Studio Album · No. 2
High 'n' Dry Songwriting Credits by Def Leppard
Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange · Engineered by Mike Shipley, Nigel Green
Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Def Leppard carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
High 'n' Dry keeps Def Leppard's collective writing intact while adding the discipline of new producer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange. The credits still spread across Steve Clark, Pete Willis, Joe Elliott and Rick Savage, with Clark a constant presence, but the songs are leaner and more focused than on the debut. Lange shaped the records without yet sharing the writing, so the authorship remains fully the band's.
High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by Def Leppard, released in July 1981 and the first of their long partnership with producer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange. Lange tightened the band's songwriting and sharpened their sound, pushing them toward the huge, hook-driven hard rock they became known for. The album is built around band-written songs, with Steve Clark, Pete Willis, Joe Elliott and Rick Savage trading credits, and it produced the early signature ballad 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak.' Though Lange did not yet take writing credits here, his role as producer reshaped how the band wrote and recorded. The album went gold in the United States and laid the groundwork for the breakthrough of Pyromania.