Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1976. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitar, backing vocals). They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal of the early 1980s.
The band's first album, 1980's On Through the Night, reached the Top 15 in the UK but received little notice elsewhere. Their second album, 1981's High 'n' Dry, was produced by Mutt Lange, who helped them to define their melodic hard rock style. The album's most popular track, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak", became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982. Their next studio album, Pyromania, the first with Collen featured on five tracks replacing guitarist Pete Willis who played rhythm guitar on the entire album before getting fired, was released in January 1983, with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" both topping the US Rock Tracks chart and reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. Reaching No. 2 on the US album chart, Pyromania was certified Diamond in the US. The band's fourth album, the more pop-oriented Hysteria (1987), topped the UK, US, Canadian and Australian charts and remained on the charts for over two years. It has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Hysteria spawned six Top 20 US singles: The US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Love Bites", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (US No. 2), "Hysteria", "Armageddon It" (US No. 3), "Animal" (at No. 6, the biggest UK hit), and "Rocket".
Following the death of guitarist Steve Clark in 1991, the band recorded their next studio album, Adrenalize (1992), as a four-piece before adding Campbell for the subsequent tour. The album reached No. 1 on the UK, US and Australian charts. It contained several hits, including the Billboard chart-topper "Let's Get Rocked". The album's third single, "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", was a Top 10 song in the US, UK and Canada. Adrenalize went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide. The band's 1993 album, Retro Active, contained the acoustic Top 5 hit "Two Steps Behind". Their greatest-hits album, Vault (1995), featured the UK No. 2 hit "When Love & Hate Collide" and reached the Top 10 in several countries.
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. They have received RIAA diamond certification for two albums, Pyromania and Hysteria,(26 February 2009). Def Leppard Announces US Tour () Newsroom America. Retrieved 1 March 2010. making them one of only five rock bands (Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Van Halen, Pink Floyd) with two original studio albums that have sold more than 10 million copies in the US. Def Leppard were ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
History Atomic Mass and formation (1976–1979)
Rick Savage, Tony Kenning, and Pete Doubleday, all students at Tapton School in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, formed a band called Atomic Mass in 1976. Pete Willis joined in 1977, departing briefly but returning full time. The band originally consisted of Doubleday (and later Willis) on guitar, Savage on bass guitar after briefly playing guitar, Kenning on drums, Andy Nicholas on bass and Nick Mackley on lead vocals. Other members to come and go were Paul Holland (vocals), Melanie Davis (guitars, keyboards, violin, bass), Paul Hampshire (lead guitar) and Nick Hawnt (vocals).Kenning, Tony (2019), My Life Time With Def Leppard and Other Bands, Amazon, p. 14. ISBN 9781999695415 Only 18 at the time, Joe Elliott tried out for the band as a guitarist following a chance meeting with Willis after missing a bus in November 1977. During his audition it was decided that he was better suited to be the lead singer. The band's initial rehearsals took place at Portland Works, and their first gig was in the dining hall in A Block in Westfield School in Mosborough, Sheffield.Frame, Pete (1999). Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland. p. 211. Music Sales Group.
Elliott proposed the name "Deaf Leopard" which was originally a band name he thought of while designing band posters in art class.Konow, David (2003). Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal, p. 131. Turnaround, . At Kenning's suggestion, the spelling was slightly modified to make the name seem less like that of a punk band.Laura S. Jeffrey (2011). Def Leppard: Arena Rock Band. P. 26, 27. Enslow Publishing, LLC, In January 1978, Steve Clark joined the band. According to Elliott, he successfully auditioned for the band by playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in its entirety.
In November, just prior to recording sessions for a three-song release known as The Def Leppard E.P., Kenning abruptly left the band; he later formed the band Cairo. He was replaced for those sessions by Frank Noon. By the end of the month, Rick Allen, then only 15 years old, had joined the band as its full-time drummer. Sales of the EP soared after the track "Getcha Rocks Off" was given extensive airtime by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, considered at the time to be a champion of punk rock and new wave music.
Throughout 1979, the band developed a loyal following among British hard rock and heavy metal fans and were considered among the leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.Macmillan, Malc (2012). The N.W.O.B.H.M. Encyclopaedia. p. 148. Iron Pages Books (3 ed.). Berlin, Germany: I.P. Verlag Jeske/Mader GbR. Their growing popularity led to a record deal with the major label Phonogram/Vertigo (Mercury Records in the US). Def Leppard's original management, MSB, a local duo consisting of Pete Martin and Frank Stuart-Brown, were fired after Martin and Joe Elliott got into a fistfight over an incident on the road. The band approached Peter Mensch of Leber-Krebs management, who had booked them on a tour of the UK supporting AC/DC. Mensch, who admitted that he had had his eye on the band, became their manager.
On Through the Night and High 'n' Dry (1980–1981)
Def Leppard's debut album, On Through the Night, was released on 14 March 1980. Although the album hit the Top 15 in the UK, many early fans were turned off by the perception that the band was trying too hard to appeal to American audiences by recording songs such as "Hello America" and touring more in the US (supporting Pat Travers, AC/DC, and Ted Nugent); a performance at the Reading Festival in August was marred when audience members expressed their displeasure by pelting the band with beer cans and bottles filled with urine. This incident was partially blamed on a cover story in Sounds music newspaper by the journalist Geoff Barton titled, "Has the Leppard changed its spots?", accusing the band of selling out to the American market. In a documentary on the band recorded for BBC 2, Barton recalls feelings of guilt over the story and having a "stand-up row" with the band's manager, Mensch, backstage at the show.Peter Buckley (2003) The rough guide to rockColin Larkin (1995) The Guinness encyclopedia of popular music, Volumes 1–6. p. 1118. In the documentary series Metal Evolution, Joe Elliott says that the media had exaggerated the event and all bands on the day had experienced 'abuse' from the crowd.Metal Evolution, Season 1 Director Sam Dunn
The band had by then caught the attention of AC/DC producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who agreed to work on their second album, High 'n' Dry, released on 6July 1981. Lange's meticulous approach in the studio helped them begin to define their sound. Despite the album's unimpressive sales figures (it only peaked at number 26 in the UK and 38 in the US), the band's video for "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first metal videos played on MTV in 1982, bringing the band increased visibility in the US.Daniel Bukszpan, Ronnie James Dio (2003) The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal The band continued to use the up-and-coming music television industry to reach fans over the years with their unique videos and the extravagance of their concerts.Robert Walser. "Def Leppard." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 14 February 2016. After the album's release, European and American tours followed. The band opened for Ozzy Osbourne and Blackfoot.Band Biography. DefLeppard.com.
Lineup changes and Pyromania (1982–1983) On 11 July 1982, Pete Willis was fired due to excessive alcohol consumption on the job and was replaced by Phil Collen of Girl the next day. This personnel change took place during the recording of their third album, Pyromania, which was released on 20 January 1983 and also produced by Lange. The cover artwork depicted a cartoon image of a huge flame emerging from the top floor of a skyscraper, with a bullseye aimed at the flame. The lead single, "Photograph", turned Def Leppard into a household name, supplanting Michael Jackson's "Beat It" as the most requested video on MTV and becoming a staple of rock radio (holding the number 1 position on the US Album Rock Track Chart for six weeks), and sparked a headline tour across the US.Bob Batchelor, Scott Stoddart The 1980s Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 The second single, 'Rock of Ages, also reached number 1 on the Rock Tracks chart, with both singles reaching the Top 20 of the Hot 100 ("Photograph" number 12 and "Rock of Ages" number 16), unusual for hard rock songs.
Fuelled by "Photograph", "Rock of Ages", and the third single "Foolin'", Pyromania went on to sell six million copies in 1983 (more than 100,000 copies every week in that year) and was held from the top of the US charts only by Michael Jackson's Thriller. With the album's massive success, Pyromania was the catalyst for the 1980s pop-metal movement.Pyromania: Def Leppard Allmusic. Retrieved 17 November 2011 In 2004, Pyromania was certified Diamond having sold over 10 million copies in the US;Diamond Awards RIAA Retrieved 28 January 2011 it was also certified 7× platinum in Canada, where it had peaked at number 4, its second highest certification. With their music videos becoming a staple of MTV Rolling Stone named them among the artists of the Second British Invasion. The Pyromania tour began in England at the Marquee Club on Wardour Street, Soho, London in February 1983. Def Leppard's US tour in support of the album began in March opening for Billy Squier and ended with a headlining performance before an audience of 55,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California in September. As a testament to the band's popularity at the time, a US Gallup poll in 1984 saw Def Leppard voted as favourite rock band over the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Journey."Rock drummer loses arm". UPI.com. Retrieved 13 December 2018 Pyromania was not as successful in their native UK where it reached number 18 on the album chart.
Rick Allen car accident (1984)
Following their breakthrough, the band moved to Dublin in February 1984 for tax purposes to begin writing the follow-up to Pyromania. Mutt Lange initially joined in on the songwriting sessions but then suddenly declined to return as producer due to exhaustion. Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell was brought in. However, Steinman worked only briefly with the band, and the recording work was not released.