The Best Song from Every Def Leppard Studio Album

For those of you that don’t know, Def Leppard are my favorite band of all time. I love to talk about them and I love to complain about them. It’s a love/hate relationship. I think about them 24/7, but my Def Leppard kick has been incredibly strong these past couple of months. It got me thinking, “Which is the best song from every Def Leppard studio album?” I published a post like this back in 2020, but I’ve deleted it since because my opinions have changed (shocking). I did two posts about my favorite Def Leppard songs that were published not too far apart from each other titled, My Top Five Def Leppard Songs I Can’t Live Without and My Top Ten Def Leppard Songs, and even those lists varied slightly.

I’m more fond of the first half of their catalog, so really, the second half is where I struggled the most. It was incredibly difficult to pick a track from Diamond Star Halos (2022), their most recent studio album, because it’s my least favorite studio album they ever did. I almost excluded Yeah! (2006) because it’s a covers album, but since it’s listed as a studio album on Wikipedia, the fan in me has to include it for credibility’s sake. This is pretty self-explanatory, I’ll pick my favorite song from every studio album, starting with On Through the Night (1980) and ending with Diamond Star Halos. Doesn’t matter if they were singles or not, any song is up for grabs, as long as it’s not a bonus track that was released on later versions of the album. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

“Rock Brigade” from On Through the Night (1980)

For the debut album, we’re starting with the most basic and most obvious choice of all, “Rock Brigade.” This is the one that hints at future Def Leppard, with the big backing vocals and loads of pop hooks. At 16-17 years old, Rick Allen was already drumming like a pro with his stomping groove and little drum fills. Joe Elliott wasn’t quite developed yet as a vocalist, but I like the rawness and innocence of his early singing voice. The harmonies on “Rock Brigade” are perfect, it’s got a driving riff, and Pete Willis does a short and sweet guitar solo.

“High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)” from High ‘n’ Dry (1981)

The guitar riff for this track freaking slaps; it’s one of the best riffs Def Leppard ever did. Also, it’s the closest they came to sounding like AC/DC, which makes sense because Mutt Lange worked with AC/DC on Highway to Hell (1979), Back in Black (1980), and For Those About to Rock (1981) beforehand. It’s a bluesy headbanger with a lot of swagger, and it’s perfect for kicking back and drinking a nice cold beer (or wine, as the song prefers). Also, Willis does his best guitar solo on “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night),” no doubt!

“Die Hard the Hunter” from Pyromania (1983)

I almost picked “Photograph” because that track is a perfect blend of hard rock and commercial pop, without overdoing it. However, “Die Hard the Hunter” is such a cool song because it’s heavy, has a great story (lyrically), the big backing vocals are present, and Steve Clark’s guitar solo is bada**! It’s also fun to yell, “Die Hard!”, randomly in public and have everyone wonder what the heck you’re listening to. But most importantly, it’s not played to death and probably for a good reason. It’s commercial enough to not scare away the radio people, but it’s not memorable enough to become a classic rock staple. Well, not memorable enough for the casual Def Leppard fans, at least.

“Gods of War” from Hysteria (1987)

When Hysteria came out all those years ago, the band lost a lot (if not, most) of their New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) fanbase because of the drastic difference between Pyromania and Hysteria. While the former still had balls and hard rock elements to please the early fans, the latter was too poppy and slick for them to handle. I don’t have a major problem with Hysteria, but I think it’s overrated and overplayed. However, I’ll admit that “Gods of War” is an underrated gem in the band’s catalog overall because of its unique guitar riff, courtesy of Clark, who’s habit of wearing his guitar too low came in handy. The message of the song is also dark because the lyrics talk about war and how dumb it is to keep fighting over useless sh*t. Even Vivian Campbell had trouble playing it back in 2019 because the guitar playing was so unique and out-of-this-world.

“White Lightning” from Adrenalize (1992)

Not only is “White Lightning” the album’s big epic track, but it’s also the band’s tribute to Clark, who’s nickname was White Lightning because he wore a lot of white clothing and liked to run around the stage during shows. The song’s intro is so distinct and unique, making it easy for fans to recognize the track within seconds. The lyrics detail Clark’s struggle with alcohol addiction, but they can also be interpreted for someone that’s going down the wrong path, in a different way. Phil Collen did all the guitar parts for Adrenalize and he does a good job of capturing Clark’s essence, especially on “White Lightning.” I also love the backing vocals on this track, which unfortunately, hasn’t been played live since 1993. 

“Gift of Flesh” from Slang (1996)

Personally, “Gift of Flesh” is one of the heaviest songs Def Leppard ever did. Like Hysteria was a major change from Pyromania, Slang was a major change from Adrenalize; it’s their grunge album, basically. While there are typical Def Leppard songs on the album like the title track and “Where Does Love Go When It Dies,” “Gift of Flesh” is an aggressive, grunge / alternative rock headbanger. The lyrical content is dark and disturbing (“No fear, no voice, no reason / In God no guiding light”). You can hear Elliott pour his anger into the song and it’s freaking awesome. If you’ve heard “Desert Song” from Retro Active (1993), “Gift of Flesh” is not far off from that track musically.

“Paper Sun” from Euphoria (1999)

Euphoria is a weird album because the songs are all over the place. Despite the cringe worthy stuff like “All Night” and “21st Century Sha La La La Girl,” the band managed to create a couple of ‘90s Def Leppard classics like “Promises” and “Paper Sun.” The latter being the dark and mysterious, epic track on the album. The vocal melodies are insanely catchy and fun to sing along with, especially during the chorus. Plus, the guitar work from Campbell and Collen is excellent. The last time Def Leppard played “Paper Sun” was during their 2019 Las Vegas residency, so maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll bring it back for their next residency, if not sooner.

“Long, Long Way to Go” from X (2002)

It feels somewhat illegal to say “Long, Long Way to Go” is the best song from this album because the band didn’t even write it. Wayne Hector and Steve Robson came up with it. Both are notable in the pop music industry, especially Hector, who has worked with Nicki Minaj, One Direction, and The Wanted. I’m kinda upset Def Leppard never wrote “Long, Long Way to Go” because Elliott sure made us believe they did. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking ballad, Elliott gives an emotive vocal performance, and the backing vocals are so freaking good! The song is so amazing that Lionel Richie covered it for his Just for You (2004) album. 

“Stay with Me” from Yeah! (2006)

This pick was a no–brainer because I freaking love Collen’s singing voice. It’s raw, tough, and edgy. He can make even the sweetest ballads have lots of attitude; just listen to his demo for “Miss You in a Heartbeat.” Hearing “Stay with Me” for the first time was like a breath of fresh air because I was so used to Elliott on lead vocals. Plus, like I said before, Collen’s vocals give an edge to the band’s sound. “Stay with Me” is a bada** rocker that fits him perfectly. For those that hate covers albums, if you’re going to check out one song from Yeah!, give “Stay with Me” a try!

“Nine Lives” featuring Tim McGraw from Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)

Def Leppard already tried hip hop on “All Night” from Euphoria, so why not try country on “Nine Lives”? Yes, I can see why some fans were annoyed with this track on first listen, but it’s insanely catchy. It’s such a fun song and I love it! Besides the country-fied guitar riff and big backing vocals, Rick Savage delivers a heart-pounding bass line that enhances the song’s effortless groove. “Hallucinate” would be the “correct” answer as the best song from Songs from the Sparkle Lounge because it’s a typical Def Leppard rocker, but “Nine Lives” proves how versatile the band are as musicians. Not that I want them to make a version of Bon Jovi’s Lost Highway album, but as an experiment, this song works really well.

“Wings of an Angel” from Def Leppard (2015)

I think Campbell is an incredible addition to Def Leppard because he’s a good guy and a great guitarist that doesn’t try to copy Clark (he does his own thing). My only complaint is I wish the band would let him contribute more songwriting-wise because this dude was in Dio and Whitenake, therefore, he’s capable of writing terrific riffs that are heavy, yet melodic at the same time. “Wings of an Angel,” for example, is heavy and perfect for stadiums, yet it’s got a memorable hook that sounds like classic Def Leppard. Plus, the slow midtempo drum beats in the verses give me “Foolin’” vibes. Campbell’s solo in this song also smokes! Unfortunately, he only co-wrote two of the 14 tracks on the self-titled album, according to Wikipedia, which is a crying shame. 

“Open Your Eyes” from Diamond Star Halos (2022)

While I think most of this album is garbage, there are a few tracks that make it somewhat listenable. “Open Your Eyes” is dark and edgy, and Savage’s bass line is freaking brilliant. I love the lyrics (“Open your eyes / ‘Cause looking up ain’t what it seems / When it crushes all your dreams”) and actually, it sounds like it would’ve fit perfectly on Slang. In true Def Leppard fashion, “Open Your Eyes” also has the big, perfect backing vocals for that extra flavor. It does feel out of place on the album because of its drastic tone, but I’ll take this song any day over “Kick,” “SOS Emergency,” “Gimme a Kiss,” and all the other stadium rockers on Diamond Star Halos. My biggest complaint with Diamond Star Halos is that it’s too happy and poppy, not enough edge. At least “Open Your Eyes” proves Def Leppard still have some attitude left in them.

There you have it, people! Obviously, my list is not the right list because we all have different tastes and that’s cool. There’s no right or wrong answer to which is the best song from every Def Leppard album. The whole point of this post is to show appreciation for Def Leppard and the wonderful music they gave us! I’m not a fan of all of their eras, but it’s cool to see how they’ve changed their style throughout the years. Yep, those NWOBHM days are long gone. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I’ll leave it up to you guys!

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Comment below what you think is the best song from every Def Leppard album!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana