Def Leppard-Pyromania (1983)

This is one of the essential heavy metal and hard rock albums of the 80s, an irresistible blend of metal, pop-rock flourishes, and catchy, utterly captivating sounds. “Pyromania” was the third album by the British band Def Leppard, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded throughout much of 1982 at Park Gates Studios in London. In this new release, the Sheffield band cleverly moved away from the forceful and aggressive hard rock sound of their earlier work, crafting a much more accessible and infectious album of great melodic heavy metal-pop songs. Appealing tracks like the energetic “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”, “Photograph”, “Foolin’ ”, “Rock of Ages”, and “Billy’s Got a Gun” brilliantly and effectively fused pop and metal. Meanwhile, tracks like "Too Late For Love" and "Comin' Under Fire" showcased another of the band's great strengths: creating seductive ballads and addictive mid-tempo songs. These, along with their previous work, were staples on FM radio stations around the world during the 1980s. A number two spot on the Billboard charts and over fifteen million copies sold worldwide confirm this as one of heavy metal's masterpieces.