Top 26 Music Albums of 1981
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 10/08/2025 16:15
- (Created: 04/12/2012 17:07).
- Chart size: 26 albums.
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1981-VERTIGO
Produced By ROBERT JOHN “MUTT” LANGE
1. Let It Go
2. Another Hit And Run
3. High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)
4. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
5. Switch 625
6. You Got Me Runnin’
7. Lady Strange
8. On Through The Night
9. Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)
10. No No No
Bonus Tracks
11. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak (Remix)
12. Me & My Wine (Remix)
It’s tough to see it now, but Def Leppard was originally part of the British metal scene that gave us Motorhead and Iron Maiden. Somewhere along the way, they were adopted by producer “Mutt” Lange, turned into studio lab rats and began putting out bubblegum pop metal. Well, actually, that somewhere is High ‘N’ Dry. Their second album (and the first produced by Lange) is mostly as metal as their debut, On Through The Night, with one exception. The band’s first hit, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, is the first hint of all the excess and pop that was to come. And it’s maybe their best overall song. Starting with a twin lead guitar riff, the song is catchy and has plenty of thump…and also changes the band forever into pop stars. The guitar work of Steve Clark (who died ten years later) and Pete Willis (who was fired after this album) is solid, the rhythm section is a rock, and Joe Elliot’s vocals never sounded this good ever again.
What holds High ‘N’ Dry down is the songwriting. With the exception of “Heartbreak”, there isn’t a single memorable song here, which is too bad, because the overall sound of the album is terrific. It’s heavy, not (yet) pop, and there’s enough head banging to last you the entire 42 minutes of the album. And Lange had not yet begun turning the recording sessions into one string at a time marathons. There just isn’t enough in the way of songs to hold interest over an entire album. Because of this, High ‘N’ Dry rates as the worst of the band’s early releases. They would go on (the mega huge Pyromania was next) to much bigger success, and while their sound would sour, their songwriting would get much better in a hurry. If you’re a fan, get it. Otherwise, get the hits compilation Vault, which has “Heartbreak” in all of its glory. [First added to this chart: 12/04/2013]
Produced By ROBERT JOHN “MUTT” LANGE
1. Let It Go
2. Another Hit And Run
3. High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)
4. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
5. Switch 625
6. You Got Me Runnin’
7. Lady Strange
8. On Through The Night
9. Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)
10. No No No
Bonus Tracks
11. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak (Remix)
12. Me & My Wine (Remix)
It’s tough to see it now, but Def Leppard was originally part of the British metal scene that gave us Motorhead and Iron Maiden. Somewhere along the way, they were adopted by producer “Mutt” Lange, turned into studio lab rats and began putting out bubblegum pop metal. Well, actually, that somewhere is High ‘N’ Dry. Their second album (and the first produced by Lange) is mostly as metal as their debut, On Through The Night, with one exception. The band’s first hit, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, is the first hint of all the excess and pop that was to come. And it’s maybe their best overall song. Starting with a twin lead guitar riff, the song is catchy and has plenty of thump…and also changes the band forever into pop stars. The guitar work of Steve Clark (who died ten years later) and Pete Willis (who was fired after this album) is solid, the rhythm section is a rock, and Joe Elliot’s vocals never sounded this good ever again.
What holds High ‘N’ Dry down is the songwriting. With the exception of “Heartbreak”, there isn’t a single memorable song here, which is too bad, because the overall sound of the album is terrific. It’s heavy, not (yet) pop, and there’s enough head banging to last you the entire 42 minutes of the album. And Lange had not yet begun turning the recording sessions into one string at a time marathons. There just isn’t enough in the way of songs to hold interest over an entire album. Because of this, High ‘N’ Dry rates as the worst of the band’s early releases. They would go on (the mega huge Pyromania was next) to much bigger success, and while their sound would sour, their songwriting would get much better in a hurry. If you’re a fan, get it. Otherwise, get the hits compilation Vault, which has “Heartbreak” in all of its glory. [First added to this chart: 12/04/2013]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
663
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Top 26 Music Albums of 1981 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| George Benson | 1 | 4% | |
| Rush | 1 | 4% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 1 | 4% | |
| Grateful Dead | 1 | 4% | |
| The Babys | 1 | 4% | |
| Stevie Nicks | 1 | 4% | |
| Donnie Iris | 1 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 26 Music Albums of 1981 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 1 from 22nd to 21stTattoo You by The Rolling Stones |
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Other year charts by Romanelli
(from the 1980s)| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 78 Music Albums of 1989 | Romanelli | 1989 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 71 Music Albums of 1988 | Romanelli | 1988 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 52 Music Albums of 1987 | Romanelli | 1987 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 | Romanelli | 1986 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 36 Music Albums of 1985 | Romanelli | 1985 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 36 Music Albums of 1984 | Romanelli | 1984 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 1983 | Romanelli | 1983 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 38 Music Albums of 1982 | Romanelli | 1982 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 26 Music Albums of 1981 | Romanelli | 1981 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 1980 | Romanelli | 1980 year chart | 2025 | |
Top 26 Music Albums of 1981 ratings
85/100 (from 1 vote)
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 80/100  | 08/24/2022 06:17 |  pedro1976 | | 85/100 |
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