Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia · Slate Podcasts

Pour Some Sugar on Me Edition Part 2

·53 min·5 clips

Mutt Lange convinced one-armed drummer Rick Allen he could still play, sparking a light in his eyes during recovery.

This episode continues host Chris Molanphy's history of producer Mutt Lange, focusing on his late-80s peak and 90s country crossover. Molanphy, a chart analyst for Slate, details how Lange's meticulous methods created era-defining hits. The narrative centers on Def Leppard's troubled "Hysteria" album and Lange's subsequent work with Shania Twain. Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a 1984 car crash, and Mutt Lange personally convinced him he could continue drumming. The "Hysteria" album cost $5 million and took years to complete, with Lange and singer Joe Elliott recording vocals syllable by syllable. Its first single, "Women," stalled at No. 80, causing a soft launch for the album. The singles "Animal," "Hysteria," and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" then sequentially climbed higher, the latter reaching No. 2. "Love Bites" became Def Leppard's sole No. 1 hit, and the album eventually spawned seven Top 40 singles. Concurrently, Lange scored his first No. 1 with Billy Ocean's "Get Out of My Dreams (Get Into My Car)," which also topped the R&B chart. He co-wrote hits for Heart, Huey Lewis, and Michael Bolton in the early 90s. Lange and Bryan Adams wrote "Everything I Do) I Do It For You" for a film soundtrack; it spent 16 weeks at No. 1 in the UK. Their collaboration continued with the album "Waking Up the Neighbors" and soundtrack hits like "All for Love" with Rod Stewart and Sting. Lange married Shania Twain in 1993 after meeting at a fan event and produced her album "The Woman in Me," which had 29 weeks at No. 1 on the country chart. Their follow-up, "Come On Over," included the crossover smash "You're Still the One," which spent nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is now Twain's most-streamed song. The "Up!" album was released in three genre-specific versions but sold half as much as its predecessor. Lange and Twain divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her best friend. Later, Lange worked with Nickelback, Maroon 5, Muse, and co-wrote Lady Gaga's "You and I." In a 2025 interview, Twain stated she had forgiven Lange and resumed performing "You're Still the One." The tone is educational and narrative, weaving chart data with biographical drama and rare audio clips. Music trivia enthusiasts and fans of 80s rock or 90s country will appreciate the deep dive into hit-making mechanics. Listeners seeking a tight, single-story focus might find the scope across multiple artists and decades broad.

As heard by us

Mutt Lang's road from Def Leppard to Shania Twain is a chart-history story with real studio grit.

Hit Parade follows Mutt Lang from Def Leppard's troubled fourth album into the Bryan Adams years and then toward the country pivot that would matter most.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a pop-history detour that starts with Def Leppard and ends in country.

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