As we rank Def Leppard albums from worst to best, it's tempting to think more about the headlines than the songs.

After all, this group has become defined by the period between the 10 million-selling Pyromania and the 12 million-selling Hysteria, when it seemingly spent as much time in hospitals as in the studio. Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident, while singer Joe Elliott got the mumps. Along the way, Def Leppard briefly flirted with Jim Steinman (of Meat Loaf fame), before Robert "Mutt" Lange returned as producer.

It made good copy. Def Leppard's musical journey, however, has been just as interesting. From their New Wave of British Heavy Metal-influenced 1980 debut On Through the Night, to the increasingly polished Lange era of stratospheric fame – they sold a staggering 24 million albums between 1981's High 'n' Dry and 1987's Hysteria in the U.S. alone – to latter-day experiments with overt pop (2002's X), cover songs (2006's Yeah!) and even grunge (1996's Slang), Def Leppard have never been afraid to go all the way out on a limb.

Names have changed along the way too, as Phil Collen replaced Pete Willis and then Vivian Campbell stepped in for the late Steve Clark. But for all of that, Def Leppard have never strayed completely off the path, consistently returning to their classic-era sound (with and without Lange) on albums like 1999's Euphoria, 2008's Songs From the Sparkle Lounge and 2022's Diamond Star Halos.

So, how do they all stack up? Check out our list of Def Leppard Albums Ranked Worst to Best.

Def Leppard Albums Ranked

From their metal-edged debut to their pop breakthrough to the recent records, we rank every single LP.

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