30 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Get Rocked With ADRENALIZE Album Release

Wednesday, 30th March 2022

Def Leppard 1992

Def Leppard released their classic Adrenalize album 29 years ago on 30th March 1992 in the UK.

The band's fifth studio album was released on this day in UK and around the world and in North America a day later.

It was released on CD, LP and cassette and featured ten songs including a re-recording of 1987 B-Side 'Tear It Down'. Co-produced by the band a long time engineer Mike Shipley with guru Mutt Lange credited as Executive Producer. Their first album without him in the main role since 1980.

It included the singles Let's Get Rocked, 'Make Love Like A Man', 'Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad', 'Heaven Is', 'Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)' and 'Tonight'. It went on to sell over 10 million copies around the world. At least six million of those in the first six months of release.

It would also enter the album charts in the UK/USA at Number One, spending the first five weeks at the top of the US Billboard Top 200 chart.

Having spent over three years making their fourth album 'Hysteria', and having dealt with Rick's Allen's car accident, illness and technical problems. The band vowed to make sure their fifth album would not take as long.

Towards the end of the 1988 Hysteria world tour the band stated that they "had a plan". Initially that plan indicated a 'Retro-Active' type album mixing new recordings of B-Sides and some new material with a view to releasing it by Summer 1989 or early 1990, touring more for 'Hysteria' or releasing it and working on a proper fifth album.

As with 'Hysteria', those plans changed with more album delays and the biggest setback of their career to date, the death of band member Steve Clark in January 1991. His illness also hindering the progress of the album in 1989 and 1990 as he was in and our of rehab and battling serious alcohol addiction.

Following his death the band finished the album as a four piece. In February 1992 they would recruit a new guitarist from Belfast for their upcoming world tour.

"New Guy" Vivian Campbell would not be unveiled until after the album's release. The band completing and releasing the album as a four piece as a mark of respect to Steve to whom the album was also dedicated.

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