Mutt Lange: Hit Songs, Hit Albums & So Much More! (2024)

The name “Mutt” Lange can evoke a variety of spirited thoughts and passionate opinions, primarily driven by his large body of work as a record producer and songwriter.

For some, Robert John “Mutt” Lange is known simply as Shania Twain’s ex-husband, which is a shame, as it overlooks his immense contributions to her career, not to mention the music industry.

It’s no coincidence that Mutt Lange was married to Shania Twain during her most successful years as a recording artist. That’s not to say Shania didn’t enjoy some success on her own, albeit on a much smaller scale, before marrying and working with “Mutt” — her self-titled debut album (aka pre-Mutt Lange) did reach platinum certification status, selling one million copies.

As for Shania’s subsequent albums, in which Mutt Lange was heavily involved: The Woman In Me achieved 12x platinum certification — twelve million copies sold. Hit songs off the album such as “No One Needs To Know,” “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?,” and “Any Man Of Mine” were all co-written and produced by Mutt Lange.

Shania’s third album, Come On Over, went 21x platinum in the U.S. alone — selling over 40 million copies worldwide — and remains one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Hit songs included “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You),” “You’re Still The One,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” — again, all co-written and produced by Mutt Lange.

Moreover, Mutt Lange’s unmistakable, signature backing vocals are heard throughout the album’s meticulously polished production, so much so that one can perhaps misconstrue Shania Twain’s song “Honey, I’m Home” as featuring Def Leppard as the backing band — just throw in some country music flair to go with those anthemic “Pour Some Sugar On Me“-like Hey! chants.

Shania’s follow-up album Up continued her multi-platinum streak, achieving 11x platinum. Infectious, radio-friendly songs like “Up,” “I’m Gonna Getcha Good,” “Ka-Ching” helped propel the album’s success, along with tracks like “Nah,” another tune with the familiar makings and sound of a Def Leppard music production.

All three of these mega-successful Shania Twain albums featured enormous, glossy productions and melodic songs packed with inescapable hooks and irresistible harmonies. Sound familiar, Def Leppard fans? But make no mistake: the music was not Def Leppard-like. The songs were Mutt Lange creations, painstakingly crafted to showcase Shania Twain’s style of country music precisely through Mutt’s methodical hitmaking prism, which unabashedly includes his own unmistakable backing vocals and unforgettable choruses.

In short, it’s Mutt Lange being “Mutt,” one of the most successful record producers and songwriters in music history.

That’s who Mutt Lange is.

The Mutt Lange Effect

Mutt Lange’s collaboration with Shania Twain ended in 2010, coinciding with the end of their marriage. Since the dissolution of their relationship, and after an extended hiatus away from the spotlight, Shania released her first post-Mutt Lange studio album titled Now in 2017. The album, with the help of a concert ticket bundle offering to help boost the record’s initial sales, sold 134,000 copies in its first week of release. But to this day, the album’s sales still haven’t reached platinum status in the U.S. Not even gold.

As for Shania’s most recent album release, Queen of Me, opening week U.S. sales came in at 38,000 units. (It debuted at #10 on Billboard‘s top albums charts, dropped to #166 in its second week, and then completely fell off the chart in its third week.)

Calling out this underperformance is not meant to disparage Shania Twain’s talents, but it undeniably shines a bright light on what a difference-maker Mutt Lange is, and the magnitude of success and crossover appeal he can bring to an artist’s career. And it endures: Shania’s post-Mutt 2012-2014 Las Vegas concert residency was titled Still The One and featured a setlist comprised of almost all Mutt Lange-era songs from her catalog; the same goes for the vast majority of the setlist from her 2019 Let’s Go! Vegas residency.

Shania Twain is but one example. Some of music’s biggest, most iconic albums and songs are the direct result of Mutt Lange’s involvement and exceptional, hitmaking abilities. And while many are likely aware of some of his work, they might also be surprised to discover how extensive and far-reaching it is. In fact, with a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, it’s plausible that some of your favorite songs over the past few decades involved Mutt Lange.

Mutt Lange: Def Leppard’s Sixth Member

Mutt Lange has often been referred to as the unofficial sixth member of Def Leppard because of the immense amount of influence he’s had on the band’s career.

Mutt’s collaboration with the boys from Sheffield didn’t begin until High ‘n’ Dry, the first album he produced for the band. Pyromania followed, chock-full of classic rock songs like “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Foolin'” — all co-written and produced by Mutt Lange (in addition to every other song on the album). Colossal album sales resulted, as did a more mature, well-crafted Def Leppard sound that appealed to the masses.

“Mutt’s one of the best producers in rock. Most producers can’t explain something from a musician’s point of view. But Mutt is a trained musician himself. He can change an arrangement around if it’s not right… When you’re working with Mutt — and a lot of guys will tell you this — you come out of the studio a better musician.” — Steve Clark, Rock Fever magazine

Then came mega-successful Hysteria, an album whose original song creations were mostly shelved, with several of them included on the band’s Retro Active release. Why? Because after several unsuccessful starts, Hysteria was completely overhauled when Mutt Lange joined the project.

Joe Elliott discussed Mutt reuniting with the band in an interview with RollingStone.com:

“We were like this rudderless ship without Mutt producing it. But once he came in, everybody’s focus went in and we started throwing new ideas in, and all the better songs came about.”

Mutt Lange steered the proverbial Def Leppard ship around and into a completely different musical direction, with the clear intent of creating a rock album equivalent to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, brimming with radio-friendly hit singles.

“Mutt said, ‘Look, everyone else is copying ‘Pyromania,’ so we don’t want to make ‘Pyromania 2.’ We should do a rock version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ where it crosses over.’ That was the role model that we wanted to use. We wanted to make a hybrid.” — Phil Collen

One of the Hysteria project’s biggest and most extraordinary obstacles was Rick Allen’s tragic car accident. The unfathomable challenge of a drummer losing an arm was undoubtedly uncharted territory, and could easily have ended his drumming career.

Fortunately, as a result of a whole new mindset and approach to drumming which utilized his remaining limbs, and a lot of hard work, Rick not only triumphed but thrived, reinventing himself as a musician and inspiring millions along the way. Much easier said than done, though, as such an endeavor offered no guarantee of success and a whole lot of uncertainty.

Rick struggled with the situation and nearly gave up at the outset, if not for the help of Mutt Lange.

“There were times at the beginning when I really felt like I couldn’t do this anymore. The thing that really helped is Mutt came to visit and he talked me into being able to do this [drumming] but in a different way.” — Rick Allen

“I remember when Steve [Clark] and I first went to see [Rick] in the hospital how terrible it was. We both thought, There’s no way he’s going to be able to do this again…But you know, Mutt’s actually great about that kind of stuff, too. He told Rick, ‘Why don’t you get some pedals and other things and just play?’ And Rick said, ‘Well, no one’s done it.’ And Mutt responded, ‘Then you’d be the first.’”
— Phil Collen, Guitar World magazine

Mutt Lange’s influence and overall impact on Def Leppard went far beyond songwriting and studio wizardry. The band not only utilized but embraced his guidance and expertise, placing their faith in him to create the album he envisioned, even as his grandiose plan seemed so unambiguous to them initially.

“Mutt was able to put himself in a situation where he could imagine every single instrument that was going to be played on the [‘Hysteria’] record. He had a vision that I don’t think any of us got at first. His vision was so clear and he’d stop at nothing to get what he wanted.” — Rick Allen

This harkens back to when Mutt Lange saw untapped potential in Def Leppard after the release of their debut album On Through The Night and believed he could help elevate the young, up-and-coming band to greater heights. High ‘n’ Dry resulted, an album some fans believe showcases Def Leppard at their best.

Mutt Lange’s High ‘n’ Dry production featured a tighter, more sleek sound compared to On Through The Night, denoted in rockers like “Another Hit and Run,” “You Got Me Runnin’,” and “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes),” as well as “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak,” a semi-ballad that introduced a somewhat softer side to the band’s music.

In case you never saw the made-for-TV movie Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story — a guilty pleasure for some — this scene featuring an interaction in the recording studio between Joe Elliott’s character (or “caricature,” as Joe later called it) and Mutt Lange (played by Anthony Michael Hall) provides a very small, intriguing glimpse into Mutt Lange’s influence and overall vision for Def Leppard:

The scene embodies how Mutt Lange continually pushed the band to ultimately exceed their own expectations.

“[Mutt Lange’s] an inspiration to be around. You’d try something and he’d always have great ideas and he’d go, ‘Try this!’ You go, ‘I can’t really play that.’ He’d go, ‘Yeah, just do it.’ He would get you to sing stuff that was above your level. He’d go, ‘Okay, just try it.’ I’d go, ‘I can’t hit that note.’ He’d say, ‘Yeah, you can!’ Just the vocal alone, he’d go, ‘No, it sounds great. Just try it! Alright, we got it. Now double-track it.’ Before you know it, you’re in there and your new bar has been raised. He was amazing like that.” — Phil Collen, Guitar Interactive magazine

Def Leppard and Mutt Lange’s collaborative success with High ‘n’ Dry brought about Pyromania, where he took an even greater role in constructing, far beyond producing. For example, aside from Joe Elliott, Mutt Lange is the only other person credited as a songwriter on every one of Pyromania‘s tracks.

Pyromania introduced fans to “Def Leppard 2.0” — an arena rock band whose finely crafted commercial sound, enriched with bountiful backing vocals (including Mutt’s), would ultimately become Def Leppard’s hallmark and an essential component of its success.

Def Leppard’s rough-around-the-edges, hard rock sound had transformed. Pyromania‘s songs still packed a wallop but were much more radio-friendly. “Photograph” became the band’s first Top 20 single in the U.S., just missing the Top 10. “Rock of Ages” and “Foolin'” also filled radio airwaves and made their mark, not to take anything away from the album’s classic deep cuts — tracks like “Too Late for Love,” “Billy’s Got A Gun,” and “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” to name a few — which may not have been official singles but were just as vital in making the album a 10x platinum-selling powerhouse. (To go much more in-depth on the Pyromania album, click here. And if you really want to indulge in a lot more Def Leppard, check out this book!)

It’s worth noting that Def Leppard also replaced guitarist Pete Willis with Phil Collen during the recording of Pyromania. According to Joe Elliott, the decision to hire Phil ultimately required the final blessing of one person: Mutt Lange. That’s how integral his guidance and influence was to Def Leppard, and how much trust the band put in him.

“The important thing was that Phil and Mutt got on well. They met up at Battery Studios in London, and after hearing him play a solo for Stagefright, ‘Mutt’ said, ‘Sign him up!’”
— Joe Elliott, Record Collector magazine

Mutt Lange Takes On ‘Hysteria’

This brings us to Hysteria, Def Leppard’s most successful, best-selling album.

Once again, Mutt Lange’s hard-driving, ambitious approach — at times even recording the most subtle guitar tracks one note at a time — is evident throughout the album.

Going exceedingly beyond the role of record producer — and this is where the moniker of being the unofficial sixth member of Def Leppard especially takes hold — Mutt Lange co-wrote every song on the iconic album. Backing vocals also included Mutt’s distinct voice, sometimes prominently.

One example is the album’s title track “Hysteria” and its infectious “Oh, can you feel it? Do you believe it?” chorus. Those multi-layered backing vocals showcase Mutt Lange’s voice, an essential part of what makes it sound the way it does. On one hand, unique — it’s Def Leppard’s “trademark sound.” But in a broader sense, it’s Mutt Lange’s recording process and formula in action. It’s a technique you’ve likely heard elsewhere numerous times. (More on that in a moment.)

“Mutt sings on everything he’s ever done with [Def Leppard]. And he’s an amazing singer… On Hysteria, he basically said that we needed to make the backing vocals sound like another instrument.” — Phil Collen, Guitar World

The genius of Mutt Lange’s hitmaking abilities is also evident when revisiting the origins of the song “Hysteria,” a track which Phil Collen and Rick Savage initially thought had a chorus…until Mutt Lange intervened.

Phil explains:

“It started off, we were in Dublin and Rick Savage started playing this tune, so I immediately started singing, ‘Out of touch, out of reach.’ That was literally the first thing that came out of my mouth. He said that was cool and he goes, [singing] ‘I got to know tonight,’ this whole other section. We glued it together and we got very excited… We sat down and were playing acoustic guitar, singing over the demo, and we thought that was going to be the chorus. And Mutt Lange said, ‘Okay, that’s a great verse, a great bridge. Now we need the chorus.’ Uh, okay. [Laughs]” — Phil Collen, Songfacts

Mutt Lange And Def Leppard

Mutt Lange left an indelible mark on Def Leppard’s path to stardom, and even though he didn’t officially produce any more of the band’s albums after Hysteria, his presence and influence still lingered.

Def Leppard’s follow-up album Adrenalize, the band’s first without guitarist Steve Clark, listed Mutt Lange as a songwriting partner on every song (including biggest hits “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”) but one, older track “Tear It Down.”

He also contributed backing vocals, which helped maintain a sense of familiarity to the songs’ multi-layered choruses which fans fondly remembered from Hysteria. His creative input remained vital as well. For instance, Phil Collen penned an early version of the song that would become “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad.” In Phil’s original arrangement, the opening verse began with the lyric “Have you ever needed someone so bad.” Mutt Lange recommended making that line the song’s chorus instead; he also ended up creating the ballad’s memorable bridge.

Nevertheless, Mutt Lange’s work on Adrenalize was nowhere near as extensive as Hysteria, but out of respect for his contributions, the band still credited him as executive producer. (Read much more about the challenges of the Adrenalize album here.)

Adrenalize did mark a transition in the working relationship between Def Leppard and Mutt Lange, as it was the start of a much more limited and diminished role in the band’s projects going forward.

Future Def Leppard albums sporadically included Mutt Lange’s involvement, typically resulting in a single-worthy track tailor-made for radio airplay. Case in point, after going down a less commercial path with the album Slang, the band’s desire to return to a more mainstream-sounding release — i.e., something more true to form for Def Leppard — resulted in Euphoria, an album whose first and most successful single was fan-favorite “Promises,” a song co-written by Mutt Lange.

The band’s follow-up album X involved outside songwriters in hopes of delivering “the goods” and rekindling chart success, but it didn’t involve Mutt Lange. The album, for various reasons, severely underperformed and didn’t feature any singles that were deemed “hits” on the Billboard charts.

Subsequent studio album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge — which includes a photo of Mutt Lange on its Sgt. Pepper-ish cover — was initially going to include a collaboration with him, but it didn’t pan out. 2015’s self-titled Def Leppard album did not involve Mutt Lange either.

Who Is Mutt Lange?

Aside from all his work with Def Leppard, Mutt Lange has played an integral role in creating some of music’s most popular songs for decades.

Even early on in his career as a record producer in the mid-’70s, his involvement in projects would be a harbinger of things to come: 1978’s song “Rat Trap” by Bob Geldof’s band The Boomtown Rats, produced by Mutt, reached #1 on the U.K. charts. The feat also marked the first time an Irish band, not to mention a new wave song, topped the British charts.

Another example is the little-known U.K. band City Boy. Mutt Lange produced several albums for the group, but his contributions extended well beyond the role of producer.

City Boy’s bassist Chris Dunn summed up Mutt’s above-and-beyond approach on the podcast “The Hustle”:

“Mutt’s method of production is kind of interesting because he will listen to your song, and he will completely dismantle it, and then put it back together again, and it will be nothing like it used to be but way better, of course.”

Additionally, Mutt would go on to help teach the band the craft of song arrangements, even taking part in the vocal harmonies himself. One notable standout track (and a personal favorite) is the engrossing, if not slightly odd, track “Dinner at the Ritz” — off-putting for some yet unique and perhaps mesmerizing.

Mutt Lange’s far-reaching involvement also included helping Chris Dunn work on improving his bass playing skills, and even going out on tour with the band to help out as their sound engineer! Over time, Mutt’s extensive contributions resulted in him being considered the unofficial, seventh member of City Boy. Sound familiar, Def Leppard fans?

This would all be a springboard for a long-lasting career filled with tremendous success, with hit songs and albums abound that would transform music acts into superstars, and in the process render him one of the music industry’s most consequential figures.

That’s Mutt Lange.

Mutt’s significance transcends beyond studio craftsmanship featuring “polished” productions. His immersion delves deep into a song’s fundamental structure and overall arrangement: dissecting how its verses build and effortlessly lead into a pre-chorus and chorus to reward listeners for taking the journey, all the while placing ear-candy hooks throughout so that the song’s harmonies unavoidably linger in a listener’s mind long after hearing them.

While known for working with some of rock’s greatest acts and Shania Twain, Mutt Lange’s familiar “calling card” can also be heard throughout the work he’s done with so many other artists.

Revisit the late-’80s self-titled debut album from the band Romeo’s Daughter, a release which Mutt Lange co-wrote the majority of songs for and co-produced (splitting the duties with “St. Elmo’s Fire’s” John Paar).

The album’s most notable track, “Heaven In The Backseat,” showcases all the right hooks in all the right places, particularly around its melodic chorus, but that’s not the only thing that stands out. What else does? The backing vocals heard throughout the song.

By the time you reach the song’s three-minute mark, and start hearing lines shouted out like “C’mon, fire me up!” (a familiar lyric for “Pour Some Sugar On Me” fans) and “Body rockin’!,” you might be taken aback at just how Def Leppard-esque it sounds.

Did Def Leppard actually contribute backing vocals on the track (which also ended up on the Nightmare on Elm Street 5 soundtrack)?

Nope.

That’s Mutt Lange, and it’s merely one of many examples that feature his trademark sound. (Years later, Eddie Money would release his own version of “Heaven In The Backseat.” When compared to the original, it’s fairly easy to identify which version — his or Romeo’s Daughter — is a Mutt Lange production, and features Mutt on background vocals.)

Mutt Lange’s Trademark Sound

While some of the most popular, beloved songs from the ’80s and ’90s (and beyond) involved Mutt Lange, other lesser-known songs also have that instantly recognizable sound.

For example, the band Starship, known for “We Built This City” and “Sara,” released a song in 1989 called “I Didn’t Mean To Stay All Night“:

The opening notes bring to mind The Cars’ classic song “Drive” (which Mutt Lange produced).
The lead vocals have a striking resemblance to Bryan Adams (an artist Mutt Lange has also worked with).
The pre-chorus “I am flyin’, forever within your arms…” evokes memories of “I would fight for you, I’d lie for you,” from the blockbuster song “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” (which Mutt Lange produced and co-wrote).
The chorus, with its lines of “I didn’t mean!” and “Oh no!“ showcases a massive wall of backing vocals that sound very Def Leppard-like.

Put it all together, and it becomes abundantly clear the song is a Mutt Lange creation:

Even the chorus’ structure has similarities to Def Leppard’s “Love Bites,” a song that originated with Mutt Lange. Lyrics “But, baby, you hold so tight!” (starting at the video’s 1:12 mark) and “It’s heaven, it can’t be wrong…” are performed in such a way that they harken back to and can easily be juxtaposed with Joe Elliott’s classic “Love Bites” vocal line “It’s bringin’ me to my knees!”

Mutt Lange’s X-Factor

Mutt Lange’s involvement in Def Leppard’s career has been well-documented on this site, most notably highlighting the numerous challenges he helped the band overcome during the recording of the Hysteria album.

But another prime example where Mutt Lange played a pivotal role in helping a band reach even greater levels of success is AC/DC. The band had already achieved some notoriety but it wasn’t until he produced their sixth album, Highway to Hell, that their popularity soared. And similar to helping Def Leppard overcome the unfathomable challenge of drummer Rick Allen losing his arm (which resulted in recording what would be Def Leppard’s biggest-selling album), Mutt also helped AC/DC deal with their own devastating situation — the tragic death of lead singer, Bon Scott — which led to Back In Black, the best-selling hard rock album of all time.

The terms “genius” and “uber-producer” are often used when describing Mutt Lange, but the fact that he was able to play such a critical role in the careers of Def Leppard and AC/DC, at some of their lowest, make-or-break moments speaks volumes about what a difference-maker he can be, and underscores how his talents go way beyond that of a record producer or songwriter for hire.

Mutt Lange: Hit Songs and Albums

Here are just some of the most notable songs and albums involving Mutt Lange.

AC/DC:

As monstrous as Def Leppard’s combined U.S. sales certifications are for Pyromania and Hysteria, AC/DC’s Back In Black album — again, which Mutt Lange produced — has sold more units than both Def Leppard albums combined.

Back in Black has not only been certified diamond (10x platinum, 10 million copies), it has surpassed double diamond certification status (25x platinum, 25 million+ copies). The album’s sales have even outperformed Come On Over, Mutt Lange’s most successful album collaboration with Shania Twain, which is certified 20x platinum.

Mutt Lange’s work with AC/DC brought about the band’s most iconic releases, which featured some of their most memorable, classic songs.

The three albums Mutt produced — septuple-platinum Highway to Hell, quadruple-platinum For Those About To Rock (which was also AC/DC’s first #1 album), and, of course, Back In Black — have sold over 36 million copies combined!

Bryan Adams:

In addition to co-writing and producing Bryan Adams’ colossal hit “Everything I Do (I Do It For You),” Mutt Lange also co-wrote the massively successful #1 single “All For Love” featuring Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting.

Moreover, Mutt Lange produced and co-wrote every song on Bryan Adams’ album Waking Up The Neighbours. (This also happened to be the project he was busy working on when Def Leppard was in search of a producer for Adrenalize, resulting in Mike Shipley taking on the role.)

Bryan Adams’ record is filled with Mutt Lange’s signature production methods and likely perks up the ears of Def Leppard fans at times. “Thought I Died And Gone To Heaven” features lead vocals that echo Joe Elliott at times, and has a chorus and bridge (most notably heard at the 3:05 mark in the video below) bursting with — you guessed it — multi-layered, Leppard-esque backing vocals.

It’s so Mutt Lange.

“That’s [Mutt Lange’s] voice you hear in back on Highway to Hell, Back in Black, the Shania Twain stuff, the Bryan Adams stuff. He can make his voice sound like anything.” — Phil Collen, Guitar World

Another standout track from the album is infectious rocker “All I Want Is You.” Once you reach the song’s 1:38 mark in the video below, flashes of Def Leppard in your mind are understandable, particularly when hearing the line “If you don’t need love, you gotta be nuts, the heaviest metal always rusts…,” which is performed in the same gravelly vocal spirit as Joe Elliott on “Pour Some Sugar On Me.”

Mutt Lange collaborated with Bryan Adams once again on the follow-up album 18 Till I Die, which featured yet another stand-out ballad: “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” The song, co-written and co-produced by Mutt, reached #1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart and remained there for five consecutive weeks.

The Cars:

The Cars’ 1984 quadruple-selling album Heartbeat City was produced by Mutt Lange. (This is the album Mutt was working on when Def Leppard was attempting to work on Pyromania‘s follow-up, hoping to collaborate with him again. Ironically, the delays, false starts, and Rick Allen’s car accident allowed for so much time to pass that Mutt was able to complete this Cars release and then return and start anew for what would become Hysteria.)

As for Heartbeat City, the album produced five Top 40 singles, including classic ’80s songs “You Might Think,” “Hello Again,” as well as “Drive” (the band’s biggest hit in the U.S.) and “Magic.”

“Magic” prominently showcases some of Mutt Lange’s distinct specialties: a huge, unforgettable three-chord guitar riff (reminiscent of the one in the “Pour Some Sugar On Me” chorus) and those memorable, super-catchy, multi-layered “Uh-oh it’s magic!” backing vocals.

They’re so Mutt Lange.

Huey Lewis And The News:

The familiar backing vocals in The Cars’ “Magic” chorus are quite similar in arrangement to yet another ’80s hit song’s chorus: Huey Lewis And The News’ “Do You Believe In Love” — the band’s breakout hit and first Top 10 single, which was written by none other than Mutt Lange.

Celine Dion:

Another song that showcases larger-than-life, glossy backing vocals is Celine Dion’s “Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word),” written and produced by Mutt Lange.

All you need to hear are eight seconds from the song — starting at the 10-second mark in the video below — to recognize Mutt Lange’s unmistakable backing vocals and realize his involvement.

Billy Ocean:

Mutt Lange was behind some of Billy Ocean’s biggest hit songs; he co-wrote and co-produced the ’80s track “Loverboy,” and — as Mutt has a penchant for unique, long song titles — “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” and “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going.”

“Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” also showcases yet another Mutt Lange song technique, officially referred to as octave-displacement: when a chorus’s infectious sing-along harmonies haven’t already been driven across enough, the song modulates to take the chorus up another key, to drive the melody even further into your brain. (You’ll hear this example beginning at the 3:45 mark in the video below.)

Loverboy:

Loverboy’s Top 10 ’80s hit song “Lovin’ Every Minute Of It” was written by Mutt Lange. Interestingly, even though Mutt did not produce the song, Tom Allom — the producer of Def Leppard’s debut album On Through The Night — did. Leppard worlds collided!

Foreigner:

Foreigner’s album 4 sold over seven million copies in the U.S. alone, was the band’s first (and only) #1 album in the States, featured the hit songs “Urgent,” “Juke Box Hero,” and power-ballad “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” and was co-produced by Mutt Lange (with Foreigner’s Mick Jones). Unsurprisingly, the album also features Mutt’s backing vocals.

Heart:

Heart’s hit song “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You” and the ultra-infectious ballad “Will You Be There (In The Morning)” were both written by Mutt Lange.

Michael Bolton:

Michael Bolton’s hit song “Said I Loved You But I Lied” — which topped Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart and received gold sales certification as a single — was co-produced and co-written by Mutt Lange.

The Corrs:

The band’s internationally successful pop tune “Breathless” (their only #1 single in the U.K., and only Top 40 hit in the U.S.) was co-written and produced by Mutt Lange.

Lady Gaga:

Lady Gaga’s song “You And I” — which, prior to its release, she teased fans that “someone legendary” would be producing it — has a country/rock flair that elicits thoughts of Shania Twain and Queen. That shouldn’t be surprising though, as the song was co-produced by Mutt Lange (with Lady Gaga) and features his unmistakable backing vocals (heard at the 1:44 mark in the video below).

The “We Will Rock You” beats and claps are all the more fitting since Queen’s Brian May plays electric guitar on the track.

Collaborating with Mutt Lange should have been expected, as Lady Gaga had expressed being a fan of Def Leppard’s style of music:

“With my music, there’s lots of really big Def Leppard-style melodies in the choruses… I have created a genre of metal/dance/techno/rock/pop music with a lot of anthemic choruses because that is actually the music I love.” — Lady Gaga, The Sun

Maroon 5:

Maroon 5’s pop song “Misery” was produced by Mutt Lange. It’s the standout track from the album Hands All Over, also produced by Mutt. And while he is not listed as an official songwriter on the album, Mutt’s influence on composing the songs was still prevalent, as divulged by lead singer Adam Levine in an interview with Rolling Stone:

“[Mutt Lange] worked me harder than anyone ever has. I would come in with a finished song, and he’d say, ‘That’s a good start. Now strip it down to the drums and start over.’ The coolest thing about him is that not only has he been a huge, legendary producer, but he also is a legit, serious writer.”

Britney Spears:

Britney Spears’ ballad “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know,” off her album Oops!…I Did It Again was produced and co-written by Mutt Lange (and then-wife Shania Twain).

Backing vocals are prominent throughout the song, courtesy of, well, who else: Mutt Lange.

Nickelback:

Nickelback’s Dark Horse album was co-produced by Mutt Lange; he was also involved in composing multiple tracks, including the album’s lead single and standout track, “Gotta Be Somebody.”

Frontman Chad Kroeger spoke to Billboard.com about working with his “hero” Mutt Lange on the album, and provided some insight on Mutt’s recording process:

“[Mutt] likes those big gang vocals, those ‘heys’ and ‘yeahs.’ That was new for us. There might be six of us sitting around a microphone, just screaming the same line over and over and over for, like, 20 minutes straight, and you start stacking it up and get this huge wall that sounds like…an arena full of people. That’s the way Mutt pictures everything. Mutt looks at it one way and one way only — it’s you standing on stage in front of nine million people. And when it’s a love song, it’s you singing to a girl in the first row. And when it’s a rock song, it’s gotta be you singing to every single person, with their hand pumping in the air. That’s how he looks at it, and he never wavers.”

He also noted how challenging it can be to perform Mutt Lange’s studio creations live in concert:

“[Mutt]’s not willing to budge when it comes to screaming higher and harder. There were a few times where I would have to say to him, ‘Listen, I’m gonna have to sing this live,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, but we’re not gonna sacrifice this record for that sentiment.’ So I really just had to suck it up. You gotta figure the guy knows what he’s doing.”

This comment can easily apply to Def Leppard as well. For instance, performing a song like “Photograph” and its demanding upper-register lead vocals in concert, not to mention decades after its release, or even having to reimagine and reconstruct “Love Bites” in order to perform it live.

“I remember, we’d never done ‘Love Bites’ [live] as a band…it was strictly a studio song. But it went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts while we were on tour in America, so it was like…’We’re gonna have to learn it.’ We booked a rehearsal studio in Vancouver for two days, and we were frantically learning it, like, ‘What’s the most prominent guitar part and how can I play that and sing it?’ It was scary.”
— Phil Collen, MusicRadar.com

Muse:

Mutt Lange produced Muse’s Grammy-award-winning concept album Drones, which debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s top albums chart.

Muse’s frontman had this to say about working with Mutt Lange:

“Before I met him I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want us to be turned into a kind of Top 40 act. I figured Mutt would be more focused on, ‘What’s the single? What’s going to be the big hit?’ He wasn’t like that at all… He’s the kind of person to get into the mind of the artist and whatever the artist wants… You feel like you’re in the presence of some sort of guru, or spiritual outsider.”
— Matt Bellamy, LouderSound.com

The album’s mix engineer shared his thoughts on Mutt’s recording process:

“He has a surreal concentration level and an amazing ability to recall every aspect of each take. This allows him to nail comps [taking the best parts of multiple takes and piecing them together to create one ‘perfect take’] as they are done… Mutt has the best ears imaginable. [He] would go into note–by–note detail on a level that was incredible to me. It was almost superhuman. He’ll close his eyes, and then say, ‘This bar is too long,’ or ‘That bar is rushed.’” — Tommaso Colliva, SoundOnSound.com

Mutt Lange: Superstar Record Producer…And So Much More

While more examples can be cited, the projects mentioned above should provide a good representation of Mutt Lange’s incalculable contributions to artists’ careers. Without his involvement, an argument could be made that some of those music acts’ superstar trajectories definitely would have been different, if not less stellar.

That’s the kind of unique game-changer Mutt Lange is.

“To be quite honest, I don’t know anybody else who can do what Mutt does.”
— Phil Collen, Guitar World

An article in The Economist spotlighting AC/DC’s Back In Black album specifically made note of Mutt Lange’s production, and brilliantly described his inimitable contributions this way:

“[Mutt Lange] made the artists he worked with sound not like him, but a version of themselves they could not have been without him.”

It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say if an artist has worked with Mutt Lange, the song or album he was involved in is likely the most notable, successful project in their catalog.

The Magical Mysteria of Mutt Lange

Def Leppard’s phenomenal success with Mutt Lange only reinforces the exceptional collaborative chemistry showcased on High ‘n’ Dry, Pyromania, and Hysteria.

“I think it says a lot that we did three records with him. Nobody else has done that many. Yes, you can mention AC/DC, but after Bon Scott died, they were desperate, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have been their choice for ‘Back In Black’ otherwise.” — Joe Elliott, Record Collector magazine

It’s worth revisiting this fascinating video showcasing the numerous layers simultaneously occurring in Mutt Lange’s intricate production of Def Leppard’s song “Photograph.” (Watching the first 2-3 minutes will give you a good idea of the endeavor, but if you have the time, make sure to reach the 4:48 mark where it really kicks into gear, as all the mixed pieces and enhancements gloriously come together. Turn up the volume and enjoy!):

Mutt Lange’s fingerprints are all over Def Leppard’s releases, not just the albums he produced for the band but every subsequent release since Hysteria.

“Def Leppard would not have made it this far without giving people good music, and Mutt is a big part of that. He helped us to shape the songs and he kicked our butts to get the best performances out of us. We think of him as a sixth member of our group. Without him, I don’t think we’d be where we are now.” — Joe Elliott, Rock Fever magazine

Here’s what is fascinating about Joe Elliott’s quote above: It’s from 1984, several years before the release of Hysteria, which only affirms Mutt’s immense, long-lasting impact on the band’s career.

Undoubtedly, Mutt Lange helped Def Leppard find their sound and was crucial in helping them become the band they always dreamed of.

“We set out to be the biggest band in the world. And for a short while, we were.”
— Joe Elliott, Classic Rock magazine

Even though the band’s days as a radio staple and an album sales juggernaut are in the rearview mirror, the legend of Mutt Lange lives on; he is the architect who helped create a sound platform for Def Leppard to stand on, thrive, and continue to evolve from.

“Mutt Lange is everything to us. He made us seem special. Without him, we’d have just been another ordinary rock band. He’s always the most talented person in the room, and can play anything or sing everything we do, only better. He’s so inspiring that you want to do your absolute best just to please him… He certainly helped us to develop the style and sound Leppard are known for.”
— Phil Collen, Record Collector magazine

Mutt Lange Song Creations: The Elephant In The Room

No doubt there are some music enthusiasts, including a faction of Def Leppard fans, who are not admirers of Mutt Lange’s work, convinced that the projects he’s been involved in are too overproduced, and in the case of Def Leppard, too commercial and pop-lite.

In addition, some feel Mutt Lange derailed Def Leppard’s career with Pyromania and Hysteria — chart performance be damned! — believing the band’s first two albums were their best and each subsequent album underwhelmed, to put it mildly. Put simply, Def Leppard, a band whose roots once had a more raw and harder edge, sold out and became “soft” because of Mutt Lange.

“Whatever you want to call us, it’s water off a duck’s back, because Def Leppard has only improved musically, vocally and production-wise over the four albums we’ve done. They’ve been similar in their aspect of music — they’ve always been commercially oriented. I don’t care what people say, we haven’t sold out, we’ve always been that way, and we will continue to be that way.
— Joe Elliott, Metal Muscle magazine (1989)

To each their own, but it bears repeating that it was Mutt Lange who produced Def Leppard’s prestigious second album, High ‘n’ Dry. And it was On Through The Night that captured his interest and attention in the first place, as he recognized Def Leppard’s potential and wanted to help the band further utilize its budding talents.

Conceivably, Def Leppard’s career would have been cut far short had Mutt Lange not gotten involved in guiding the band during its formative years and beyond. That said, a career spanning over four decades and filled with a multitude of unforgettable hit songs is far better than being a one-hit-wonder. Safe to say, solely relying on, say, On Through The Night to define “the best of” Def Leppard would be incredibly limiting and short-sighted.

“When ‘Hysteria’ first came out, a lot of people went, ‘Dude, this is lame. This isn’t rock. It’s pop. It’s wussy.’ But actually, it had the absolute effect it was supposed to have had. Because the point was to not just play to the rock audience but rather to play to everybody. And we achieved that.”
— Phil Collen, Guitar World

As for Def Leppard’s sound going “soft” due to Mutt, as if he debilitates rock bands he works with, AC/DC’s Mutt-produced albums Highway to Hell, Back In Black, and For Those About to Rock We Salute You would beg to differ. What’s more, those three AC/DC albums are unquestionably AC/DC, just like High ‘n’ Dry, Pyromania, and Hysteria undeniably exhibit a multifaceted Def Leppard.

“I hear a lot of people say, ‘High ’n’ Dry is my favorite Def Leppard album.’ And it’s like, yeah, but that sound was kind of borrowed from AC/DC, which in some ways was a Mutt thing as well. It very much had that vibe. To me, Def Leppard didn’t start to sound unique until Pyromania, which crossed over, and then Hysteria, which really crossed over.” — Phil Collen, Guitar World

The Legend Of Mutt Lange

Mutt Lange’s extremely private, publicity-shy persona only adds to his mystique and uber-producer status. Clearly, he prefers to let the music do the talking for him — figuratively and literally — as he remains behind the scenes, letting others enjoy the fame and accolades.

With all the immense success he’s achieved over the decades — he has a reported net worth of $225 million — he’s certainly earned that right and is free to go about things however he wants.

It’s only fitting that at Def Leppard’s 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the band (courtesy of Joe Elliott’s acceptance speech) made sure to recognize their “mentor” Mutt Lange — who, shockingly, is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — noting how important he was to their career:

“The most significant contribution that [previous band managers] Peter [Mensch] and Cliff [Burnstein] ever made…was introducing our music to our future producer, co-writer and mentor, Mr. Robert John “Mutt” Lange. We first worked with Mutt in 1981 on an album called ‘High & Dry,’ but it was 1983 that saw us move into a whole new orbit with the phenomenal success of the album ‘Pyromania’…”

And as the renowned story goes, Hysteria followed and the rest is history.

By the way, did you happen to catch the look of pride on Mutt Lange’s face in the audience as Joe Elliott spoke those heartfelt words of appreciation?

Never mind. He wasn’t in attendance.

That’s so Mutt Lange.

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