Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits — which previously charted under the name Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) — debuts on multiple charts in the U.K. this week. circa 1985: British rock band Def Leppard. From left to right: Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Pete Willis and Rick Allen. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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Def Leppard has been releasing music for almost half a century now. The beloved hard rock act dropped On Through the Night, its debut full-length, in 1980, and in the year 2026, Def Leppard is not only still popular around the world – and especially in the group’s home country of the United Kingdom – the outfit continues to score new wins. A newly re-released compilation by the band launches on several tallies in the U.K. this week and quickly becomes a bestseller all over again.
Def Leppard Returns With Greatest Hits
Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits – originally titled Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) – arrives on four rankings in the U.K. this week. The set launches after a newly remastered vinyl dropped in multiple colors in mid-June.
On all four charts where Greatest Hits debuts, the project has essentially arrived twice. The two releases are counted separately by the Official Charts Company, perhaps due to the retitling, or possibly because the amount of material featured on its track list differs enough from the original Vault.
Vault earned Def Leppard its first career placement on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, where it has already hit No. 1. The same compilation has also landed on the Official Physical Albums, Official Vinyl Albums and Official Albums Sales rankings, where it has peaked at Nos. 3, 13 and 79, respectively.
Greatest Hits Debuts Inside the Top 10 on Two Charts
Of the four tallies where the now much more simply-titled Greatest Hits launches, it opens within the top 10 on half of them. The singles collection starts at No. 5 on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, and it comes in at No. 8 on the Official Vinyl Albums tally.
Greatest Hits misses the top 10, but does manage a top 20 beginning, on both the Official Physical Albums and Official Albums Sales rundowns. Def Leppard breaks in at No. 19 on the ranking of the bestselling titles on physical formats, including CD, cassette and vinyl, while the compilation is new at No. 20 on the general list of the top-selling projects of any genre and via any format throughout the U.K.
Def Leppard Has Charted Nearly Two Dozen Top 10s
Unsurprisingly, Def Leppard has performed best on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart when looking at the four rundowns where Greatest Hits debuts. The compilation earns the band its twenty-second appearance inside the top 10 out of 25 total wins on the 40-space rundown. Half a dozen of those sets that have reached the Official Rock & Metal Albums rundown have climbed all the way to No. 1.
Here are all of Def Leppard’s top 10s on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart.
- Best Of
- Def Leppard
- Diamond Star Halos
- Diamond Star Heroes – Live from Sheffield
- Drastic Symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Euphoria
- Greatest Hits
- Hysteria
- Hysteria – Live
- Live at Leadmill
- Live in Oxford
- Mirror Ball – Live & More
- On Through the Night
- Slang
- Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
- The Collection – Volume 2
- The Collection – Volume 3
- The Early Years, 1979-1981
- Vault – Greatest Hits 1980-1995
- Viva Hysteria – Live at the Joint
- X
- Yeah
Def Leppard Scores Another Vinyl Bestseller
Def Leppard has not fared quite as well on the Official Vinyl Albums chart in terms of top 10 bestsellers, though it’s not shocking that the group has proved far more successful on the list that is built entirely around rock releases. Greatest Hits becomes Def Leppard’s sixth title to earn at least one frame between Nos. 1 and 10 on the tally that focuses entirely on vinyl sales.
Here are all of Def Leppard’s top 10s on the Official Vinyl Albums chart.
- Def Leppard
- Diamond Star Halos
- Drastic Symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Greatest Hits
- High ‘n’ Dry
- Hysteria