"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" is a ballad originally recorded by British hard rock band Def Leppard. It was the second single from their 1981 album High 'n' Dry. The song was written by three of the band's members: Steve Clark, Pete Willis, and Joe Elliott. 　　 Mariah Carey co-produced her cover of the song with Randy Jackson for her 9th album, Charmbracelet (2002). Carey cites the original song as one of her favorites when she was growing up, and she said that she first came up with the idea of covering it when listening to Def Leppard's album Vault during the album photo shoot for Charmbracelet—"I just put on the music and started listening to it, and I said, 'You know what? I could do this my own way'," she said. The song was produced in a rock ballad style and features guitar-playing by Rob Bacon. (the single version also featured a newly recorded solo and extra guitar overdubs performed by Dave Navarro). One of Carey's few songs with a heavy rock influence, it was released as the album's third single in 2003. Her vocal range spans from C3 to C7. 　　Like "Boy (I Need You)," the album's second single, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" failed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100, or the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart because it was only an airplay single. It reached the top 40 in Switzerland but peaked outside the top 40 in Austria. Junior Vasquez, Mike Rizzo and Ruanne produced club remixes of the song, which received a wider release on promotional singles than commercial singles and received spins in nightclubs worldwide—the song reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. 　　The single's video is based on the 1979 film The Rose, which featured a rock star (played by Bette Midler) who struggles to find happiness as she goes from her rough "rock and roll" lifestyle to her final high profile concert. The video, set to the RJ Jammen remix, was shot in Los Angeles on March 8, 2003 by director Sanaa Hamri, and features cameo appearances by Randy Jackson, Dave Navarro, Evan Marriott (as a helicopter pilot/bodyguard) and Guess? model Damon Willis. 　　When asked about Carey's cover version, Joe Elliott told the Las Vegas Sun, "I think she's done a very good job. It's faithful to the arrangement, but not done like a rock song." Referring to Carey's whistle register vocals at the end, Elliot commented that her "astonishing vocal gymnastics toward the end...make Minnie Riperton sound like Tom Waits." A number of reviews were positive, with Rolling Stone describing the song as "the catchiest cut [on Charmbracelet]...a fascinatingly overblown orchestral remake." Phil Collen praised Carey's cover as a "genuine version of our song" and defended it from Def Leppard's more critical fans: "The fans really get it wrong sometimes. She's on our side and it's an honour she's done it. Really, that's the only way we're getting played." Carey's version was number 24 on VH1's "Least Metal Moments"—in a segment subtitled "Bringin' On the Headache"—because many metal fans and musicians did not like the remake. Bill Lamb of About.com ranked it at number 2 on his list of "Top 5 R&B/Pop Crossover Cover Songs" and said Carey's version is "superior to the original."