The band's greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Their first album, 1980's On Through the Night, reached the Top 15 in the UK but received little notice elsewhere. Their second album, 1981's High 'n' Dry, was produced by Mutt Lange, who helped them begin to define their melodic hard rock style, and the album's most popular track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982, but the album only reached the Top 30 and 40 in the UK and US. Def Leppard's next studio album, Pyromania, was released in January 1983, with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" both topping the US Rock Tracks chart and reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. Reaching No. 2 on the US album chart, Pyromania was certified Diamond in the US and 7× platinum in Canada and reached the top 20 in the UK but did not sell much elsewhere.
Def Leppard's fourth album, the more pop-oriented Hysteria (1987), topped the UK, US, New Zealand, Canadian, Australian and Norway charts. It also went to No. 2 in Sweden and No. 10 in Germany without any Top 50 singles in those countries. It has been certified 12× platinum for sales in the US and 13× platinum in Canada, selling over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album spawned six Top 20 US singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Love Bites" (went Top 10 in several other countries including No. 2 in NZ), alongside "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (US No. 2), "Hysteria", "Armageddon It" (No. 2 in NZ), "Animal" (at No. 6, the biggest UK hit), and "Rocket" (a Top 15 hit in many countries). Hysteria had four Top 10 hits in New Zealand.
Their next studio album, Adrenalize (their first following the death of guitarist Steve Clark), reached No. 1 on the UK, US, NZ, Canadian and Australian charts in 1992, while going Top 10 in Sweden and Germany. It contained several hits, including the US Rock Tracks chart-topper, "Let's Get Rocked", which became their biggest hit in several countries, including No. 2 in the UK, No. 3 in Canada and Switzerland, and the Top 20 in Sweden and Germany. The third single, "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", was a Top 15 song in the US, UK and Canada. Adrenalize went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide. Their 1993 album, Retro Active, contained the acoustic Top 5 North American hit "Two Steps Behind". Their greatest hits album Vault, released in 1995, featured the UK No. 2 hit "When Love & Hate Collide" and reached the Top 10 in several countries, going 5× platinum in the US. Beginning with Slang, Def Leppard released five albums between 1996 and 2008, with most usually reaching the Top 15 in several countries, including the UK, US and Canada. Their self-titled album was released in 2015 and reached the Top 10 in several countries. The band's newest studio album, Diamond Star Halos was released in May 2022 and reached the Top 10 in the US, the UK and Australia.
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and have two albums with RIAA diamond certification: Pyromania and Hysteria, making them one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling more than 10 million copies in the US. The band were ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Studio albums
On Through the Night (1980)
High 'n' Dry (1981)
Pyromania (1983)
Hysteria (1987)
Adrenalize (1992)
Slang (1996)
Euphoria (1999)
X (2002)
Yeah! (2006)
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
Def Leppard (2015)
Diamond Star Halos (2022)
Ride Into the Sun
Def Leppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hammer down, foot to the floor
Such a hard ride
Ride into the sun
Shootin' in
Got a ticket to ride
Movin' out
This is no place to hide
Ride into the sun
We gonna make it baby
So step inside
And if we make it baby
We're gonna ride into the sun
Just ride into the sun
Burn it up
We're gonna cruise
Kick down
Nothin' to lose
When you're ridin'
Ride into the sun
A hot shot
Hooked on the street
I'm in love
Got the fire in me
When I'm ridin'
Ride into the sun
We gonna make it baby
So step inside
And if we make it baby
We're gonna ride
Ride on!
We gonna make it baby
So step inside
And if we make it baby
Ya know we're gonna
Ride
Ride into the sun
Yeah
Ride into the sun
Just ride into the sun
Yeah
Hey!
The lyrics to Def Leppard's song "Ride Into the Sun" are about the exhilaration and freedom of riding a motorcycle, as well as the sense of adventure and possibility that comes with breaking free from one's everyday life. The song's opening lines, "Revvin' up, hundred 'n' four, Hammer down, foot to the floor," convey a sense of high speed and danger. The chorus, which repeats the lines "We gonna make it baby, So step inside, And if we make it baby, We're gonna ride into the sun," expresses a desire to escape life's constraints and achieve something greater. The second verse describes the rider as a "hot shot hooked on the street," suggesting a rebellious spirit and a love for living on the edge.
Overall, the song's lyrics evoke a sense of danger, freedom, and adventure. The motorcycle serves as a symbol for these ideas, and the act of riding it represents a chance to break free from the mundane trappings of everyday life and experience something exhilarating.
Line by Line Meaning
Revvin' up, hundred 'n' four
Accelerating rapidly, hitting a speed of 104 miles per hour
Hammer down, foot to the floor
Pushing the accelerator pedal all the way down, driving at maximum speed
Such a hard ride
Driving hard and fast, taking risks and pushing limits
Ride into the sun
Heading towards the horizon, chasing a dream or goal
Shootin' in
Entering rapidly, making a grand entrance
Got a ticket to ride
Having the opportunity to embark on a journey
Movin' out
Leaving, departing on a new journey
This is no place to hide
The journey requires taking risks and being exposed, there is no room to hide or be afraid
When you're ridin'
During the journey, while pursuing the dream
We gonna make it baby
Believing in a successful outcome, having confidence in reaching the goal
So step inside
Joining together in the journey, working as a team to achieve the goal
And if we make it baby
If we succeed in our pursuit
We're gonna ride into the sun
We will triumphantly reach our goal, basking in the glory of success
Burn it up
Giving it our all, pushing ourselves to our limits
We're gonna cruise
We will smoothly and confidently progress towards our goal
Kick down
Accelerating rapidly, taking action decisively
Nothin' to lose
Having confidence in the journey, knowing that there is nothing to lose by pursuing the goal
A hot shot
An expert or skilled individual, confident in their abilities
Hooked on the street
Addicted to the lifestyle of high-risk pursuits
I'm in love
Passionate about the journey, dedicated to the pursuit of the goal
Got the fire in me
Filled with energy, motivation, and determination
Ya know we're gonna
It is certain that we will, without a doubt
Ride on!
Continue forward with determination and confidence, ignoring any obstacles or setbacks
Yeah
An expression of agreement, excitement, or enthusiasm
Hey!
An expression of greeting or attention-getting
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD JOHN CYRIL ALLEN, STEPHEN MAYNARD CLARK, JOSEPH ELLIOTT, RICHARD SAVAGE, PETER ANDREW WILLIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind