"Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995)" was a two-pronged strategy to reconnect them with their extant fanbase and advance their upcoming material by keeping relevant and visible. Shortly before this brief rebranding and eventual return to glam-inflected pop-rock, Def Leppard bridged the gap between their previous album and the next with a greatest hits compilation guaranteed to renew interest and generate record sales. Although the mid '90s was a period of galvanizing experimentation for the Sheffield rockers that curiously yielded no new identity or resurgence in popularity, it did fractionally boost their waning credibility, helping them widen their appeal and diversify their repertoire somewhat. And it was a risky action that paid off, maybe not commercially, but certainly in other ways: demonstrating a hitherto untapped flair for performing less calculated, more live-sounding rock, they proved their capability to operate without producer extraordinaire Mutt Lange and deliver lyrically and musically mature songs. However, unlike many of their contemporaries struggling to keep their music careers alive as grunge entered the mainstream and drastically upset the equilibrium, Def Leppard never really lost their sense of craft or adaptability, making subtle changes to their tried-and-true method and musical vocabulary. Rather admirably, they attempted to soldier on in his honour, but subsequent albums without his input seemingly lacked the viability, cultural impact and overall quality of their acclaimed predecessors. glossy production, dense sonic detail and stadium-oriented choruses, the band experienced the tragic loss of guitarist Steve Clark - an integral part of said signature sound. After perfecting the winning formula that brought them global recognition, i.e.
DEF LEPPARD GREATEST HITS SERIES
Initially part of the NWBHM, over the course of four albums the band further streamlined their already melodic sound and went stratospheric in the process, breaking the notoriously difficult US market with a series of MTV-savvy promo clips, crossover radio hits and blockbuster albums, two of which, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria", incited the entire pop-metal movement.
Def Leppard were arguably the biggest British hard rock band of the '80s.
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