"Photograph" by Def Leppard

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  1369
Date:  03/12/1983
Debut:  87
Peak:  12
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Hard Rock



Pop Bits:  Although there were hard rock/heavy metal artists who had hit the pop chart earlier, this is arguably the song that brought the genre to the masses in the 80s. This English band had gained a foothold in the US with their previous two albums, so by the time their third one, "Pyromania," was issued, they were set to conquer. And they certainly did. With Robert John "Mutt" Lange at the controls, the band refined their sound a little to incorporated more radio-friendly melodic rock. It paid off handsomely as this single proved by almost hitting the pop Top 10. Of course at rock radio it was a #1 smash and it helped the album reach #2 - stopped from the top spot by "Thriller." The album was quickly certified platinum, but over the years the multi-platinum awards kept rolling until it finally reached Diamond status, which is 10x platinum. The video for this song certainly helped sales as it became one of MTV's most requested videos at the time. Pop metal had finally arrived.

ReduxReview:  I wasn't into hard rock in the early 80s, but there were a few songs that got their hooks in me. This was one of them. The damn song just freakin' rocked. Lange brilliantly helped the band form their songs and gave them this massive sound that you just had to crank to 11. The guitars crashed. Joe Elliott's voice soared. And it had cowbell! I mean, come on! The record delivered the goods in spades. It rocked the 80s and beyond.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  Thanks to his work with Mutt Lange on Foreigner's "4" album, Thomas Dolby (who was hitting the chart at this time with "She Blinded Me with Science") played keyboards on "Pyromania." However, he is credited as Booker T. Boffin. Apparently, Dolby's solo career was taking off and he though it might be confusing for fans to have his name associated with a hard rock album. So Lange suggested the credit name and it stuck.

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