page_title: Def Leppard
section_title: Rise to fame (1980–1983)
hierarchical_section_title: Def Leppard / History / Rise to fame (1980–1983)
caption_attribution_description: Taken by Weatherman90 at North Dakota State Fair Def Leppard Concert, 2007-07-26, adapted from Image:CollenCampbell.JPG
context_page_description: Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, and Vivian Campbell, which has been the band's longest running line-up. They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
  The band's greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Their 1981 album, High 'n' Dry, was produced by Mutt Lange, who helped them begin to define their style, and the album's main track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982. The band's next studio album, Pyromania, was released in January 1983, with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" as the lead singles. In the US, Pyromania was certified Diamond, making Def Leppard among the most commercially popular bands at the time.
  Def Leppard's fourth album Hysteria, released in 1987, topped the UK and US album charts. As of 2009, it had reached beyond the success of Pyromania, having been certified 12× platinum for sales of over 12 million copies in the US, and has gone on to sell over 25 million worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums.
context_section_description: 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. 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.
  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 6 July 1981. Lange's meticulous approach in the studio helped them begin to define their sound. Despite the album's unimpressive sales figures, 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. 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. After the album's release, European and American tours followed. The band opened for Ozzy Osbourne and Blackfoot.
  Pete Willis was fired on 11 July 1982 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 an animated picture 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 (dominating the US Album Rock Charts for six weeks), and sparked a headline tour across the US.
  Fueled by "Photograph" and subsequent singles "Rock of Ages" and "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. In 2004, Pyromania was certified Diamond having sold over 10 million copies in the US. 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 in Oxford Street, 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 peers such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Journey.
caption: Guitarist Phil Collen
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