View source for Songs from the Sparkle Lounge

{{shortlead|date=August 2023}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Def Leppard]]
| cover        = Def Leppard - Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.jpg
| alt          =
| released     = {{Start date|df=yes|2008|4|25}}
| recorded     = 2006–2008
| venue        =
| studio       =
| genre        =
*[[Hard rock]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.melodicrock.com/reviews/defleppard-songsfromthesparklelounge.p3 |title=Melodic Rock Reviews |access-date=30 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517045528/http://www.melodicrock.com/reviews/defleppard-songsfromthesparklelounge.p3 |archive-date=17 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockeyez.com/reviews/cd/def-leppard/rev-sparkle.html |title=Rock Eyez Reviews |access-date=30 October 2013}}</ref>
*[[glam rock]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeRiso |first1=Nick |title=Def Leppard Albums Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/def-leppard-albums-ranked/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=22 July 2024 |date=8 July 2015}}</ref>
| length       = 39:12
| label        = {{flatlist|
* [[Island Records|Island]]
* [[Universal Music Enterprises]] <small>(US)</small>
* Bludgeon Riffola/[[Mercury Records|Mercury]] <small>(UK & Europe)</small>
}}
| producer     = {{flatlist|
* Ronan McHugh
* Def Leppard
}}
| prev_title   = [[Yeah! (Def Leppard album)|Yeah!]]
| prev_year    = 2006
| next_title   = [[Mirror Ball – Live & More]]
| next_year    = 2011
| misc         = {{Singles
| name        = Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
| type        = studio
| single1     = Nine Lives
| single1date = 27 April 2008
| single2     = [[C'mon C'mon (Def_Leppard_song)|C'mon C'mon]]
| single2date = 14 July 2008
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}  [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1344183|pure_url=yes}} link]
| rev2      = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''
| rev2score = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080427023107/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3ibf22b3c56d51e8636a77c46e334bab71 link]
| rev3      = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}  [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/songs-from-the-sparkle-lounge-20080501/ link]
| rev4      = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}
| rev5      = ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|7|10}}
| rev6      = ''[[Now (newspaper)|NOW]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}} [http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/discs.cfm?content=162840 link]
| rev7      = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}} [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/defleppard/songsfromthesparklelounge link]
| rev8      = ''[[The Observer]]''
| rev8score = [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2279816,00.html link]
}}
'''''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge''''' is the tenth studio album by the English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Def Leppard]]. It was released on 25 April 2008 in Europe and 29 April in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.de/Songs-Sparkle-Lounge-Ltd-Deluxe/dp/B0015435K2 |title=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (Ltd.Deluxe Edt.): Def Leppard: Musik |publisher=Amazon |date=9 September 2009 |access-date=2011-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defleppard.com/news/ |title=News |publisher=Defleppard.com |access-date=2011-08-13}}</ref>
==History==
In an Interview on [[Rockline]] radio, two band members, [[Joe Elliott]] and [[Vivian Campbell]] stated that the title of their latest studio album would be ''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge'', saying that "Until someone comes up with a better name this will be the final title upon release".<ref name=Rockline>[http://www.defleppard.com/news/news_item.asp?item=207 Rockline Radio highlights] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626124752/http://www.defleppard.com/news/news_item.asp?item=207 |date=26 June 2007 }}, ''DefLeppard.com News''</ref> They also mentioned the possibility of previous Def Leppard album producer [[Robert John "Mutt" Lange]] being involved with a few songs for the album,<ref name=Rockline/> but in the end this collaboration did not turn out to be possible due to scheduling conflicts. However, Joe Elliott has stated that the band and Lange still plan to work on a few songs together in the future.
In an interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Joe Elliott stated that the album title is a reference to a backstage tuning room at shows where the band would work on new material. "It was a mini (drum) kit, mini amps, a tape recorder and sparkly lights."<ref name=lux>[http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=183&Itemid=66 Songs from the Sparkle Lounge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929061928/http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=183&Itemid=66 |date=29 September 2007 }}, ''Radio Luxembourg''</ref> Vivian Campbell also commented on the origin of the "Sparkle Lounge" in an article from [[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]], mentioning that that room was rife with both brainstorming and "little Christmas lights, little fairy lights."<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Def Leppard Ready for More 'Hysteria'|last = Lindblad|first = Peter|date = 9 May 2008|journal = Goldmine}}</ref> Elliott also stated that they would not be performing any previews of the songs, as they did not want them appearing on websites such as YouTube prior to the release of the album.
Members of the band have described the tracks from the album as written in the style of ''[[Hysteria (Def Leppard album)|Hysteria]]'', with the production style of ''[[High 'n' Dry]]''. The album's first single, "Nine Lives" features country singer [[Tim McGraw]]. The song charted at number 38 on the Canadian Rock charts<ref name="Def Leppard Canada Rock charts">{{cite news |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/def-leppard/chart-history/car/|title=Def Leppard Canada Rock charts |access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref> and number 12 on the Billboard Heritage Rock charts.<ref name="billboard.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/def-leppard/chart-history/car/|title=Def Leppard Billboard Heritage Rock charts |access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref>
Joe Elliott has stated at the band's official site that the concept of this album is that it sounds more like "early 70's [[AC/DC]]" and much like [[Led Zeppelin]]'s song "[[Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)|Rock and Roll]]".
The title of one of the songs in the track list, "Give It Away," was changed to "Gotta Let It Go."
On 25 April 2008, Def Leppard's record label opened a website with teasers of every song on the album.
The band performed "Love" with [[Taylor Swift]] for their 2008 ''[[CMT Crossroads]]'' episode ''Taylor Swift and Def Leppard''. Their performance of the song was not included in the actual episode, but is included as a bonus performance for the episode's DVD released exclusively to US [[Wal-Mart]] stores by [[Big Machine Records]] on 16 June 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmart.com/ip/11081246|title=CMT Crossroads: Taylor Swift / Def Leppard (Walmart Exclusive) (Music DVD)|publisher=Walmart.com|access-date=1 August 2011}}</ref> It was the only post-1995 song of Def Leppard's catalogue that was performed for that project.
The album debuted at No. 5 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], selling about 55,000 copies in its first week of release.<ref>Katie Hasty, [http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i1497897d7ff3875236860457d3a69000 "Madonna Leads Busy Billboard 200]," ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 7 May 2008.</ref> It is the band's shortest album to date.
The British and Japanese versions of the album both contain an acoustic, piano version of "Love" as a bonus track, while the Japanese version also contains a second bonus track with the Def Leppard version of "Nine Lives". The Def Leppard version of "Nine Lives" is the song without Tim McGraw, and where Joe Elliott is always on lead vocals.
==Reception==
''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge'' received mixed reviews. At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 47, based on eight reviews.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/defleppard/songsfromthesparklelounge | title=Def Leppard:Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | access-date=2009-03-19 }}</ref> Alun Williams of [[About.com]] gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and said "This album is so instant: huge hooks, big choruses and awesome production!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://classicrock.about.com/od/artistsaf/fr/sparkle_lounge.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505224059/http://classicrock.about.com/od/artistsaf/fr/sparkle_lounge.htm | archive-date=5 May 2008 |title=Def Leppard – 'Songs From The Sparkle Lounge' | first=Alun | last=Williams | publisher=Classicrock.about.com |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] rated the album 3 out of 5, praising its "tight, unified production" and deemed it an improvement over ''[[X (Def Leppard album)|X]]'', but felt that the album was "hampered a bit by having an immediate sound and elusive hooks".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-from-the-sparkle-lounge-mw0000783058 | title=Def Leppard Songs from the Sparkle Lounge Album Reviews, Songs & More &#124; AllMusic | publisher=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref>
==Track listing==
{{track listing
| title1          = Go
| writer1         = {{hlist|[[Phil Collen]]|[[Joe Elliott]]}}
| length1         = 3:21
| title2          = Nine Lives
| note2           = featuring [[Tim McGraw]]
| writer2         = {{hlist|Collen|Elliott|[[Tim McGraw]]|[[Rick Savage]]}}
| length2         = 3:32
| title3          = [[C'mon C'mon (Def_Leppard_song)|C'mon C'mon]]
| writer3         = Savage
| length3         = 4:09
| title4          = Love
| writer4         = Savage
| length4         = 4:17
| title5          = Tomorrow
| writer5         = Collen
| length5         = 3:35
| title6          = Cruise Control
| writer6         = [[Vivian Campbell]]
| length6         = 3:03
| title7          = Hallucinate
| writer7         = Collen
| length7         = 3:17
| title8          = Only the Good Die Young
| writer8         = Campbell
| length8         = 3:34
| title9          = Bad Actress
| writer9         = Elliott
| length9         = 3:03
| title10         = Come Undone
| writer10        = Elliott
| length10        = 3:32
| title11         = Gotta Let It Go
| writer11        = Campbell
| length11        = 3:55
|total_length = 39:12
}}
{{track listing
| headline = UK and iTunes bonus track
| title12         = Love
| note12          = piano version
| writer12        = Savage
| length12        = 4:22
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Japanese bonus tracks
| title12         = Love
| writer12        = Savage
| note12          = piano version
| length12        = 4:22
| title13         = Nine Lives
| note13          = Def Leppard version
| writer13        = {{hlist|Collen|Elliott|McGraw|Savage}}
| length13        = 3:33
}}
===Deluxe edition bonus DVD===
* "Behind the Curtain"
* "The Sparkle Lounge Commentary"
* "Nine Lives" music video
==Personnel==
*[[Rick Savage]] – bass guitar, backing vocals, additional guitars
*[[Joe Elliott]] – vocals
*[[Rick Allen (drummer)|Rick Allen]] – drums, backing vocals
*[[Phil Collen]] – guitars, backing vocals
*[[Vivian Campbell]] – guitars, backing vocals
;Additional personnel
*[[Tim McGraw]] – vocals on "Nine Lives"
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for ''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge''
! scope="col"| Chart (2008)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA">{{cite Ryan}}</ref>
| 82
|-
{{album chart|Wallonia|88|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardCanada|7|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Finland|27|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|France|118|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|43|id=87005|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Ireland2|32|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Italy|58|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Oricon|25|M|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/111683/products/758410/1/|title=ソングス・フロム・ザ・スパークル・ラウンジ～デラックス・エディション|publisher=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=30 August 2024|rowheader=true|}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|26|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|15|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|10|date=20080517|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|26|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|29|artist=Def Leppard|album=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|10|date=20080517|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|UKRock|1|date=20080517|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardHardRock|1|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardRock|1|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardTastemaker|15|artist=Def Leppard|rowheader=true|access-date=30 August 2024}}
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|https://defleppard.com/album/songs-from-the-sparkle-lounge/}}
* {{MusicBrainz release group|mbid=f8494f1a-caf3-37bd-9e36-05028306bfff|name=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge}}
* {{Discogs master|master=198490|name=Songs from the Sparkle Lounge|type=album}}
{{Def Leppard}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Songs From The Sparkle Lounge}}
[[Category:Def Leppard albums]]
[[Category:2008 albums]]
[[Category:Island Records albums]]
[[Category:Mercury Records albums]]
[[Category:Glam rock albums by English artists]]