Def Leppard, the #85 Artist of the Rock Era

"Def Leppard is awesome."

"Classic music forever."

"One of the best bands ever."

"My favorite band of all-time."

"Real rock & roll."

"This band brought hard rock to the masses."

"A catalog of great music that will stand the test of time."

"Hot band!"

"Clean, pure rock & roll."

"They are inspirational, talented and simply awesome!!"


This group started slow but persisted, even enduring tragedy, to become one of the top acts in the world in the late '80's.

In 1977, guitarists Rick Savage and Pete Willis and drummer Tony Kenning formed the group Atomic Mass while they were students at Tapton School in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.  Savage soon switched to bass.  Joe Elliott auditioned with the band as a guitarist later in the year.  Joe made it into the group, but the members felt he should be the lead singer instead.  Atomic Mass played in public for the first time at Westfield School in Mosborough. 

The group soon changed their name to Deaf Leopard before altering the spelling.  Early in 1978, guitarist Steve Clark came aboard.  The group set out to record a three-song album, but  Kenning left to start another group.  Frank Noon played drums on the E.P. sessions, with 15-year-old Rick Allen joining full-time by the end of the month.

The EP received good airplay in Britain, leading to a recording contract with Phonogram/Vertigo in the U.K. and Mercury Records in the United States.  Pete Martin and Frank Stuart-Brown originally managed the group, but they were fired after Elliott and Martin got into a fistfight over a disagreement on the road.  The band hired Peter Mensch to be their new manager, and Mensch quickly proved his worth by booking Def Leppard to open for AC/DC. 

Def Lep released their debut album On Through the Night in 1980.  While its airplay was limited at the time, Def Leppard fans since then have gobbled up enough copies to certify it Platinum.

Through touring with AC/DC, Def Leppard had established contact with Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the man responsible for producing Back in Black and helping AC/DC get off the ground.  Lange agreed to produce Def Leppard's 1981 album High 'n' Dry.  The album didn't sell in great numbers at the time, but it is known for getting Def Leppard onto MTV with the video "Bringin' On The Heartbreak".  Similar to the story with their debut above, the group's later popularity resulted in the album eventually selling over two million copies.  Def Leppard toured Europe and North America and were gradually getting exposure for their efforts, as well as new fans.

Willis was fired for excessive alcohol drinking in 1982, but the band picked up an excellent guitarist in Phil Collen.  Collen joined the group with recording for a new album underway.  Lange once again produced the group, and this time, he worked magic, just as he had done with AC/DC.

 

Def Leppard released the album Pyromania.  "Photograph" went to #1 on the Album Rock chart for six weeks, #12 overall.

 

Def Leppard now headlined on tour, and with each successive single, Pyromania was one of the year's great success stories, kept away from #1 on the Album chart only by Michael Jackson's Thriller.  "Rock Of Ages" followed "Photograph" up to #1 on the Album Rock chart, but peaked at #16, another of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

By the end of the year, Pyromania had gone over six million in sales, and it is now a Diamond album--over 10 million units sold.  Def Leppard was voted favorite rock band in the U.S. over the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Journey in a Gallup poll, and they were nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock album at the American Music Awards. 

 "Foolin'", another highly underrated song, stalled at #28 on the Billboard chart.  Presented with three outstanding singles, each of which did not enter the Top 10, from an album that has sold over 10 million copies, one has to seriously question the methodology of said chart.  Specifically, any chart that does not factor in album sales is missing the boat and is not to be taken seriously.

 

An outstanding Top Track* from the album is "Rock Rock 'Til You Drop".

Please pardon us for the pun, by Def Leppard was on fire after Pyromania.  Little did they or the world know what was on the horizon.  The band moved to Dublin, Ireland in 1984 and began working on a follow-up.  Lange was on board for producing another album, but abruptly pulled out due to exhaustion.  Jim Steinman, the songwriter behind most of Meat Loaf's success, replaced Lange.

On New Year's Eve of 1984, Allen's car swerved off the road near Sheffield and went through a drystone wall, causing him to lose his left arm in the crash.  Allen was determined to continue as drummer, though, and worked with Simmons, a drum manufacturer, to design an electronic drum kit specifically for him so he could use his legs to do some of the drumming.

The other members supported Allen in his efforts and after a few months of practice with the new kit, Allen summoned the band to listen to his progress.  When Allen played the intro to "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin, Elliott says it was "a very emotional moment".  Allen received a standing ovation after being introduced by Elliott at the 1986 Monsters of Rock festival in England.

Lange returned as producer, and finally after three years of recording, Def Leppard released the album Hysteria in 1987.  It was well worth the wait many times over.  "Women" mysteriously stalled at #80 in the U.S., though it was a #7 Rock hit. 

 "Animal" became the group's first Top 10 single in the U.K., and should have been everywhere else in the world.  It did reach #3 in Ireland and #6 In New Zealand as well.  Today, it is easily one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.  

Hysteria was about to make history in many ways.  It quickly rose to #1 on the Album chart in the U.K.  The title cut followed, underrated even at #10 in the United States. 

"Pour Some Sugar On Me" elevated to #2 in the U.S. and #8 in Ireland.  The video was nominated for Best Heavy Metal Video and Best Stage Performance in a Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

 

"Love Bites" outdid even its predecessor, going to #1 in the United States, #2 in New Zealand, #6 in Canada and #7 in Ireland.

"Armageddon It" continued the roll for Def Leppard, rising to #2 in New Zealand and #3 in the U.S.

 

The band still wasn't through pulling hits off this amazing album, which would be a Greatest Hits package for most artists.  "Rocket" reached #3 in Canada and #5 in New Zealand and Ireland.

Hysteria is now one of a select few that has generated seven Top 40 singles.  Six of those landed in the Top 10 on the Rock chart.  The album remained a best-seller for three years, thanks to all of the above as well as great album tracks such as "Run Riot".

Hysteria has sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone and 25 million worldwide.  "Don't Shoot Shotgun" is a Top Track* from the album.  

Def Leppard toured the world for 16 months.  They won American Music Awards for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist and Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album, and were nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album.  

The band worked to capitalize on their superstardom, but Clark was in and out of rehab for alcoholism.  In 1990, Clark was given a six-month leave of absence from the group, but he died on January 8, 1991 from a mix of alcohol and prescription drugs. 

Def Leppard vowed to go on with four members and released the album Adrenalize in 1992.  "Let's Get Rocked" peaked at #2 in the U.K., #3 in Switzerland, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Australia,  and #7 in New Zealand and was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, Viewer's Choice and Best Metal/Hard Rock Video.  

 

The album soon topped charts in both the U.S. and U.K. and has now sold over three million copies worldwide.  "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" stopped at #12 overall, but was a Top 10 Rock hit.

 

Once again, the group was nominated for Favorite Heavy metal/Hard Rock Artist at the American Music Awards.  The band auditioned guitarists to replace Clark, and decided on Vivian Campbell, formerly with Whitesnake.  With Campbell making his live debut with the group, they once again toured the world.  In 1993, Def Leppard released the single "Two Steps Behind" from the movie Last Action Hero, with the song peaking at #12.  

They released the album Retro Active, a compilation of b-sides and previously unreleased songs, in 1993.  It has gone over three million in worldwide sales. 

In 1995, Def Leppard released their compilation Vault:  Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995).  Vault has now gone over five million in sales.

On October 23, 1995, Def Leppard set a world record when they performed three concerts on three continents in a single day, performing at Tangiers, Morocco, London and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  The group released the album Slang in 1996, which paled in comparison to previous efforts, but did sell 500,000 copies.  

 

An appearance on the VH1 series Behind the Music revived their career, and Def Lep did much better on the 1999 album Euphoria.  Lange returned to produce the single "Promises", which went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart for three weeks.  

Euphoria became a Gold album, the group's seventh in a row.  The band followed with the album X, another disappointment, however.

Def Leppard performed at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and toured with Bryan Adams in 2004.  In 2005, the band shifted direction and hired HK Management.  The group released the compilation Rock of Ages:  The Definitive Collection, now a million-seller.  In 2006, Def Lep released an album of covers called Yeah!  Def Leppard went on an extensive tour with other heavyweight rock acts Foreigner and Styx.

In 2008, Def Leppard released the album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, which debuted at #5.  The group supported the album with another successful tour with Styx and REO speedwagon.  

In October, Def Leppard taped a show with Taylor Swift called CMT Crossroads:  Taylor Swift and Def Leppard.  Swift, a lifelong fan of the group, requested the collaboration, with the DVD of the event becoming the best-selling album of the week.

Exhausted, Def Leppard took a year off from touring, but they returned in joint appearances with Heart in 2011.   In 2013, Def Lep performed 11 shows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

In June, Campbell announced that he had developed Hodgkin's lymphoma and he received chemotherapy for the malignant form of cancer.

In 2014 and 2015, Def Leppard toured the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, the U.K. and Ireland.  The group released their self-titled album in 2015, which debuted at #10.  "Let's Go" and "Dangerous" each rose to #1 on the Classic Rock chart.  Def Leppard toured North America with Styx in 2016.

In 2017, Def Leppard celebrated the 30th anniversary of Hysteria with the release of a collectors edition box set.  The band toured 58 dates in North America with Journey in one of the most successful tours of the year.  Def Lep released a two-disco compilation album The Story So Far - The Best Of in 2018 and toured the U.K. and Ireland.  The band returned to Las Vegas for a residency in 2019 and planned a major tour in 2020 before COVID-19 hit.

Def Leppard has charted 20 career hits, with four landing in the Top 10 and one #1 song.  On the more hip Rock chart, however, the group has scored 31 career hits, with an amazing 17 of those reaching the Top 10 and six #1's.

Def Leppard's worldwide sales have topped 100 million, a strong reason why they continue to rank in The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.  They are one of only five groups in history with two studio albums that have gone over 10 million in sales.

This outstanding heavy metal act has won two American Music awards out of seven nominations and has been nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards.