15 Greatest Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die
14. High N Dry - Def Leppard
Def Leppard are known more often nowadays for their poptastic sound on tracks like "Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." Those tracks seem like the furthest thing from hard rock for seasoned fans of the genre, but their first stab at mainstream success was an absolute scorcher.
High N Dry was the first album produced by later pop genius Mutt Lange, but the tone is still rooted on the rock side of the spectrum. The band almost sounds like a glitzy version of AC/DC, with the riffs taking center stage throughout most of the track listing. Compared to their debut On Through the Night, this album shows the band getting much stronger in their songwriting abilities while also stretching out into more unknown territory. For any hard rock fan, there are hints of 70's debauchery on the title track, old time rock and roll on "You Got Me Runnin" and even more experimental heaviness on the instrumental "Switch 625."
For many fairweather Def Leppard fans, much of the album tends to get forgotten except for the band's closest attempt at a power ballad on "Bringin on the Heartbreak," which is still played to this day. It may look a bit weak standing next to Pyromania, but High N Dry is the sound of a band still hungry for the hard rock throne.