. AC/DC “For Those About to Rock We Salute You” (1981)
33. Def Leppard “Armageddon It” (1987)
34. Michael Bolton “Said I Loved You…But I Lied” (1993)
35. The Cars “Magic” (1984)
36. Maroon 5 “Misery” (2010)
37. Billy Ocean “Loverboy” (1984)
38. Shania Twain “Any Man of Mine” (1995)
39. Def Leppard “Rocket” (1987)
40. Def Leppard “Let’s Get Rocked” (1992)

41. Lady Gaga “You and I” (2011)
42. Def Leppard “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?” (1992)
43. Shania Twain “If You’re Not in It for Love, I’m Outta Here” (1995)
44. Shania Twain “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” (2002)
45. The Corrs “Breathless” (2000)

DMDB Top 20%:

46. The Cars “Hello Again” (1984)
47. Bryan Adams “The Only Thing That Looks Good on You” (1996)
48. AC/DC “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” (1980)
49. Bryan Adams “Thought I’d Died and Gone to Heaven” (1991)
50. AC/DC “Shoot to Thrill” (1980)

51. The Cars “Why Can’t I Have You?” (1984)
52. Loverboy “Lovin’ Every Minute of It” (1985)
53. Def Leppard “Too Late for Love” (1983)
54. Def Leppard “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” (1992)
55. Def Leppard “Make Love Like a Man” (1992)
56. Bryan Adams “There Will Never Be Another Tonight” (1991)
57. Bryan Adams “Let’s Make a Night to Remember” (1996)
58. The Boomtown Rats “Rat Trap” (1978)
59. Michael Bolton “Can I Touch You…There?” (1995)
60. Bryan Adams “Do I Have to Say the Words?” (1991)

61. Muse “Dead Inside” (2015)
62. Shania Twain “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” (1995)
63. Def Leppard “Tonight” (1992)
64. Def Leppard “Promises” (1999)
65. Foreigner “Break It Up” (1981)
66. Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams “I Finally Found Someone” (1996)
67. Huey Lewis & the News “It Hit Me Like a Hammer” (1991)
68. Shania Twain “You’ve Got a Way” (1997)
69. Nickelback “This Afternoon” (2008)
70. AC/DC “Let’s Get It Up” (1981)

71. Tina Turner “Why Must We Wait Until Tonight” (1993)
72. Shania Twain “Up! (2002)
73. Def Leppard “Women” (1987)
74. Heart “Will You Be There in the Morning” (1993)
75. Shania Twain with Mark McGrath or Billy Currington “Party for Two” (2004)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

76. Michael Bolton “Ain’t Got Nothing if You Ai’t Got Love” (1993)
77. AC/DC “Girls Got Rhythm” (1979)
78. AC/DC “Have a Drink on Me” (1980)
79. The Boomtown Rats “Diamond Smiles” (1979)
80. Eddie Money “Heaven in the Back Seat” (1991)

81. Nickelback “Never Gonna Be Alone” (2008)
82. Nickelback “Something in Your Mouth” (2008)
83. Shania Twain “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)” (1997)
84. XTC “This Is Pop?” (1978)
85. Shania Twain “Come on Over” (1997)
86. Maroon 5 “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” (2010)
87. Shania Twain “Don’t” (2004)
88. Shania Twain “It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing” (2002)
89. The Boomtown Rats “Someone’s Looking at You” (1979)
90. The Boomtown Rats “Like Clockwork” (1978)

91. Bryan Adams “18 Til I Die” (1996)
92. The Boomtown Rats “She’s So Modern” (1978)
93. Shania Twain “Love Gets Me Every Time” (1997)
94. Def Leppard “Let It Go” (1981)
95. The Boomtown Rats “Looking After No. 1” (1977)
96. Shania Twain “Honey I’m Home” (1997)
97. Bryan Adams “I’ll Always Be Right There” (1996)
98. City Boy “5.7.0.5.” (1978)
99. Maroon 5 “Give a Little More” (2010)
100. The Cars “Heartbeat City” (1984)

Top 20 Albums

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by album’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, critics’ ratings, and awards. These are the top albums which prominently feature Mutt Lange as a producer and/or songwriter.
  1. AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
  2. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)
  3. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
  4. AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979)
  5. Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
  6. Shania Twain Up! (2002)
  7. Foreigner 4 (1981)
  8. Shania Twain The Woman in Me (1995)
  9. Shania Twain Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-04, released 2004)
  10. Def Leppard Vault (compilation: 1980-1995, released 1995)

  11. Bryan Adams Waking Up the Neighbours (1991)
  12. Def Leppard Adrenalize (1992)
  13. Bryan Adams The Best of Me (compilation: 1984-1999, released 2001)
  14. The Cars Heartbeat City (1984)
  15. Def Leppard High ‘N’ Dry (1981)
  16. Nickelback Dark Horse (2008)
  17. AC/DC For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
  18. Muse Drones (2015)
  19. Maroon 5 Hands All Over (2010)
  20. Bryan Adams 18 Til I Die (1996)

Resources and Related Links:

DMDB Encyclopedia Entries for:

First posted 11/11/2018; updated 11/5/2023.

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Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Def Leppard: Top 50 Songs

Def Leppard

Top 50 Songs

Hard rock group formed in Sheffield, England in 1977. One of the premiere groups in the '80s pop-metal craze often referred to as “hair bands.” Members: Joe Elliott (vocals), Steve Clark (guitar: 1977-91; died on 1/8/91 of alcohol-related respiratory failure), Pete Willis (guitar: 1977-82), Rick Savage (b), Rick Allen (drums; lost left arm in an auto accident on 12/31/84), Phil Collen (guitar: 1982-), Vivian Campbell (guitar: 92-)

Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers.

Spotify Podcast:

Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: The Best of Def Leppard, 1979-2022 based on this list. Debut: June 7, 2022 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Pour Some Sugar on Me (1987)

DMDB Top 2%:

2. Photograph (1983)
3. Love Bites (1987)

DMDB Top 5%:

4. Rock of Ages (1983)
5. Hysteria (1987)
6. Bringin’ on the Heartbreak (1981)
7. Foolin’ (1983)
8. Animal (1987)

DMDB Top 10%:

9. Rocket (1987)
10. Let’s Get Rocked (1992)
11. Two Steps Behind (1992)

DMDB Top 20%:

12. When Love and Hate Collide (1995)
13. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad? (1992)
14. Armageddon It (1987)
15. Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion) (1992)
16. Make Love Like a Man (1992)
17. Tonight (1992)
18. Promises (1999)
19. Work It Out (1996)
20. Miss You in a Heartbeat (1992)
21. Too Late for Love (1983)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

22. Women (1987)
23. Now (2002)
24. Rock Brigade (1980)
25. Let It Go (1981)
26. Slang (1996)
27. All I Want Is Everything (1996)
28. Paper Sun (1999)
29. No Matter What (2005)
30. Wasted (1979)

31. Breathe a Sigh (1996)
32. Rock! Rock! Till You Drop (1983)
33. Hello America (1980)
34. Heaven Is (1992)
35. Billy’s Got a Gun (1983)
36. Action (1992)
37. Desert Song (1987)
38. High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night) (1981)
39. Long Long Way to Go (2002)
40. Me and My Wine (1981)

41. Day After Day (1999)
42. Comin’ Under Fire (1983)
43. Goodbye (1999)
44. Action! Not Words (1983)
45. Four Letter Word (2002)
46. Nine Lives (with Tim McGraw, 2008)
47. 20th Century Boy (2006)
48. Elected (live, 1992)
49. From the Inside (1992)
50. Undefeated (2011)

Resources and Related Links:

First posted 6/2/2022; last updated 6/8/2022.
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Heavy Metal Albums – Top 50

Heavy Metal/Hard Rock:

The Top 100 Albums

Here are the best heavy metal/hard rock albums, according to Dave’s Music Database. 20 lists of “heavy metal” and/or “hard rock” albums were compiled to create the aggregate list below.

Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.

1. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
2. Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast (1982)
3. AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
4. Van Halen Van Halen (1978)
5. Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970)
6. Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
7. Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
8. Metallica Ride the Lightning (1984)
9. Metallica Metallica (aka “The Black Album”) (1991)
10. Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)

11. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
12. AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979)
13. Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
14. Kiss Destroyer (1976)
15. Judas Priest British Steel (1980)
16. Motörhead Ace of Spades (1980)
17. Metallica Kill ‘Em All (1983)
18. Black Sabbath Master of Reality (1971)
19. Megadeth Rust in Peace (1990)
20. Kiss Alive! (1975)

21. Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (1970)
22. Slayer Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
23. Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
24. Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)
25. Deep Purple Machine Head (1972)
26. Metallica …And Justice for All (1988)
27. Pantera Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
28. Iron Maiden Iron Maiden (1980)
29. Skid Row Skid Row (1989)
30. Alice in Chains Dirt (1992)

31. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
32. Queensrÿche Operation Mindcrime (1988)
33. Dio Holy Diver (1983)
34. Iron Maiden Powerslave (1984)
35. Aerosmith Toys in the Attic (1975)
36. Anthrax Among the Living (1987)
37. Korn Korn (1994)
38. Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood (1989)
39. Megadeth Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? (1986)
40. Megadeth Countdown to Extinction (1992)

41. Soundgarden Badmotorfinger (1991)
42. Van Halen 1984 (1984)
43. Iron Maiden Piece of Mind (1983)
44. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
45. Motörhead No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith (1981)
46. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I (1969)
47. Slayer South of Heaven (1988)
48. Judas Priest Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
49. Aerosmith Rocks (1976)
50. Pantera Cowboys from Hell (1990)

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First posted 7/1/2011; last updated 6/7/2022.

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Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Top 100 Songs by Hair Bands

Hair Bands:

Top 100 Songs

Ah, the hair bands. This much-maligned genre was a mix of rock and pop wrapped up in big hair and leather pants. The bands – almost all white men – were known for lifestyles filled with debauchery and depravity. It was no wonder teens in the ‘80s flocked to the bands like moths to a flame.

Regardless of these bands’ lack of critical acclaim, some of these bands (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard) when on to become some of the biggest rock bands in the world – even after they cut their hair and opted for more sensible jeans. Here – love ‘em or hate ‘em – are the top songs from hair bands as determined by aggregating 21 lists and then ranking those songs featured on 3 or more lists in order of their overall DMDB points.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
2. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986)
3. Van Halen “Jump” (1984)
4. Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
5. Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” (1987)
6. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” (1991)
7. Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” (1987)
8. Kiss “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975)
9. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988)
10. Guns N’ Roses “Paradise City” (1987)

11. Bon Jovi “You Give Love a Bad Name” (1986)
12. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983)
13. Scorpions “Rock You Like a Hurricane” (1984)
14. Twisted Sister “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (1984)
15. Europe “The Final Countdown” (1986)
16. Ratt “Round and Round” (1984)
17. Quiet Riot “Cum on Feel the Noize” (1983)
18. Van Halen “Runnin’ with the Devil” (1978)
19. Extreme “More Than Words” (1990)
20. Mötley Crüe “Girls, Girls, Girls” (1987)

21. Whitesnake “Is This Love” (1987)
22. Warrant “Cherry Pie” (1990)
23. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
24. Bon Jovi “Wanted Dead or Alive” (1986)
25. Mr. Big “To Be with You” (1991)
26. Night Ranger “Sister Christian” (1984)
27. Guns N’ Roses “Patience” (1988)
28. The Scorpions “No One Like You” (1982)
29. Kiss “Detroit Rock City” (1976)
30. Def Leppard “Rock of Ages” (1983)

31. Van Halen “Panama” (1984)
32. Mötley Crüe “Home Sweet Home” (1985)
33. Quiet Riot “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” (1983)
34. Poison “Nothin’ But a Good Time” (1988)
35. Skid Row “I Remember You” (1989)
36. Tesla “Love Song” (1989)
37. Van Halen “Hot for Teacher” (1984)
38. Whitesnake “Still of the Night” (1987)
39. Mötley Crüe “Dr. Feelgood” (1989)
40. The Scorpions “Still Loving You” (1984)

41. Lita Ford “Kiss Me Deadly” (1988)
42. Skid Row “18 and Life” (1989)
43. Warrant “Heaven” (1988)
44. Cinderella…Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone (1988)
45. Bon Jovi “Bad Medicine” (1988)
46. Mötley Crüe “Kickstart My Heart” (1989)
47. Queensrÿche “Silent Lucidity” (1990)
48. Def Leppard “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (1981)
49. Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne “Close My Eyes Forever” (1988)
50. Poison “Talk Dirty to Me” (1986)

51. Alice Cooper “Poison” (1989)
52. Bon Jovi “Runaway” (1983)
53. Great White “Once Bitten Twice Shy” (1989)
54. Autograph…Turn Up the Radio (1984)
55. Def Leppard “Foolin’” (1983)
56. White Lion “When the Children Cry” (1987)
57. Twisted Sister “I Wanna Rock” (1984)
58. Cinderella “Nobody’s Fool” (1986)
59. Mötley Crüe “Shout at the Devil” (1983)
60. Kiss “Lick It Up” (1983)

61. Skid Row “Youth Gone Wild” (1989)
62. Poison “Something to Believe In” (1990)
63. Damn Yankees “High Enough” (1990)
64. White Lion “Wait” (1987)
65. Ozzy Osbourne “Shot in the Dark” (1986)
66. Poison “Fallen Angel” (1988)
67. Dokken “In My Dreams” (1985)
68. Slaughter “Fly to the Angels” (1990)
69. Van Halen “I’ll Wait” (1984)
70. Winger “Seventeen” (1988)

71. Kix “Don’t Close Your Eyes” (1988)
72. David Lee Roth “Yankee Rose” (1986)
73. Kiss “Heaven’s on Fire” (1984)
74. Cinderella “Gypsy Road” (1988)
75. Cinderella “Shake Me” (1986)
76. Dokken “Alone Again” (1984)
77. Firehouse “Love of a Lifetime” (1991)
78. Ugly Kid Joe “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1992)
79. Mötley Crüe “Without You” (1989)
80. Winger “Miles Away” (1990)

81. Winger “Headed for a Heartbreak” (1988)
82. Great White “Rock Me” (1987)
83. Kiss “Tears Are Falling” (1985)
84. Warrant “Down Boys” (1988)
85. Tesla “Signs” (live, 1990)
86. Slaughter “Up All Night” (1990)
87. Ratt “You’re in Love” (1985)
88. Mötley Crüe “Looks That Kill” (1983)
89. Firehouse “Don’t Treat Me Bad” (1991)
90. Vixen “Edge of a Broken Heart” (1988)

91. Guns N’ Roses “Nightrain” (1987)
92. Mötley Crüe “Live Wire” (1981)
93. Cinderella “Coming Home” (1988)
94. Warrant “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1990)
95. Mötley Crüe “Too Young to Fall in Love” (1983)
96. Faster Pussycat “House of Pain” (1989)
97. Ratt “Lay It Down” (1985)
98. Mötley Crüe “Wild Side” (1987)
99. Trixter “Give It to Me Good” (1990)
100. L.A. Guns “The Ballad of Jayne” (1989)

Resources and Related Links:

First posted 1/23/2018; last updated 5/11/2021.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Top 100 Power Ballads

First posted 6/3/2020.

Power Ballads:

Top 100 Songs

Classic rock came about in the 1970s, built on the backs of staples from the ‘60s like Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Who. Newer acts like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, and Boston were added to the fold to create a radio format which still maintains presences in major U.S. markets.

As rock became more commercialized, some acts like Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Styx were mocked as “corporate rock” for their more pop-friendly songs. One of the trends was for such bands was to produce “power ballads,” which were slower-tempo songs which fit well into adult contemporary radio and attracted female fans in addition to the more male-oriented fans which dominated classic rock. As the ‘80s wore on, the trend extended to more glammed-up “hair bands” (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Mötley Crüe) also crooning about love and finding huge success.

This list of the top power ballads of all time was created by aggregating more than 25 best-of lists. Click here to see other genre and category specific song lists.

1. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1989)
2. Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984)
3. Heart “Alone” (1987)
4. Whitesnake “Is This Love?” (1987)
5. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” (1991)
6. Skid Row “I Remember You” (1989)
7. Night Ranger “Sister Christian” (1984)
8. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998)
9. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)
10. Cinderella “Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone” (1988)

11. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
12. Meat Loaf “I’d Do Anything for Love But I Won’t Do That” (1993)
13. Warrant “Heaven” (1989)
14. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980)
15. Bon Jovi “Always” (1994)
16. Journey “Open Arms” (1981)
17. Mötley Crüe “Home Sweet Home” (1985)
18. Journey “Faithfully” (1983)
19. Bad English “When I See You Smile” (1989)
20. Cutting Crew “I Just Died in Your Arms” (1987)

21. Tesla “Love Song” (1989)
22. Cheap Trick “The Flame” (1988)
23. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)
24. Prince & the Revolution “Purple Rain” (1984)
25. Aerosmith “Dream On” (1973)
26. The Cars “Drive” (1984)
27. The Scorpions “Wind of Change” (1990)
28. Bon Jovi “I’ll Be There for You” (1988)
29. REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1984)
30. Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” (1987)

31. U2 “With Or Without You” (1987)
32. Queensrÿche “Silent Lucidity” (1990)
33. Mr. Mister “Broken Wings” (1985)
34. Starship “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (1987)
35. Nazareth “Love Hurts” (1975)
36. The Scorpions “Still Loving You” (1984)
37. Bryan Adams “Heaven” (1984)
38. Boston “Amanda” (1986)
39. John Waite “Missing You” (1984)
40. Boston “More Than a Feeling” (1976)

41. Bon Jovi “Never Say Goodbye” (1986)
42. Guns N’ Roses “Patience” (1988)
43. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
44. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981)
45. Chicago “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1982)
46. Kiss “Beth” (1976)
47. Alias “More Than Words Can Say” (1990)
48. Metallica “Nothing Else Matters” (1991)
49. Harry Nisson “Without You” (1971)
50. Phil Collins “Against All Odds” (1984)

51. Eric Carmen “All by Myself” (1975)
52. Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne “Close My Eyes Forever” (1988)
53. Aerosmith “Angel” (1988)
54. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (1998)
55. Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
56. The Beatles “Something” (1969)
57. John Farnham “You’re The Voice” (1986)
58. Bangles “Eternal Flame” (1988)
59. Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” (1989)
60. Thunder “Love Walked In” (1990)

61. T’Pau “China in Your Hand” (1987)
62. Alice Cooper “Poison” (1989)
63. Nickelback “How You Remind Me” (2001)
64. Slaughter “Fly to the Angels” (1990)
65. Aerosmith “What It Takes” (1989)
66. Styx “Lady” (1973)
67. Europe “Carrie” (1986)
68. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
69. Chad Kroeger with Josey Scott “Hero” (2002)
70. Heart “These Dreams” (1986)

71. Mr. Big “To Be with You” (1991)
72. Def Leppard “Hysteria” (1987)
73. Roxette “It Must Have Been Love” (1990)
74. Poison “Something to Believe In” (1990)
75. Loverboy “Heaven in Your Eyes” (1986)
76. Roxette “Listen to Your Heart” (1989)
77. L.A. Guns “The Ballad of Jayne” (1990)
78. Van Halen “When It’s Love” (1988)
79. White Lion “When the Children Cry” (1987)
80. The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)

81. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” (1991)
82. Chicago “You’re the Inspiration” (1984)
83. Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here” (1975)
84. Maria McKee “Show Me Heaven” (1990)
85. Metallica “The Unforgiven” (1991)
86. The Rolling Stones “Angie” (1973)
87. The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965)
88. The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” (1971)
89. Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992)
90. Def Leppard “When Love and Hate Collide” (1995)

91. Damn Yankees “High Enough” (1990)
92. Pearl Jam “Black” (1991)
93. Kansas “Dust in the Wind” (1978)
94. Tina Turner “We Don’t Need Another Hero” (1985)
95. Extreme “More Than Words” (1990)
96. Styx “Babe” (1979)
97. Van Halen “Love Walks In” (1986)
98. Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” (1977)
99. Billy Idol “Eyes Without a Face” (1984)
100. Berlin “Take My Breath Away” (1986)

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Saturday, July 23, 1988

Def Leppard hit #2 with “Pour Some Sugar on Me”

Pour Some Sugar on Me

Def Leppard

Writer(s): Joe Elliott; Phil Collen; Rick Savage; Robert John "Mutt" Lange; Steve Clark (see lyrics here)

Released: September 8, 1987

First Charted: September 19, 1987

Peak: 2 US, 12 CB, 11 RR, 25 AR, 18 UK, 22 CB, 26 AU, 8 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.)

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.4 UK, 0.9 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 137.9 video, 300.85 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

The band were behind schedule in recording their Hysteria album, but producer Mutt Lange felt they still hadn’t nailed down a strong crossover hit. He was wrong on that point, considering the album sent four songs into the top 10 of the Billboard pop charts and had two more top-20 hits, but his instincts arguably produced the most important song of Def Leppard’s career.

After Lange heard singer Joe Elliott playing a riff he’d developed on acoustic guitar, he thought it had the potential to be the hit he was seeking, saying, according to Elliott, “That’s the best hook I’ve heard in over five years.” SF When the rest of the band came back in the studio, they rolled their eyes when Elliott and Lange said they had a new song, but were sold once they heard it. SF Within two weeks – by far the fastest they’d worked on a song SF – it had been fleshed out into the final track recorded for the album. WK

Elliott and Lange wrote separate lyrics for the song and then listened to each other’s contributions. Elliott cited several songs as inspiration. He said it was done in the style of T-Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” SF and that it was partially inspired by the Run-D.M.C.’s version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” As he said, “All of a sudden, rock and rap did mix, so we wrote our own.” WK He’s also said the line “pour a little sugar on me, baby” from the Archies’ 1969 hit “Sugar Sugar” (the first record Elliott ever bought) was at least subconscious inspiration. SF

“Pour Some Sugar on Me” didn’t end up as highest-charting song from Hysteria (“Love Bites” reached #1) nor was it the first single. It did, however, become their signature hit. WK It effectively had a year-long chart life, thanks to staggered appearances on various charts. It was first released in the UK in September 1987 as the second single from the Hysteria album after “Animal” in July. In the U.S., the song made its first appearance as an album cut on the mainstream rock chart in January 1988. However, it wasn’t released as an official single in America until April 1988, making it the fourth single after “Women” (August 1987), “Animal” (September 1987), and the title cut from the Hysteria album (January 1988).

The song climbed the Billboard Hot 100 for three months, eventually peaking at #2, held back from the top spot by Richard Marx’s “Hold on to the Nights.” The success of the song pushed the Hysteria album to #1 after it had been out more than a year. In 1991, MTV ranked “Pour Some Sugar on Me” the #1 video of all time. In 2006, VH1 ranked it the #2 song of the ‘80s. WK

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First posted 11/27/2020; last updated 10/28/2022.

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Def Leppard finally hit #1 with Hysteria

Hysteria

Def Leppard

Released: August 3, 1987

Peak: 16 US, 11 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU

Sales (in millions): 12.0 US, 0.6 UK, 22.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: rock/hair band

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts.

  1. Women (8/1/87, 80 US, 7 AR)
  2. Rocket (2/11/89, 12 US, 15 UK, 5 AR)
  3. Animal (8/1/87, 19 US, #6 UK, #5 AR)
  4. Love Bites (7/16/88, 1 US, 11 UK, 3 AR)
  5. Pour Some Sugar on Me (9/19/87, 2 US, 18 UK, 25 AR, sales: ½ million)
  6. Armageddon It (4/9/88, 3 US, 20 UK, 3 AR)
  7. Gods of War
  8. Don’t Shoot Shotgun
  9. Run Riot
  10. Hysteria (9/12/87, 10 US, 26 UK, 9 AR)
  11. Excitable
  12. Love and Affection

Total Running Time: 62:32

The Players:

  • Joe Elliott (vocals)
  • Steve Clark (guitar, backing vocals)
  • Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals)
  • Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals)
  • Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals)

Rating:

4.344 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Quotable:

“Arguably the best pop-metal ever recorded.” – Steve Huey, AllMusic.com

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

Def Leppard’s Early Days

Def Leppard formed in 1976 in Sheffield, England. They were part of a new wave of British heavy metal in the early 1980s. Their first album, On Through the Night, reached #15 in the UK and #51 in the United States, where it went platinum. The follow-up, 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry, peaked at #26 in the UK and #38 in the United States. It bested its predecessor in sales by going double platinum.

Their third album, 1983’s Pyromania, proved to be a commercial juggernaut. It “introduced a new form of highly polished, melodic heavy rock.” TB. It got to #18 in the UK and #2 in the United States where it went ten times platinum, thanks to heavy exposure on MTV with videos for “Photograph and “Rock of Ages.”

Delays in Making the Fourth Album

Def Leppard began work on an intended quick follow-up in late ’84, TB but were derailed on New Year’s Eve when drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident. To their credit, the group “stuck by their old mate,” 500 going on hiatus for most of 1985 TB and waiting for him to learn to play drums with a customized drum set built which allowed him to trigger fills with his feet. PR

During that time, they started producing an album with “Mutt” Lange, who’d produced Pyromania, which was to be named Animal Instinct. After Lange dropped out, the band enlisted Meat Loaf songwriter Jim Steinman. He, however, was more interested in a raw rock record while the band wanted a more pristine sound. The band then tried unsuccessfully to self-produce the album. WK

After Allen’s accident, work slowed, but the band stuck by their drummer’s plan “to return to the drum kit despite his disability, using a combination electronic/acoustic kit with a set of foot pedals that triggered…the hits he would have played with his left arm.” WK

Eventually, Lange returned, but sessions were delayed again when he suffered injuries from a car accident and then once more when singer Joe Elliott was hit with the mumps in 1986. WK

The Making of Hysteria

Lange was dissatisfied with what the band had done so far so they scrapped nearly all the oringla recordings and started again almost from scratch. AB They had a new name for the album suggested by Allen – Hysteria. RD Reportedly, Lange’s goal was to make the album “a hard rock version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, in that every track was a potential hit single.” WK Like Pyromania, the members of the band were brought in separately to record. WK “The multiple vocal harmonies were enhanced by Lange’s techniques…[and] guitar parts were now focused more on emphasising melody than hard rock’s more basic and cliched riffs.” WK

The eventual release was “three years in the making at a cost of a cool million.” PR

The Album’s Reception

The bar had been set impossibly high with the success of Pyromania. The long delay also created some nervousness about whether the public would have moved on and not be interested in Def Leppard anymore. However, instead of flopping, the resulting album was “probably Def Leppard’s best album, and certainly their most successful.” AZ Not only that, “Hysteria pretty much sums up 80s hard rock: catchy, tuneful, and fun.” AZ “Where Pyromania had set the standard for polished, catchy pop-metal, Hysteria only upped the ante.” AM “It’s also one of the few albums from the period that doesn’t sound dated now.” AZ

“The strong pop hooks and ‘perfect’-sounding production of Hysteria may not appeal to die-hard heavy metal fans, but it isn’t heavy metal – it’s pop-metal, and arguably the best pop-metal ever recorded. Its blockbuster success helped pave the way for a whole new second wave of hair metal bands, while proving that the late-‘80s musical climate could also be very friendly to veteran hard rock acts, a lead many would follow in the next few years.” AM “Def Leppard may be remembered more for their hair than their music these days, but that’s more due to changing tastes than anything else. It’s still good.” AZ

Not surprisingly, “some critics dismissed the record as a stiff, mechanized pop sell-out.” AM While the album had “production value bleeding from its pores” ZG and was “dripping in clichés,” ZG its “unavoidably addictive hits” ZG showed that “few…pop-metal bands…could compete with Leppard’s sense of craft; certainly none had the pop songwriting savvy to produce seven chart singles from the same album.” AM

The Songs

Here are thoughts on individual songs.

“Women”
People may forget, though, what a slow burner it was. Tfirst U.S. single, Women, “confirmed Leppard was as heavy as ever.” RD However, when it peaked at a lowly #80, the forces behind the band had to be concerned. After all, the usual expectation is for each album’s singles to hit a little lower than its predecessors. However, Hysteria defied the odds.

“Animal”
In the U.K., Animal was the first single and went top ten. When it was released as the second U.S. single, it returned the band to more familiar territory – the top 20, where Pyromania singles “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages” had settled in as well.

“Hysteria”
Follow-up singles in the U.S. were even bigger. The title cut, Hysteria, got the band in the top ten for the first time stateside.

“Pour Some Sugar on Me”
“The glossy ‘Animal’ and ‘Hysteria’ built the momentum, then the strip-club anthem Pour Some Sugar on Me blew it sky high.” ARD It took the band all the way to #2 and, with the album nearly a year old, finally took the album to the top of the charts.

“Love Bites”
With the album showing no signs of letting up, the band released its fifth, and biggest, U.S. single – the #1 “bittersweet Love Bites,” RD “one of the few pop-metal ballads that doesn’t sound saccharine.” AZ

“Armageddon It”
Next up, “the tongue-in-cheek Armageddon It” RD gave the band another top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Rocket”
Finally, as the band’s seventh and final single, they released the “British glam rock tribute Rocket.” AM It landed the group in the top 20 once more. While blockbusters like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. had made it seemingly normal to throw a half dozen or more singles at the charts over a couple of years, this was an unprecedented move for a more metal-oriented band. Def Leppard had become one of the elite.

Notes:

A 2006 deluxe edition of the album added a second CD with the original B-sides and bonus tracks from the same era.

Review Sources:

Related DMDB Pages:

First posted 3/6/2008; last updated 12/9/2024.

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Saturday, February 5, 1983

Def Leppard “Photograph” charted

Photograph

Def Leppard

Writer(s): Joe Elliott, Pete Willis, Rick Savage, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Steve Clark (see lyrics here)

Released: February 3, 1983

First Charted: February 5, 1983

Peak: 12 US, 13 CB, 23 GR, 16 RR, 16 AR, 66 UK, 32 CN, 4 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 22.61 video, 67.14 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Def Leppard formed in Sheffield, England, in 1976. Their first two albums generated three entries on the UK charts, none reaching higher than #45. 1983’s Pyromania, however, was a huge success in the United States, reaching #2 on the album chart and selling more than ten million copies. The album generated three top-40 hits and four top-10 hits on the album rock chart. Two songs, “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages,” went all the way to #1 on the latter chart.

“Photograph” was the lead single from the album and the band’s first chart entry in the United States, going all the way to #12. It had “all the makings of a crossover hit,” SF owing a debt to producer Mutt Lange, who’d previously worked on the band’s High N’ Dry album as well as the blockbuster albums Back in Black by AC/DC and Foreigner 4 by Foreigner. It featured his trademark sound of big, polished guitars alongside layered vocals.

“Nothing about ‘Photograph’ is second rate – this was the first time Def Leppard had finally utilized all their talent in creating a truly inescapable, infectious rock anthem.” AMG “The Marilyn Monroe-influenced lyrics are sleazy, and the vocals are filled with Joe Elliot's raw screeches.” AMG “This was the song that truly began and defined the pop-metal craze that would dominate the rock scene for the entire decade.” AMG

The video – which featured a Marilyn Monroe lookalike – became a phenom on MTV, wrangling its way to the all-time champion in the network’s Friday Night Video Fights, which pitted two videos against each other every Friday night and then allowing viewers to vote for their favorite. While lead singer Joe Elliott suggested the song was also about Monroe, WK the song is really about a more generic experience about young lust in which the song’s protagonist is crazy about this girl, but all he has is a photograph to remind him of her. WK

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First posted 12/28/2022.

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