10 Rock Songs That Were Written As A Joke
1. Rocket - Def Leppard
By the mid '80s, Def Leppard were at both the best and worst point a young band could be in. Despite having one of the greatest records on their hands with Pyromania, the demand to follow it up with something even bigger gave them added pressure that they didn't need. While they did end up doubling their previous success on Hysteria, one of the more notable hits wasn't as earnest as you might think.
Originally taken from a sample loop of electronic drums, the basis of what would become Rocket came from singer Joe Elliott riffing on the idea of Lou Reed's Satellite of Love. Finding no other lyrical inspiration other than that, the rest of the guys thought it would be funny to use the rest of the verses to cram in loads of references to their favorite bands that they loved growing up.
Going through a crash course of '60s and '70s rock, you can pick up little references to everyone from the Beatles to Bowie to Elton John to Queen in the verses. As if to drive the point home, there's hardly any other instruments in these sections, which helps you zero in on trying to spot the rock star Easter Eggs. Though it may have been done in jest at first, trying to decipher each little detail of this song has made for a fun game among rock fans for years now.