Def Leppard scored more than a dozen Top 40 hits in a career that now spans more than four decades. Almost half of them came out of the 1987 mega-hit Hysteria album.
So it’s completely understandable that there were omissions when putting together a set list for Def Leppard’s current slot on the Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Their 18-song set has remained consistent so far, although Def Leppard took a moment on the second night of the tour to honor Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday by singing “Happy Birthday”, adding a bit of the ” I’ve Just Seen a Face” as well. This tour was originally scheduled for summer 2020 and was delayed twice by the pandemic. Suddenly, Def Leppard had time to add a new album, 2022’s Diamond Star Haloswhen things finally got going.
Four songs from the latest album have now been added to the set, leaving little room for other material beyond the essential hits. If they decide to switch things up, here are 10 of the best songs from the catalog that Def Leppard has yet to play on the tour.
10. “Promises”
Of: Euphoria (1999)
After a slight detour with the years 1996 SlangDef Leppard returned to survey like Mutt Lange-era Def Leppard. Lange himself was unavailable, so his associate Pete Woodroffe (who had been in the camp since the 90s) was once again behind the board as a co-producer for Euphoria. “Promises,” a co-write with Lange, sounds more like something that might have been on Adrenalize more … than Hysteria or whatever before. “Promises” remains good, sticky, smooth and harmonious, and it hasn’t been played since 2019 during the grand opening of the Hard Rock Hotel in Sacramento.
9. “Gods of War”
Of: Hysteria (1987)
Lasting over an hour, the Hysteria The album was a gigantic release for its time and where even the tracks from the album became very popular with fans. Def Leppard has done an admirable job of spinning the songs on this record on and off the shelf over the years. “Gods of War,” which Joe Elliott recently named their best song, was last played at the Download Festival in 2019. This epic rocker is over six minutes long, with an intro that comes in at nearly two, so it was probably never in contention for the Stadium Tour due to its length.
8. “Let it go”
Of: Raised and dry (nineteen eighty one)
“Let It Go” was a killer album opener, with guitar riffing for days and frenetic energy burning throughout. It hasn’t made a consistent appearance on the set list since 2019, but has been relegated to occasional play at festival gigs. A notable moment occurred in late 2002 when fans were able to hear “Let It Go” in its original position as Def Leppard played the entire first side of Raised and dry to a handful of American dates. Guitarist Vivian Campbell later told UCR that the audience seemed a bit “miffed” because they didn’t know most of the songs on the album.
7. “Spoiled”
Of: In the night (1980)
“Wasted” is a fan favorite in the deep cut category, and one that fits well with the NWOBHM sound that dominated the days when Def Leppard released their debut album. Still, it’s one of the least likely possibilities for the Stadium Tour. Last played at a concert in his hometown in 2018, “Wasted” has only made sporadic appearances over the past decade. It hasn’t been performed in the United States since their Las Vegas residency in 2013, when the band opened, performing a series of deeper selections – including “Wasted” – as Ded Flatbird.
6. “Make love like a man”
Of: Adrenalize (1992)
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen called this one “goofy” in a 2022 chat with UCR, saying it shouldn’t be taken too seriously. He explained that even though fans thought they were “King Kong” and were singing about themselves, they were just describing a “stereotype that we all know.” It adds a macho context to “Make Love Like a Man”, which was last seen at a 2018 gig in Cardiff, Wales. Benefiting from Def Leppard’s big choruses, Collen says it’s always great fun to play live.
5. “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)”
Of: Raised and dry (nineteen eighty one)
Raised and dry is packed full of deep possibility picks – including “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)”, which is arguably one of the band’s most underrated tracks. Given the general party vibe of the Stadium Tour, “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)” is probably a safer choice. Last performed in 2015 in Montreal, this swaggering rocker features a guitar solo from Collen — and would sound even better if they performed on a Saturday night.
4. “Rock! Rock (Till You Drop)”
Of: Pyromania (1983)
It’s hard to imagine a better rallying cry for this current tour than “Rock!” Rock! (Till You Drop)”. The band began their current tour with two tracks from Diamond Star Halos. “Take What You Want” and “Fire It Up” are high-energy tracks, so it’s not hard to imagine that lead cut from Pyromania drag to where “Animal” is currently. “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” last surfaced in 2015 and was a regular opener for US tour dates at that time.
3. “Women”
Of: Hysteria (1987)
Hysteria had seven singles, including “Women”. This one wasn’t in the top half of the charts at the time, but it remained a fan favorite. Once a regular overall, “Women” was recently featured in the lineup for their performance at Download in 2019. Hysteria nonetheless gets plenty of time in the spotlight, with a whopping seven songs featured on the ongoing show. Among them is “Excitable”, a relative in-depth search that has been performed less than 200 times according to Setlist.fm.
2. “Too late for love”
Of: Pyromania (1983)
They could definitely play different cuts of Pyromania, but who’s going to tell fans they won’t hear “Foolin'”, “Rock of Ages” or “Photograph”? However, it might be worth stumbling upon this sword if the band is lucky enough to return to “Too Late For Love.” This stormy and ominous track is Def Leppard at its best. Last heard in 2019, it’s usually only been performed at their shows in Las Vegas for the past decade.
1. “Let’s rock”
Of: Adrenalize (1992)
This Bart Simpson-inspired rocker is probably the best-known track from Adrenalize, who turned 30 earlier this year. Performed frequently throughout 2019, “Let’s Get Rocked” seems like a natural choice to excite the Stadium Tour crowd on this current run. Def Leppard, of course, want to pitch their new album right off the bat – but they might consider giving fans one more chance to answer Joe Elliott’s timeless question, “Do you want to be rocked?” with a “yes!”
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