Def Leppard

It’s hard to believe Joe Elliott and company have been together almost 25 years. It’s even more incredible to imagine that the band that wrote the legendary Pyromania and On Through the Night albums would end up scarring its career even further—remember “Pour Some Sugar on Me”?—using Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson and Per Aldeheim, the same pop machine writers used by boy bands. One listen to the Martin-penned “Unbelievable” will have diehard fans reaching for the stop button. Like countless bands of its ilk, Def Leppard once ruled the roost, along with four on the floor-style rockers like AC/DC. The band claims it doesn’t need the money, it’s just got some “great songs” it wants to share. I’ve heard none on X, its tenth and most tepid “rocker” to date. The boys claim they don’t want to be considered another heavy metal band. From the sound of this, those comparisons shouldn’t be an issue.