Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band. They formed in Sheffield, England in 1976. Its founding members include: lead singer Joe Elliot, bassist Rick Savage, guitarist Pete Willis, and drummer Tony Kenning. When Kenning left the band in 1978, Frank Noon played the drums. The same year, Def Leppard made their first extended play, named The Def Leppard E.P. Frank Noon was replaced by drummer Rick Allen, and guitarist Steve Clark joined the band shortly after. The band was a part of the new wave of British heavy metal in the 1970s and 1980s.
Their first album, On Through the Night (1980), was a hit in many parts of England. In April 1980, Def Leppard signed with Leber-Krebs management. Later in 1980, they went on their first U.S. tour with Ted Nugent, AC/DC, and Judas Priest. In 1981 the band released their second album, High 'n' Dry. After the album came out, MTV broadcasted Def Leppard for the first time. MTV showed their hit song "Bringin' on the Heartbreak."
In 1982, Pete Willis was replaced by Phil Collen. The same year, the band started recording their third album with producer Mutt Lange. In 1983, their third album, Pyromania, was released. The single "Photograph" was also released, and the album sold 100,000 copies in a week. In 1984, drummer Rick Allen lost an arm due to a car accident. He started to play with an electronic drum kit, and taught himself how to play the drums with one arm. In 1986, Rick Allen played music with the band for the first time since his accident.
In 1987, the band's fourth album, Hysteria, was released. The album had 12 singles, and sold 16 million copies.
In 1991, guitarist Steve Clark died. He died because of a mixture of alcohol and painkillers. In 1992, Vivian Campbell joined the band. Vivian Campbell was the guitarist for Dio and Whitesnake. That year, the band released Adrenalize. This album was number one on the Billboard 200 music chart for five weeks, and sold six million copies.
In 1993, the song "Two Steps Behind" was used for the end credits of the movie Last Action Hero. The same year, the compilation album Retro Active was released. In 1995, Vault was released. It is an album of all of Def Leppard's best selling songs. Vault went to number two on music charts in New Zealand. In 1996, the album Slang was released.
VH1 made a "Behind the Music" episode on Def Leppard. Other TV exposure followed, such as "Storytellers", and "Ultimate Albums." In 1999, the album Euphoria was released. In 2000, the band is put on the Hollywood RockWalk, a hall of fame for rock musicians in Los Angeles.
In 2001, the band released their first DVDs, "In the Round, In your Face" and "Historia". The same year, VH1 broadcasts the movie "Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story."
In 2002, the album X was released. In 2005, the album and DVD "Rock of Ages" is released. In 2006, Def Leppard releases their covers album named Yeah!. In 2008, the band's twelfth album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, was released. The band was put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Discography
Studio albums
On Through the Night (1980)
High 'n' Dry (1981)
Pyromania (1983)
Hysteria (1987)
Adrenalize (1992)
Slang (1996)
Euphoria (1999)
X (2002)
Yeah! (2006)
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
Def Leppard (2015)
Diamond Star Halos (2022)
References
Other websites
Official Def Leppard website
The Def Leppard World - Discography
1977 establishments in the United Kingdom
1970s British music groups
1980s British music groups
1990s British music groups
2000s British music groups
2010s British music groups
English hard rock bands
English heavy metal bands
Musical groups established in 1977
Musical groups from Sheffield