Def Leppard’s “Dangerous” was the second single from the band’s self-titled Def Leppard album.
“Dangerous” is also included in the 2-CD deluxe set of The Story So Far greatest hits release. (Need help deciding which Def Leppard greatest hits release to choose from? Find it here.)
Dangerous… Drug?
Did you know the song “Dangerous” was originally titled “Dangerous Drug“?
Phil Collen explained the song title during an interview with radio station WRIF:
“I had a demo for “Dangerous” as well, pretty much the whole music of that I had done. It was called “Dangerous Drug” and Joe [Elliott] said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we called it “Dangerous” and make it this kind of singalong chorus? We literally copied it exactly [for the album]. I’d redone the guitars. We’d just done a slightly different guitar sound. We might have even kept some of the original demo, I’m not sure. That’s really how it went…We didn’t change anything musically at all.”
It would be interesting to hear what remains of the original demo that Phil is referring to…maybe a future B-side awaits?
Def Leppard: “Dangerous” Song Ranking
This site ranks “Dangerous” the #2 track off the self-titled Def Leppard album. (By the way, if you really want to indulge in Def Leppard, check out this book!)
Here’s what was said about the track:
Similar to “Let’s Go,” this is a Def Leppard song that conjures up memories of the band’s earlier days. Trademark guitar licks kick it off, leading to solid verses, a pretty good bridge, and a catchy chorus.
“Dangerous” is much more polished compared to the band’s older material, but it does have moments that will stir up thoughts of Pyromania, as well as “Promises” off of the Euphoria album.
Complete song ranking and review of ALL 115 songs from Def Leppard’s original studio albums can be found here.
