It’s time for another edition of Songs with the Same Title and this time, we’re covering my favorite band, Def Leppard! This post was inspired by two things: a guy butchering Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” to death on American Idol recently and Mike from 80smetalman’s Blog doing a post called, “Songs With the Same Title: Love Bites,” where he compares Def Leppard’s “Love Bites” with Judas Priest’s “Love Bites,” and picks his favorite of the two. I’ve always wanted to cover Def Leppard for this series, but I never got around to doing it. However, since I’m still living on the hype of seeing Def Leppard live three times in concert, I figured now’s the perfect opportunity to do so. As a heads up, “Love Bites” is not featured in this post because I already covered that song in my Judas Priest edition. The last band I covered in the series was Triumph, so if you want to check out that post, you can click on the link here!
How Songs with the Same Title works is, there are six rounds total. In each round, I’ll compare two songs with the same title, one by Def Leppard and one by a different artist, and then, I’ll pick my favorite of the two. After the final round, I’ll tally up the score and pick the winner of the overall battle, Def Leppard or the other artists. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!
“Let It Go” (1981) by Def Leppard
“Let It Go” (2014) from Frozen, performed by Idina Menzel
I thought it was going to be easy to pick Menzel’s “Let It Go” because of my annoyance with Def Leppard playing “Let It Go” more often than other High ‘n’ Dry (1981) bangers like “Another Hit and Run” and the title track. However, I briefly considered picking Def Leppard’s “Let It Go” because of the solid instrumentation on the studio version. The main riff is fantastic and Rick Allen’s drum outro gives me chills! However, I really resonate with the lyrics for Menzel’s “Let It Go.” The freedom of shedding other people’s expectations and throwing away the fears holding you back. Therefore, Menzel takes the win for round one!
“Photograph” (1983) by Def Leppard
“Photograph” (2015) by Ed Sheeran
I tried to give Sheeran’s “Photograph” a chance, but unfortunately, it was doomed from the start. I used to like the song quite a bit in high school with Sheeran’s soothing vocals and calming atmosphere, but when I discovered Def Leppard’s “Photograph” in college, it was “bye Mr. Sheeran”! Though Def Leppard have been playing “Photograph” at every single show they’ve done since Pyromania (1983) came out, I still think it’s a great commercial, pop and rock hybrid. The chorus is insanely catchy, Steve Clark’s opening riff shows off the genius of his creativity, and the vocal melodies are perfection. Plus, the concept of wanting someone you can’t have hits hard! Def Leppard take the win for round two!
“It’s Only Love” (1985) by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
“It’s Only Love” (1999) by Def Leppard
I saw Bryan Adams live in September 2025 when he did a short set at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, but it’s a shame he didn’t perform “It’s Only Love” because it is a dang good song! I love the piercing guitar tone, the pounding drums, and Adams and Turner’s raspy vocal melodies. Now I know why Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, even though it’s a total joke. Def Leppard’s “It’s Only Love,” however, is sonically gorgeous. It’s cheesy and poppy as heck, but I love the luscious backing vocals because they’re just so Def Leppard. Though Adams and Turner’s “It’s Only Love” is a better rock song, Def Leppard take the win for round three!
“Only the Good Die Young” (1988) by Iron Maiden
“Only the Good Die Young” (2008) by Def Leppard
Both songs are really different, lyrically and sonically. Def Leppard’s “Only the Good Die Young” hits hard emotionally because it’s another tribute to late guitarist Steve Clark. It’s also heavier than I remembered it to be; not as heavy as High ‘n’ Dry, but they added electric guitars, at least. There’s these lyrics in the song that perfectly describes Clark’s struggles with alcohol abuse: “I heard it in your voice / That you had no choice.” However, I think Iron Maiden’s “Only the Good Die Young” is a better song that’s stood the test of time. It’s more evil sounding because it fits into their concept album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988), and Bruce Dickinson’s wailing vocals prove my point. I mean, the lyrics, “all the evil seem to live forever,” cannot be truer than they are today in this current age. Iron Maiden take the win for round four!
“We Belong” (1984) by Pat Benatar
“We Belong” (2016) by Def Leppard
To be honest, I think Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” is WAY cheesier than Def Leppard’s “It’s Only Love” from round three, and that’s saying a lot because the latter is really cheesy. The lyrics for Benatar’s “We Belong” sound like a lovestruck 16-year-old wrote them; they’re that terrible! Every time I listen to the song, I think of Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), when Fat Amy (played by Rebel Wilson) professes her love for Bumper (played by Adam DeVine) and they make out in a bizarrely sexual way; it’s hilarious! Def Leppard’s “We Belong” is an amazing, well-written midtempo track, especially since every member of the band sings a line in the song. I really resonate with the lyrics; feeling like an outsider and not having a place in the world. Def Leppard take the win for round five!
“Take What You Want” (2019) by Post Malone featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott
“Take What You Want” (2022) by Def Leppard
If you’ve read my review for Diamond Star Halos (2022), you already know which song I’m going to pick! I can’t stand Def Leppard’s “Take What You Want” because it’s too poppy and commercial. Also, the lyrics are horrible, especially with the “from two different worlds, we come crashing in” crap. What is this Hannah Montana?!? I’ve always liked Post Malone’s “Take What You Want,” but I’ve gained a soft spot for it after reading Ozzy Osbourne’s Last Rites (2025) because that song basically gave Osbourne another purpose to focus on amidst his health issues. There’s a lot of autotune going on, but it’s got a great hook and I love the melodies. Post Malone takes the win for the final round!
Def Leppard won three out of the six rounds, which means no winner could be decided. However, Def Leppard will always be number one in my heart and that’s what matters most! I almost picked Def Leppard’s “Rocks Off” as one of the tracks to cover, but I wanted to focus more on the later eras of the band. It would’ve gone up against The Rolling Stones’s “Rocks Off.” I also want to say that despite being incredibly harsh on Def Leppard’s “Take What You Want,” I think the guitar solo is excellent. That’s some killer guitar work there!
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Comment below your picks for each round!
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
I didn’t listen to them all but I’m with you in regards to both “Photograph” and “It’s Only Love.” BTW. Billy Joel also had a song called, “Only the Good Die Young.”
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I would have used Ringo Starr’s ‘Photograph’.
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