To continue with my Def Leppard obsession, I thought I’d write a post about my top five Def Leppard songs of ALL TIME!!! I originally planned to make a list of five songs from artists, including Def Leppard, that I can’t live without ever. However, at the moment, Def Leppard songs are pretty much the only songs I listen to nowadays! So, here we go!
5. “Armageddon It” (1987)
I usually don’t enjoy playing songs twice in a row, but this one, I can play 20 times in a row because it gets your blood pumping, and it’s a real crowd favorite at Def Leppard concerts! Though Steve isn’t with us anymore, I still sing out the “C’mon Steve, get it” line as a tribute to him, and it’s catchy to say! The energy of this song played live is way better than the recording. So I highly recommend you check out Def Leppard – Armageddon It (In the Round in Your Face 1988) on YouTube!
4. “High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” (1981)
When the opening riff kicks in, I’m lost in the song, banging my head and pounding to the downbeats of the snare drum! When Def Leppard first came out, they were part of the new wave of British heavy metal, and this head-banging classic proves my point! This song gave me AC/DC vibes when I first heard it. It makes sense, though, because Mutt Lange, who produced Def Leppard’s High ‘N’ Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria, and Adrenalize (executive producer) albums, worked with AC/DC as well. It’s a shame they hardly perform this song anymore, but there is hope, and I will be there to witness when they do perform “High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” live again!
3. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” (1992)
Despite the song not being about a crush, it helped me move on from my former love interest and see that I’m more worth it than he made me feel. The lyrics, “Did you ever try so hard that your world just fell apart?” really spoke to me because it reminded me of the efforts I made in high school to get my crush to notice me. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” was also one of the songs my dad showed me, and I fell in love with it because it displayed an emotional side to Def Leppard compared to their usual hard rock sound!
2. “Rock of Ages” (1983)
It was so hard to pick the order of my last two songs because I love both of them so much! But, in the end, “Rock of Ages” ended up being my second favorite on the list, even though I always scream “Go Phil!!” every time his guitar solo in the bridge comes on. This song is my rock anthem, and I don’t know why, but every time the line “No serenade, no fire brigade, just pyromania, comes on,” I always make a ‘rock on’ sign. Usually, I’m screaming at the top of my lungs to this song unless I am on the bus. Also, let’s not underestimate the power of these four little words, “gunter, glieben, glauchen, globen.” Fun fact, while recording “Rock of Ages,” it was Lange who gave the band the idea to include the words into the song; after getting tired of counting “one, two, three, four.” So, thank you, Mutt Lange!
1. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
If you don’t know me, you should know that I have sung this song at least 1000 times on campus because that’s how good it is! There is just something so fascinating about this song, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Could it be the lyrics? The fact that EVERY TIME Def Leppard performs this song live, the audience turns into a strip club? Or the fact that this song represents the fun-loving and feel-good vibe of the 80s? Whatever it is, I can’t get this song out of my head; it’s in my head right now! So, thank you, Joe Elliott, for coming up with the idea for this song. Thank you, Mutt Lange, for catching him play the chords for it and convincing the other band members to work on one more track before releasing the Hysteria album!
What do you think of my list? See any of your favorites? Or, maybe you have other Def Leppard songs you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below.
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 