Studio Album · No. 6
Slang Songwriting Credits by Def Leppard
Produced by Def Leppard, Pete Woodroffe · Engineered by Pete Woodroffe
Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Def Leppard carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Slang reshapes Def Leppard's authorship as much as its sound. With Robert John 'Mutt' Lange gone, the dense five-name credits give way to leaner ones, often Phil Collen alone or with Joe Elliott, and new guitarist Vivian Campbell earns his first writing credits. It is the band's most individually written album, a clear break from the collective group-plus-Lange model of their 1980s peak.
Slang is the sixth studio album by Def Leppard, released in May 1996 and the most experimental record of their career. After Vivian Campbell joined as Steve Clark's permanent replacement, the band deliberately broke from their layered arena-rock formula, working faster and looser with a rawer, more modern sound shaped by the alternative rock of the era. Robert John 'Mutt' Lange was absent, and the band self-produced with Pete Woodroffe. The songwriting shifted too: instead of the dense group-plus-Lange credits of the past, many songs are written by Phil Collen alone or with Joe Elliott, with Vivian Campbell contributing his first credits. Less commercially successful, Slang remains a cult favorite for its risk-taking.