Def Leppard vs. Bryan Adams

I have absolutely loved Hair Metal since I was introduced to it at the beginning of my early 20s. I wasn’t always accustomed to the genres of Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Heavy Metal, and Hair Metal, but since then I have become one of the biggest fans of the genres, and the 1980s has been the gasoline I’ve needed for my combustion tank. Of the bands that I’ve discovered while riding around in the car with the windows down and the sun setting on the horizon, the bands that have shaped my perception of story-telling romance are quite simply from the 1980s, hands down. Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, and John Melencamp (nee Cougar) have been intrinsic journeys upon which I can gravitate towards a blissful state and become lost in reality, reflecting upon what I consider to be the purpose and ultimate meaning of life and reason for our continued existence. All of that without an ounce of weed or a drop of hard liquor. Sounds like the perfect place to be, in my mind.

Of all the bands that have inspired me the most, the most influential group that I’ve had the absolute privilege and pleasure to listen to has been Def Leppard. From their earlier days with “On Through The Night” to their prime during “Hysteria” with hit singles such as “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Love Bites”, and “Rocket”, Def Leppard has always provided a unique sound with solid musical translation that comes across easily for the listener to enjoy. The band released their first album in 1980, during the same time synth-pop and MTV were releasing their versions of artists for mainstream pop music. Def Leppard were competing with artists such as Aerosmith, Queen, and Pink Floyd for airtime, and they proved to be successful with their third studio album, “Pyromania”. The band also influenced several acts that would later form, such as KISS, Whitesnake, and Poison. Their sound was influenced by previous hard rock acts, and went on to be incorporated in the musical style of many other bands. I feel that the direction and presence that Def Leppard created allow for other bands to have the same effect, especially during concerts. For me, the concept of a “rock star” arose from listening to Def Leppard and many other Hair Metal and Pop Metal on the radio as a kid. This was an occasional listen, and was never something that I’d studied intently until I was older, as I didn’t have access to their albums or internet access to stream their records. Still today, many Def Leppard albums have been left out from iTunes or Spotify, as the band had originally felt that streaming was hindering the music industry. It’s been proven since then that it could possibly be the next big thing that saves the music industry from complete collapse, but that’s another story for later in our journey. From the atmospheric chorus of vocals to the hard grinding of the rock guitars during the first verse, the band has always had a unique approach to music that soon became an elemental standard among the hard rock and heavy metal community. The elements of classic rock used with the four-on-the-floor beats and chord progressions served well as the band has a solid core sound. They have also chosen to use down-tempo elements and create many slower “rock ballads” which give the listener an even deeper sense of depth and emotional content as the music is played during holidays, occasions, or just for easily listening in the bedroom. Conversely, the artists of the classic rock era of the 1980s had a similar approach musically, but with a slightly different direction. Bryan Adams made his stance on the music industry with his first album release in 1980, in the same year of Def Leppard’s “On Through The Night” being released.