10 Greatest Hard Rock Songs (Without Vocals)

The arrival of Def Leppard at the start of the '80s marked a severe turning point in the world of heavy rock.

Off the strength of their pop friendly singles like Photograph and Rock of Ages, the rest of the rock mainstream started to put more hooky material into their songs, culminating in what we know as pop/hair metal. Before they went whole hog on the concept though, High N Dry offered us a bit of a different story.

Coming out of their mammoth single Bringin on the Heartbreak, Switch 625 retains the same energy with an added sense of urgency. Originally conceived by founding guitarist Steve Clark, this is a guitar showcase if there ever was one, as Clark plays off of fellow guitarist Pete Willis with incredible precision. Though the title itself does seem like a bit of technical jargon at the outset, there's an added sense of drama in this track, almost like you're strapped to the side of a rocket as it's about to take off.

This would be the last time we'd experience moments like this though, with much of Leppard's later material looking to refine the perfect pop rock single of the '80s. Though this kind of rock wasn't going to go the distance, it sure was a hell of a lot of fun while it lasted.