10 Hard Rock Bands That Completely Changed Their Sound
6. Def Leppard
Def Leppard have become known as the archetypal hair metal band of the 80's. With albums like Pyromania and Hysteria, the band flipped the rock world on its head with crunchy guitar hooks that had the same punch as a pop banger. Their music may seem a bit closer to pop than rock, but you wouldn't have predicted that given the band's early output.
Many people forget that, in their early years, Def Leppard were in talks as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. This may seem absolutely ridiculous given their famous sound, but the group's early records show a focus on harder rock on High N Dry and On Through the Night. These songs hit with a truly metallic punch, almost as if they're long forgotten AC/DC cuts that never got made.
Even the band's first production with producer Mutt Lange saw some intense performances from all the members on tracks like "Mirror Mirror" and "Let It Go." It was only after they refined their hard rock chops that they decided to take the gamble and turn into one of the greatest pop rock acts of all time. Their famous songs may be a bit sweeter on the ears, but you can't say that these guys didn't know how to tear the place to shreds at any moment.