How Def Leppard Managed to not “Fade Away”

Def Leppard’s hit “Rock of Ages” from 1983’s breakout album Pyromania started out with these lyrics: Alright, I got something to say Yeah, its better to burn out, Yeah, than fade away Of course, Def Leppard was only referencing the Neil Young song “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) which also said, “It’s better to burn out/Than to fade away.” The cry of burnout out before fading away became a bit of a slogan for rockers, including Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, who quoted that in his suicide note. However, Def Leppard managed to stay hot all these years, … Continue reading