How do you follow up the biggest album of your career, a legitimate 80s landmark album, when two of your bandmates have gone MIA? That’s the situation today’s band, Def Leppard was grappling with as they gathered to write their 5th studio album, Adrenalize. Tragically, one member, Guitarist Steve Clark was lost to the grips of alcoholism. And the other, the “socalled” 6th member, legendary producer Mutt Lange to an entirely different artist (Bryan Adams). If you didn’t know better, you might guess this record would be their darkest offering. The thought had crossed their mind. Instead, Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, and Rick Allen composed a relentlessly upbeat collection of lifeaffirming rock and roll… A pure adrenaline rush starting with their first hit Let’s Get Rocked…Problem is the timing was a little bit off…It came right when their brand of Feel Good Highly produced Rock was nearly extinct. What would happen to this band in the changed musical environment when grunge ruled? I actually ask lead singer Joe Elliot next and he get a little pissed. Find out why next! …on Professor of Rock.

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So what happens when you’ve ruled music for nearly 10 years including 2 straight diamond albums….and then the entire musical landscape changes? Well, that’s the focus of today’s story including me asking that exact question to the lead singer of one of the greatest and most successful bands in rock history. Def Leppard ruled 1983 with Pyromania and then in 1988 with Hysteria. Both albums were the toast of rock. Then GRUNGE hit. and their brand of feelgood highproduction rock was wiped away… at least for a time. On today’s episode, we get into Def Leppard’s first record of the 90s Adrenalize, and the single Let’s Get Rocked and its impact along with some insight from Joe Eliont himself in an excerpt from our interview.

So let’s set it up: On August 3, 1987, Def Leppard released their 4th studio album Hysteria. The biggest album of their career, it would sell a colossal 25 million plus copies, and kick out seven iconic singles, including #3 Armageddon It, #2 Pour Some Sugar on Me, and #1 Love Bites. At the time, the band consisted of Joe Elliott on lead vocals, Phil Collen and Steve Clark on guitar, Rick Savage on bass, and Rick Allen on drums… all incredible, legendary musicians in their own right.

However, coming off the Hysteria tour it was becoming blatantly obvious that Steve Clark was struggling. Alcoholism was getting the better of him. Drinking was nothing new for the guitarist, but in the past, he had always bounced back from his low spots. This was no longer the case. Between 1989 and 1990 Clark would spend 6 separate stints in rehab.