Def Leppard | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine In many ways, Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the '80s. There were many bands that rocked harder (and were more dangerous) than the Sheffield-based quintet, but few others captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late '70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Def Leppard actually owed more to the glam rock and metal of the early '70s, as their sound was equal parts T. Rex , Mott the Hoople , Queen , and Led Zeppelin . By toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody, Def Leppard were poised for crossover success by the time of 1983's Pyromania , and skillfully used the fledgling MTV network to their advantage. The musicians were already blessed with photogenic good looks, but they also crafted a series of innovative, exciting videos that made them into stars. They intended a quick follow-up to Pyromania , but were derailed when their drummer lost an arm in a car accident, the first of many problems that plagued the group's career.

They managed to pull through such tragedies, and even expanded their large audience with 1987's blockbuster Hysteria . As the '90s began, mainstream hard rock shifted away from their signature pop-metal and toward edgier, louder bands, yet they maintained a sizable audience into the late '90s and were one of only a handful of '80s metal groups to survive the decade more or less intact. Def Leppard had their origins in a Sheffield-based group that teenagers Rick Savage (bass) and Pete Willis (guitar) formed in 1977. Vocalist Joe Elliott , a fanatical follower of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex , joined the band several months later, bringing the name Deaf Leopard with him. After a spelling change, the trio, augmented by a now-forgotten drummer, began playing local Sheffield pubs, and within a year the band had added guitarist Steve Clark to the lineup, as well as a new drummer. Later in 1978, they recorded their debut EP, Getcha Rocks Off , and released it on their own label, Bludgeon Riffola. The EP became a word-of-mouth success, earning airplay on the BBC.

The group members were still in their teens. Following the release of Getcha Rocks Off , Rick Allen was added as the band's permanent drummer, and Def Leppard quickly became the subject of the British music weeklies. They soon signed with AC/DC 's manager Peter Mensch , who helped them secure a contract with Mercury Records. On Through the Night , the band's full-length debut, was released in 1980 and instantly became a hit in the U.K., also earning significant airplay in the U.S., where it reached number 51 on the charts. Over the course of the year, Def Leppard relentlessly toured Britain and America, playing their own shows while also opening concerts for Ozzy Osbourne , Sammy Hagar , and Judas Priest . High 'n' Dry followed in 1981 and became the group's first platinum album in the U.S., thanks to MTV's strong rotation of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." MTV would be vital to the band's success in the '80s.

As the band recorded the follow-up to High 'n' Dry with producer Mutt Lange , Pete Willis was fired from the band for alcoholism, and Phil Collen , a former guitarist for Girl , was hired to replace him. The resulting album, 1983's Pyromania , became an unexpected blockbuster, due not only to Def Leppard 's skillful, melodic metal, but also to MTV's relentless airing of "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages." Pyromania went on to sell ten-million copies, establishing Def Leppard as one of the most popular bands in the world. Despite their success, they were about to enter a trying time in their career. Following an extensive international tour, the group reentered the studio to record the follow-up, but producer Lange was unavailable, so they began sessions with Jim Steinman , the man responsible for Meat Loaf 's Bat Out of Hell . The pairing turned out to be ill-advised, so the bandmembers turned to their former engineer, Nigel Green . One month into recording, Allen lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve car accident. The arm was re-attached, but it had to be amputated once an infection set in.

Def Leppard 's future looked cloudy without a drummer, but by the spring of 1985 -- just a few months after his accident -- Allen began learning to play a custom-made electronic kit assembled for him by Simmons. The band soon resumed recording, and within a few months Lange was back on board; having judged all the existing tapes inferior, he ordered the band to begin work all over again. Recording sessions continued throughout 1986, and that summer, the group returned to the stage for the European Monsters of Rock tour. Def Leppard finally completed their fourth album, now titled Hysteria , early in 1987. The record was released that spring to lukewarm reviews, with many critics claiming that the album compromised Leppard 's metal roots for sweet pop flourishes. Accordingly, Hysteria was slow out of the starting gates -- "Women," the first single, failed really take hold -- but the release of "Animal" helped the album gather steam.

The song became Def Leppard 's first Top 40 hit in the U.K., but more importantly, it launched a string of six straight Top 20 hits in the U.S., which also included "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It," and "Rocket," the latter of which arrived in 1989, a full two years after the release of Hysteria . During those two years, Def Leppard 's presence was unavoidable -- they were the kings of high school metal, ruling the pop charts and MTV, and teenagers and bands alike replicated their teased hair and ripped jeans, even when the grimy hard rock of Guns N' Roses took hold in 1988. Hysteria proved to be the peak of Leppard 's popularity, yet their follow-up remained eagerly awaited in the early '90s, as the band took a break from the road and set to work on a new record. During the recording process, however, Steve Clark died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs. Clark had historically battled alcohol, and following the Hysteria heyday, his bandmates forced him to take a sabbatical.

Although he did enter rehab, Clark 's habits continued, and his abuse was so crippling that Collen began recording the majority of the band's guitar leads. Following Clark 's death, Def Leppard resolved to finish their forthcoming album as a quartet, releasing Adrenalize in the spring of 1992. Adrenalize was greeted with mixed reviews, and even though the album debuted at number one and contained several successful singles, including the Top 20 hits "Let's Get Rocked" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad," the record was a commercial disappointment in the wake of Pyromania and Hysteria . After its release, the group added former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell to the lineup, thus resuming Def Leppard 's two-guitar attack. In 1993, Def Leppard released the rarities collection Retro Active , which yielded another Top 20 hit with the acoustic ballad "Two Steps Behind." Two years later, the group released the greatest-hits collection Vault while preparing for its sixth album.

Slang arrived in the spring of 1996, and while it proved more adventurous than its predecessor, it was greeted with indifference, indicating that Leppard 's heyday had indeed passed and they were now simply a very popular cult band. Undaunted, Leppard soldiered on, returning to their patented pop-metal sound for Euphoria , which was released in June of 1999. Despite the success of "Promises," the record failed to produce any additional hits, resulting in a return to adult pop balladry on 2002's X . The two-disc Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection arrived in 2005, followed in 2006 by Yeah! , a strong collection of covers. In 2008, the guys released their ninth studio album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge , which debuted at number five and was supported by a lucrative summer tour. Material from that tour helped make up the bulk of 2011's Mirror Ball: Live & More , a three-disc live album containing a full concert, three new studio recordings, and DVD footage. Another live album followed two years later: Viva!

Hysteria found the band running through their 1987 blockbuster in its entirety on the first disc, and a collection of early, rarely played material on the second. In 2014, the band announced the upcoming release of their 11th studio album and first collection of original music since 2008. The resulting Def Leppard was issued via earMUSIC on October 30, 2015. Def Leppard | British rock group | Britannica.com British rock group Guns N’ Roses Def Leppard, British rock band that was one of the prime movers of the new wave of British heavy metal . The original members were Pete Willis (b. Feb. 16, 1960, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Eng.), Rick Savage (b. Dec. 2, 1960, Sheffield), Joe Elliott (b. Aug. 1, 1959, Sheffield), and Tony Kenning. Later members included Steve Clark (b. April 23, 1960, Sheffield—d. Jan. 8, 1991, London, Eng.), Phil Collen (b. Dec.

8, 1957, London), Rick Allen (b. Nov. 1, 1963, Dronfield, Derbyshire, Eng.), and Vivian Campbell (b. Aug. 25, 1962, Belfast, N.Ire.). Def Leppard performing in 2007. Weatherman90 Formed in Sheffield by teenagers Willis, Savage, and Elliott in 1977, at the height of punk rock, Def Leppard forged an accessible melodic version of heavy metal that was slower to catch on at home than in the United States , where a new British Invasion of pop-oriented heavy metal bands revived the fading genre . After releasing an extended-play record on their own label, the band reached the British charts with their first album, On Through the Night (1980).

Wide exposure for music videos that capitalized on the band’s good looks pushed High ’n’ Dry (1981), Def Leppard’s second album (and their first with producer-cowriter Robert [“Mutt”] Lange), to sales of two million copies; however it was the metal classic Pyromania (1983), with hits such as “Photograph” and sales of more than 10 million copies, that assured the group’s place in rock history. Hysteria (1987) followed, selling more than 14 million copies and generating hit singles for two years, as the band survived Willis’s firing and drummer Allen’s loss of an arm in an automobile accident. In 1991 guitarist Clark died of a drug overdose, and, though the band continued to produce hits in the 1990s, it never regained its exalted status. Learn More in these related articles: 05. Rock Pop In Concert Heavy Metal Night - Def Leppard - YouTube 05. Rock Pop In Concert Heavy Metal Night - Def Leppard Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content.

Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 9, 2015 Bandbesetzung Def Leppard on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography In many ways, Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the '80s. There were many bands that rocked harder (and were more dangerous) than the Sheffield-based quintet, but few others captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late '70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Def Leppard actually owed more to the glam rock and metal of the early '70s, as their sound was equal parts T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Queen, and Led Zeppelin. By toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody, Def Leppard were poised for crossover success by the time of 1983's Pyromania, and skillfully used the fledgling MTV network to their advantage.

The musicians were already blessed with photogenic good looks, but they also crafted a series of innovative, exciting videos that made them into stars. They intended a quick follow-up to Pyromania, but were derailed when their drummer lost an arm in a car accident, the first of many problems that plagued the group's career. They managed to pull through such tragedies, and even expanded their large audience with 1987's blockbuster Hysteria. As the '90s began, mainstream hard rock shifted away from their signature pop-metal and toward edgier, louder bands, yet they maintained a sizable audience into the late '90s and were one of only a handful of '80s metal groups to survive the decade more or less intact. Def Leppard had their origins in a Sheffield-based group that teenagers Rick Savage (bass) and Pete Willis (guitar) formed in 1977. Vocalist Joe Elliott, a fanatical follower of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex, joined the band several months later, bringing the name Deaf Leopard with him.

After a spelling change, the trio, augmented by a now-forgotten drummer, began playing local Sheffield pubs, and within a year the band had added guitarist Steve Clark to the lineup, as well as a new drummer. Later in 1978, they recorded their debut EP, Getcha Rocks Off, and released it on their own label, Bludgeon Riffola. The EP became a word-of-mouth success, earning airplay on the BBC. The group members were still in their teens. Following the release of Getcha Rocks Off, Rick Allen was added as the band's permanent drummer, and Def Leppard quickly became the subject of the British music weeklies. They soon signed with AC/DC's manager Peter Mensch, who helped them secure a contract with Mercury Records. On Through the Night, the band's full-length debut, was released in 1980 and instantly became a hit in the U.K., also earning significant airplay in the U.S., where it reached number 51 on the charts. Over the course of the year, Def Leppard relentlessly toured Britain and America, playing their own shows while also opening concerts for Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, and Judas Priest.

High 'n' Dry followed in 1981 and became the group's first platinum album in the U.S., thanks to MTV's strong rotation of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." MTV would be vital to the band's success in the '80s. As the band recorded the follow-up to High 'n' Dry with producer Mutt Lange, Pete Willis was fired from the band for alcoholism, and Phil Collen, a former guitarist for Girl, was hired to replace him. The resulting album, 1983's Pyromania, became an unexpected blockbuster, due not only to Def Leppard's skillful, melodic metal, but also to MTV's relentless airing of "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages." Pyromania went on to sell ten-million copies, establishing Def Leppard as one of the most popular bands in the world. Despite their success, they were about to enter a trying time in their career. Following an extensive international tour, the group reentered the studio to record the follow-up, but producer Lange was unavailable, so they began sessions with Jim Steinman, the man responsible for Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell.

The pairing turned out to be ill-advised, so the bandmembers turned to their former engineer, Nigel Green. One month into recording, Allen lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve car accident. The arm was re-attached, but it had to be amputated once an infection set in. Def Leppard's future looked cloudy without a drummer, but by the spring of 1985 -- just a few months after his accident -- Allen began learning to play a custom-made electronic kit assembled for him by Simmons. The band soon resumed recording, and within a few months Lange was back on board; having judged all the existing tapes inferior, he ordered the band to begin work all over again. Recording sessions continued throughout 1986, and that summer, the group returned to the stage for the European Monsters of Rock tour. Def Leppard finally completed their fourth album, now titled Hysteria, early in 1987. The record was released that spring to lukewarm reviews, with many critics claiming that the album compromised Leppard's metal roots for sweet pop flourishes.

Accordingly, Hysteria was slow out of the starting gates -- "Women," the first single, failed really take hold -- but the release of "Animal" helped the album gather steam. The song became Def Leppard's first Top 40 hit in the U.K., but more importantly, it launched a string of six straight Top 20 hits in the U.S., which also included "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It," and "Rocket," the latter of which arrived in 1989, a full two years after the release of Hysteria. During those two years, Def Leppard's presence was unavoidable -- they were the kings of high school metal, ruling the pop charts and MTV, and teenagers and bands alike replicated their teased hair and ripped jeans, even when the grimy hard rock of Guns N' Roses took hold in 1988. Hysteria proved to be the peak of Leppard's popularity, yet their follow-up remained eagerly awaited in the early '90s, as the band took a break from the road and set to work on a new record.

During the recording process, however, Steve Clark died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs. Clark had historically battled alcohol, and following the Hysteria heyday, his bandmates forced him to take a sabbatical. Although he did enter rehab, Clark's habits continued, and his abuse was so crippling that Collen began recording the majority of the band's guitar leads. Following Clark's death, Def Leppard resolved to finish their forthcoming album as a quartet, releasing Adrenalize in the spring of 1992. Adrenalize was greeted with mixed reviews, and even though the album debuted at number one and contained several successful singles, including the Top 20 hits "Let's Get Rocked" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad," the record was a commercial disappointment in the wake of Pyromania and Hysteria. After its release, the group added former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell to the lineup, thus resuming Def Leppard's two-guitar attack.

In 1993, Def Leppard released the rarities collection Retro Active, which yielded another Top 20 hit with the acoustic ballad "Two Steps Behind." Two years later, the group released the greatest-hits collection Vault while preparing for its sixth album. Slang arrived in the spring of 1996, and while it proved more adventurous than its predecessor, it was greeted with indifference, indicating that Leppard's heyday had indeed passed and they were now simply a very popular cult band. Undaunted, Leppard soldiered on, returning to their patented pop-metal sound for Euphoria, which was released in June of 1999. Despite the success of "Promises," the record failed to produce any additional hits, resulting in a return to adult pop balladry on 2002's X. The two-disc Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection arrived in 2005, followed in 2006 by Yeah!, a strong collection of covers. In 2008, the guys released their ninth studio album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, which debuted at number five and was supported by a lucrative summer tour.

Material from that tour helped make up the bulk of 2011's Mirror Ball: Live & More, a three-disc live album containing a full concert, three new studio recordings, and DVD footage. Another live album followed two years later: Viva! Hysteria found the band running through their 1987 blockbuster in its entirety on the first disc, and a collection of early, rarely played material on the second. In 2014, the band announced the upcoming release of their 11th studio album and first collection of original music since 2008. The resulting Def Leppard was issued via earMUSIC on October 30, 2015. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Top Albums Def Leppard | Rolling Stone artists > D > Def Leppard > Bio Def Leppard Bio In the beginning a chart-breaking debut album, tours with more established heavy-metal bands, and pinup good looks made Def Leppard one of the leaders of the '80s British heavy-metal renaissance.

The members, barely out of their teens when their first album debuted, soon became one of the most consistently successful pop-metal groups of the decade and beyond, becoming, as one Goldmine article put it, "The Heavy Metal Band You Can Bring Home to Mother." Pete Willis and Rick Savage started the group in Sheffield in 1977. Joe Elliott had coined the name Deaf Leopard before joining them; Willis and Savage changed the spelling. As a quartet with a since-forgotten drummer, Def Leppard built a local pub following, and in 1978, after being joined by Steve Clark and hiring a temporary drummer, the group produced its first record, an EP called Getcha Rocks Off, released on its own Bludgeon Riffola label. The record got airplay on the BBC and sold 24,000 copies. The members' self-made success and precociousness (Elliott, the group's eldest member, was 19, and Rick Allen, who became their permanent drummer after playing with several professional Sheffield bands, was 15) brought them the attention of the British rock press. AC/DC manager Peter Mensch added them to his roster and got them a contract with Mercury.

Their first album was a hit in the U.K. and reached #51 in the U.S. The group toured Britain with Sammy Hagar and AC/DC, played the 1980 Reading Festival, and first toured the U.S. opening for Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Judas Priest, and AC/DC. A second U.S. tour, with Blackfoot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rainbow, coupled with heavy coverage in the U.S. metal press, created a growing American audience. The group's second album, High 'n' Dry was the first of a string of platinum and multiplatinum LPs, hitting #38 in 1981 and selling over 2 million copies. (It was remixed and rereleased in 1984 with two more tracks, a remixed "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" and "Me and My Wine.") By early 1982 the group had reentered the studio to record Pyromania, which would eventually sell a phenomenal 10 million copies. Midway through the recording, founding guitarist Pete Willis was fired for alcoholism and replaced by Phil Collen, formerly of Girl.

At the same time co-lead guitarist Steve Clark was beginning a slide into the extreme alcohol addiction that would eventually kill him. Shortly after Pyromania's release, the band embarked on its first world tour. MTV, undeniably a factor in the band's U.S. success, began airing "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," and within the next few years virtually all the band's videos (beginning with Pyromania's "Rock of Ages," "Photograph," and "Foolin'") would go into heavy rotation. When producer Mutt Lange, with whom the group had recorded since its major-label debut, was unavailable to work on their next album, Def Leppard turned to Jim Steinman, most famous for his work with Meat Loaf. When Steinman proved incompatible, High 'n' Dry engineer Nigel Green stepped in. Just one month later, drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve car accident after he attempted to pass another driver at high speed. Surgeons reattached the limb, but after infection set in, it was amputated.

Def Leppard's future was in doubt, but by the spring of 1985 Allen was learning to play drums again with the help of a specially adapted Simmons kit. (For a while he performed with special electronic equipment, using prerecorded tapes of his drumming for some parts, then returned to a regular acoustic kit with customized foot pads in 1995.) The band continued recording, but when Lange heard the tapes, he suggested the band scrap them and start again. In August 1986 Allen performed for the first time since his accident on the European Monsters of Rock Tour. In early 1987 the band finally completed work on the long-awaited Hysteria, which spun off six Top 20 singles: "Animal" (#19, 1987; and their first Top 40 hit in the U.K.), "Hysteria" (#10, 1988), "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (#2, 1988), "Love Bites" (#1, 1988), "Armageddon It" (#3, 1988), and "Rocket" (#12, 1989).

Though longtime fans and some critics found it disappointingly poppish, on the verge of bubblegum, that change in direction no doubt contributed to it selling over 16 million copies worldwide and topping the U.S. LPs chart for six weeks. Tragedy struck the group again when on January 8, 1991, guitarist Steve Clark died of a fatal mixture of drugs and alcohol. Beginning in 1982, he had undergone treatment for his alcoholism several times. His addiction was so disabling that Phil Collen had done most of the leads on Hysteria, and later the group forced Clark to take a lengthy sabbatical. Once in 1989, after being found comatose in a gutter, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, but he seemed beyond help. The group continued recording and even made the video for "Let's Get Rocked" as a foursome. Clark's replacement, Vivian Campbell, who had previously played with Ronnie James Dio and Whitesnake, joined in 1992, weeks after the release of Adrenalize.

Another #1 LP, Adrenalize spawned a flurry of hit singles: "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" (#12, 1992), "Let's Get Rocked" (#15, 1992), "Make Love Like a Man" (#36, 1992), and "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" (#34, 1992). Retro Active (#9, 1993), a platinum collection of B sides, rarities, and covers, yielded the hit singles "Two Steps Behind" (#32, 1994) (also on the Last Action Hero soundtrack) and "Miss You in a Heartbeat" (#39, 1994). The album also included one Mick Ronson song, "Only After Dark." As the band wanted to explore new directions on its next studio album, it decided to release a greatest-hits collection before embarking on the next stage of its career; Vault (#15, 1995) went on to sell close to 2 million copies.

Unfortunately its successor, Slang, which added industrial and even touches of soul to the musical mix, did not fare as well and peaked at #14. The band retreated to its classic '80s pop-metal style on Euphoria (#11, 1999). Portions of this biography appeared in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001). Def Leppard Discography at CD Universe Popular or famous Def Leppard music songs: Pour Some Sugar on Me Lyrics , Armageddon It Lyrics , Hysteria Lyrics , Rocket Lyrics , Animal Lyrics , Love Bites Lyrics , Photograph Lyrics , Let's Get Rocked Lyrics . More music lyrics and songs Rock Of Ages Lyrics , Bringin' On the Heartbreak Lyrics , Two Steps Behind Lyrics , Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad Lyrics , Foolin' Lyrics , Women Lyrics . More music lyrics and songs Love And Affection Lyrics , Excitable Lyrics , Action Lyrics , Rock! Rock! Till You Drop Lyrics , Make Love Like a Man Lyrics , When Love & Hate Collide Lyrics .

See All Songs People who buy Def Leppard CDs also purchase Rolling Stones , Alice Cooper , Black Sabbath , Kiss , Judas Priest , Aerosmith , Deep Purple , Dio , Rush , Journey , Prince , Queen , Ozzy Osbourne , AC / DC , Iron Maiden , Pink Floyd , Beatles , Scorpions , Bon Jovi Def Leppard Biography Before Artist, heavy metal was associated with leather, studs, and motorcycles. After a pair of mega-platinum albums in the '80s, Leppard proved that pop hooks, hard rock, and good looks could equal massive success, hatching a slew of imitators in the process. Despite numerous setbacks such as drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in an accident, followed by the death of guitarist Steve Clark, the British band persevered, achieving even more popularity. Though they inspired legions of hair metal bands, their longevity is a testament to their enduring musical legacy. Key Personnel Def Leppard - Chordie - Guitar Chords, Guitar Tabs and Lyrics Women (4) Def Leppard "Def Leppard" is an English hard rock band from Sheffield who formed in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Thanks to their classic albums, ''Pyromania'' and ''Hysteria'', Def Leppard became one of the most popular and influential rock bands of its time. The music of Def Leppard is a mixture of hard rock, glam rock, AOR, and heavy metal elements. The band has occasionally been associated with the pop metal movement of the 1980s, although its sound is more accurately associated with the contemporary NWOBHM genre of the late 1970s. The band's songs generally feature simple guitar hooks and catchy, melodic choruses. The Def Leppard sound is also characterized by its combination of hard rock and polished melodic backing vocals. By the release of the ''Hysteria'' record, it was apparent that the band had developed a distinctive, futuristic sound featuring heavily processed drums and effects-laden "space-aged" guitar sounds, overlaid with a multi-layered wall of husky, harmonized vocals. Def Leppard is one of only five rock bands with two original albums selling over 10 million copies each in the U.S. The others are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink F...

years active Def Leppard | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links | AllMusic Def Leppard Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stadium rock perennials whose catchy, guitar-driven, power pop/rock was one of the most imitated styles of the '80s. Def Leppard facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Def Leppard Sources Despite an average age of only 18, Def Leppard burst onto the heavy metal scene in 1980 like a group of seasoned veterans. “This band frequently transcends the mundane through sheer musical energy and playing ability,” wrote Jim Schwartz in Guitar Player. In a genre known for cliched riffs and monotonous beats, these heavy metalheads have created a sound of their own while becoming one of the top-selling groups in rock ‘n’ roll. Tragedy has plagued the group throughout its 20-plus year history, but the band continues to write and record, finding success with almost every release. The group’s five original members, Joe Elliott, Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, and Rick Allen, all lived in the steel-producing town of Sheffield, England .

Before employment as a van driver, lead singer Elliott used to dream about forming a band in school, creating song lists, logos, and band names while others in his class were studying. “I figured out fairly early that I wasn’t gonna be a brain surgeon or a nuclear physicist,” he told Rolling Stone,“so I fantasized about rock and roll.” Guitarist Willis was studying engineering at college when he met fellow axeman Clark.

Already playing with For the Record… Members include Rick Allen (born on November 1, 1963, in Sheffield, England), drums; Vivian Campbell (born on August 25, 1962, in Belfast , Northern Ireland ; joined group, 1992), guitar; Steve Clark (born on April 23, 1960, in Sheffield, England; died on January 8, 1991), guitar; Phil Collen (born on December 8, 1957; joined group, 1982), guitar; Joe Elliott (born on August 1, 1959, in Sheffield, England), vocals; Rick Savage (born on December 2, 1960, in Sheffield, England), bass; Pete Willis (born on February 16, 1960, in Sheffield, England; group member, 1977-82), guitar.

Willis and Savage formed Atomic Mass after completing schooling; Clark, Elliott and Allen joined, changed name to Def Leppard; released EP, 1979; signed with Polygram, released debut On Through the Night, 1980; following three albums went multiplatinum: High ‘n’ Dry, 1981, Pyromania, 1983, and Hysteria, 1987; Steve Clark died of alcohol and drug overdose, 1991; released Adrenalize, hired new guitarist Vivian Campbell, 1992; released two greatest hits albums, Retro Active, 1993, and Vault, 1995; released Slang, 1996; Euphoria, 1999; and X, 2002. Addresses: Record company —Island Def Jam Music Group, 825 Eighth Ave., New York , NY 10019. Management —Q. Prime, 729 Seventh Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Website— Def Leppard Official Website: .

Savage on bass in the band Atomic Mass, Willis asked Clark to sit in, and he soon joined the group. With the addition of Elliott and drummer Allen, they changed their name to Deaf Leppard and later dropped the a. In July of 1978 they made their debut at Westfield School in Sheffield earning a grand total of $12.00. With a twin guitar assault reminiscent of Wishbone Ash, they began gigging in bars with a repertoire that included 50 percent of their own originals. “We always thought our songs would be good enough to get us by,” Allen told John Swenson in Rolling Stone. Britain experienced a new wave of heavy metal as the 1980s rolled in, and Def Leppard was in a prime position to cash in. They recorded a privately made EP, Getcha Rocks Off, which sold out its initial 24, 000 copies. AC/DC manager Peter Mensch picked up the group and convinced Polygram to sign them to a deal. In 1980 the chartbreaking On Through the Night was released, climbing all the way to number 51 in the United States .

“We actually wrote the first album nine months before ever playing a live concert,” Willis told Guitar Player. “We wanted to do it right from the start and be polished.” Songs like “Rock Brigade,” “Hello America,” “When the Walls Come Tumbling Down,” “Overture,” “Sorrow is a Woman,” and “Wasted” were recorded in just 18 days and made for a remarkably strong outing. “Displaying a wisdom beyond their years, Def Leppard take the timeworn basics of heavy metal, give them a punky Eighties overhaul and come up with, uh, heavy melody,” stated David Fricke in Rolling Stone. “On Through the Night is awfully impressive for a band making its vinyl debut.” The band then toured the United Kingdom opening for Sammy Haggar and AC/DC before coming Stateside to warm up audiences for Ted Nugent. Their follow-up LP, High ‘n’ Dry, was an even bigger seller breaking the top ten. Their sound also expanded as “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” stretched the metal boundaries even further.

In 1982 Willis was replaced by ex-Girl guitarist Phil Collen who told Guitar World,“We offer a lot more melody than most heavy rock bands, vocally as well as musically.” Def Leppard was now a headline act after only two albums, and Collen’s style differed enough from Willis’s to create a unique combination with Clark. They employed the services of ace producer Mutt Lange for 1983’s Pyromania, another top-ten LP which eventually sold more than two million copies. The album also included three hit singles: “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Foolin”’. By now the five members were being featured in teen magazines and ruling the MTV airwaves. Tragedy struck the band on New Year’s Eve 1984, when drummer Rick Allen severed his left arm in an auto accident. Refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that such an injury would certainly end his musical career, Allen determined to relearn to play with the aid of a special drum kit. In a show of loyalty, the band didn’t replace Allen, deciding to remain on hiatus until he was able to return.

Lange was used again as producer on 1987’s Hysteria LP, and more hits followed. “Animal,” “Women,” “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Armageddon It,” and “Rocket” each received substantial airplay. In 1988 Def Leppard issued a 17-cut video entitled Historia providing an excellent summary of their musical career. “With its intriguing perspective and loads of superb, hard-driving solos, Historia will hopefully inspire other bands to release similar projects,” wrote Jas Obrecht in Guitar Player. Five years passed between the release of the multiplatinum Hysteria and its follow-up, Adrenalize, released in 1992. During the recording of Adrenalize, tragedy again struck the band. Founding guitarist Steve Clark was found dead in his apartment on January 8, 1991, from an apparent alcohol and prescription drug overdose. Clark had been an alcoholic for years, and his abuse problem left him nearly unable to function during the recording of Adrenalize. The drugs that he had taken before his death were painkillers prescribed to him after breaking three ribs earlier in the year.

The band dedicated Adrenalize to Clark, and released it a year after his death. They brought on a new guitarist for the subsequent tours to support the album, White-snake axeman Vivian Campbell, who became a permanent member of the group. David Hildebrand, a reviewer for People, deemed the album “superior to Def Leppard’s last release, 1987’s Hysteria,” although he acknowledged that shifting tides of public taste meant the album wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it would have been five years earlier. Def Leppard’s next two releases were greatest hits collections: Retro Active, released in 1993, and Vault, released in 1995. In support of Vault, Def Leppard accomplished something no band ever had: playing three shows on the same day on three different continents. They began October 23, 1995, in Tangiers, Morocco, hopped a plane to play a show in London, England, and closed out the day in Vancouver, Canada . That same year, drummer Rick Allen was arrested for beating his wife in an airport. He was later sentenced to community service and made public service announcements denouncing domestic abuse for MTV.

An album of new material, Slang, was released in 1996. By this time, heavy metal had waned considerably in popularity. Pop and grunge ruled the radio, and Def Leppard tried to modify their sound to fit the current climate. The band cited such varied influences as female rappers Salt-N-Pepa, R&B crooners Boyz II Men, and alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers in a People interview. “[W]hat we’ve always tried to do is take a bit from everything,” Collen said. “Just mix it all up.” But in trying to mold their music to current pop tastes, the band came up with a lackluster, poorly received album. It was no surprise, then, that Def Leppard decided to return to its roots with 1999’s Euphoria. The band also reunited with Mutt Lange for this album, the producer who helmed the controls for some of Def Leppard’s greatest hits. “When a certain kind of music is successful,” Allen remarked on CNN.com , “there’s going to be a backlash.

We took a good, hard listen to our past stuff, and knew we wanted to make a really classic Def Leppard album.” Billboard writer Larry Flick called the album “unabashedly bombastic” and noted that Euphoria “picks up where Hysteria left off.” Def Leppard’s next album, X, released in 2002, more than two decades after their debut album, met with surprisingly positive critical praise. “There isn’t a dog on this album,” according to the Knight Ridder/Tribune New Service. The “elements boil down to classic Def Leppard, which stands for sugar-sweet pop-metal with occasional displays of flashy liquid guitar and high-pitched vocals that create good, thick harmonies.” The varied elements work to the band’s advantage: “We’re on classic rock radio, and modern rock radio and pop radio, and that’s what we wanted, that cross-the-board appeal,” Elliott said to the Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. Perhaps what is most surprising about Def Leppard is the longevity of the band. Early 1980s contemporaries like Ratt and pop-metal posterboys Poison have long since disbanded, but Def Leppard remains relevant and as committed as ever to making music.

“We could have retired in 1988 if this was about money,” Elliott told the Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. The secret behind their continued success, as revealed to CNN.com , “We actually really like each other and that’s the biggest reason why [we’ve stayed together]. Every person has talked about leaving at one time or another, but we never did because we couldn’t think of anything else we’d like to do. And besides, it would be like leaving your family.” On Through the Night, Mercury, 1980. High ‘n’ Dry, Mercury, 1981. Pyromania, Mercury, 1983. Clifford, Mike, consultant, The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, Salamander, 1988. Lazell, Barry with Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, editors, Rock Movers & Shakers, Banson, 1989. Nite, Norm N., with Charles Crespo, Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Volume 3, Harper, 1985.

Pareles, Jon and Patricia Romanowski, editors, The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Rolling Stone Press/ Summit, 1983. Periodicals Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, September 21, 2002. Billboard, January 19, 1991; May 15, 1999. Business Wire, October 19, 1995. Entertainment Weekly, April 10, 1992; January 12, 2001; July 20, 2001. Guitar Player, March 1982; November 1988. Guitar World, September 1983. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, July 31, 2002. People, May 11, 1992; May 20, 1996. Rolling Stone, June 26, 1980; October 2, 1980. Online “Def Leppard,” All Music Guide, (September 24, 2002).

“Def Leppard,” VH1.com, (September 26, 2002). Def Leppard Official Website, (September 24, 2002). “For Those About to Rock, Def Leppard Salutes You,”CNN.com, (September 26, 2002). —Calen D. Stone Best-selling album since 1990: Adrenalize (1992) Hit songs since 1990: "Let's Get Rocked," "Two Steps Behind" Def Leppard enjoyed tremendous popularity in the 1980s with their approachable brand of hard rock. Initially inspired by such bands as Judas Priest and AC/DC, Def Leppard soon developed their signature sound of electric guitar riffs and straightforward rock beats augmented with synthesizers and lush vocal backups. Although their lyrics are simplistic and at times banal, Joe Elliot propels each song with his earnest and emotive delivery. The band has weathered hardships during its career, most notably the injury incurred by Rick Allen and the death of Steve Clark. While largely ignored during the 1990s, Def Leppard has continued to produce albums, staunchly retaining their style of arena rock.

Getting Started Guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick "Sav" Savage formed the band Atomic Mass in their hometown of Sheffield, England, in 1977. Singer Joe Eliott soon joined and suggested the name Deaf Leopard, which was reformulated into Def Leppard. With the addition of guitarist Steve Clark and drummer Rick Allen, the group began to perform in various venues and was eventually signed to Phonogram/Mercury in 1978. Def Leppard toured with Sammy Hagar and AC/DC and garnered some modest radio airplay with their debut album, On Through the Night (1980). Working with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the band released their second album, High 'n' Dry (1981), which included the hit song "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." Although the song sounded empty at times, with the guitar doubling the bass rather than producing chords and the obvious lack of synthesizer textures, it heralded several key elements of their style, including their reliance on guitar riffs and lithe vocal harmonies. While recording material for their next album, Pete Willis left the group and was replaced by Phil Collen.

With the release of Pyromania (1983), Def Leppard gained widespread attention and headlined their own tour. The album rose to Billboard 's number two slot and included the power ballad "Foolin'" and the rock anthems "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages." During this time Def Leppard faced their first serious setback. Rick Allen was thrown from his car during an accident on December 31, 1984, and his left arm was completely severed. The band took a hiatus, and Allen slowly taught himself to drum one-armed on a Simmons electronic set. Cautious at first, the band began to perform and record, releasing their hugely successful album Hysteria in 1987. Hysteria includes some of Def Leppard's biggest hits: "Love Bites," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Armageddon It," "Hysteria," and "Rocket." The ballad "Love Bites" begins slowly with two full verses and a long transition before presenting the chorus with its soaring melodic line and vocal backups, accompanied by an equally poignant solo guitar riff.

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" features a swerving guitar riff and straightforward power chords in the chorus. Although their lyrical style is powerful in its simplicity, at times it veers into banality: "Step inside, walk this way. You and me, babe. Hey hey." After another round of touring, Def Leppard began working on their next album. On January 8, 1991, Steve Clark died from respiratory failure induced by alcohol and pain killers. Vivian Campbell, previously of Dio and Whitesnake, joined the group, and Def Leppard soon released Adrenalize (1992). Although this album rose to Billboard 's number one slot, the songs were largely formulaic and uninspired. The following year, Def Leppard contributed the song "Two Steps Behind" to the film Last Action Hero. Surprisingly enough, this B-side became a hit and prompted them to release a full album of unreleased material and alternate versions. Retro Active (1993) included the ballad "Miss You in a Heartbeat" and the raucous "She's Too Tough," with Eliott replicating the vocal delivery of AC/DC's Brian Johnson.

In 1995 Def Leppard released the compilation album Vault, which included the previously unreleased ballad "When Love and Hate Collide." Showcasing a different approach, Def Leppard introduced piano and strings to the texture, with the electric guitars providing unobtrusive accompaniment. Aside from the ubiquitous guitar solo, the song reveals a pop sensibility far removed from their earlier material. For their next album, Def Leppard decided to work with the producer Pete Woodroffe rather than their long-time collaborator "Mutt" Lange. Unfortunately Slang (1996) was unconvincing and inconsistent. With their next release, however, Def Leppard achieved a balance of new musical styles and signature approaches. Euphoria (1999) included the funk-inspired "All Night," the pop song "21st Century Sha La La La Girl," and the straightforward rock songs "Demolition Man" and "Promises." "Promises" begins with a striking guitar riff that is quickly augmented with a second guitar line.

During the chorus, the backup vocals proclaim, "I won't make promises," to which Eliott finishes the thought: "that I can't keep." This technique of sharing the chorus reflects the method in such songs as "Photograph" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." The funk approach in "All Night," while obviously a stylistic aberration, is surprisingly successful. Def Leppard alters the vocal backups from tight harmonic passages into delineated bass and tenor doublings of the melodic line. While using funk guitar voicings in the verse, they still manage to insert a heavily distorted guitar line in the chorus. With their next release, X (2002), the group experimented further with different producers. Although songs such as "You're So Beautiful" and "Now" are promising, the album as a whole is undeveloped and one-dimensional. Def Leppard developed a popular approach to heavy metal and hard rock in the early 1980s. Along with Van Halen and Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard ushered in the pop-metal movement, which spawned such bands as Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Poison, and Cinderella .

The craftsmanship of their guitar riffs, melodic lines, and vocal harmonies set them above many of their peers, and their rock anthems and earnest power ballads became emblematic of the 1980s. Def Leppard's subsequent albums, particularly those of the late 1990s and early 2000s, seemed like relics of an earlier era and attracted little notice. SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY: On Through the Night (Mercury, 1980); High 'n' Dry (Mercury, 1981); Pyromania (Mercury, 1983); Hysteria (Mercury, 1987); Adrenalize (Mercury, 1992); Retro Active (Mercury, 1993); Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (Mercury, 1995); Slang (Mercury, 1996); Euphoria (Mercury, 1999); X (Mercury, 2002).

WEBSITE: Sources Despite an average age of only eighteen, Def Leppard burst onto the heavy metal scene back in 1980 like a group of seasoned veterans. “This band frequently transcends the mundane through sheer musical energy and playing ability,” wrote Jim Schwartz in Guitar Player. In a genre known for cliched riffs and monotonous beats, these heavy metalheads have created a sound of their own while becoming one of the top-selling groups in rock and roll. All five original members, Joe Elliott, Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Rick Savage and Rick Allen, come from the steel-producing town of Sheffield, England . Before employment as a van driver, lead singer Elliott used to dream about forming a band in school, creating song lists, logos, and band names while others in his class were studying. “I figured out fairly early that I wasn’t gonna be a brain surgeon or a nuclear physicist,” he told Rolling Stone, “so I fantasized about rock and roll.” Guitarist Willis was studying engineering at college when he met fellow axeman Clark. Already playing with Savage on bass in the band Atomic Mass, Willis asked Clark to sit in and he soon joined the group.

With the addition of Elliott and drummer Allen, they changed their name to Deaf Leppard and later dropped the a. In July of 1978 they made their debut at Westfield School in Sheffield earning a grand total of $12.00. With a twin guitar assault reminiscent of Wishbone Ash, they began gigging in bars with a repertoire that included 50% of their own originals. “We always thought our songs would be good enough to get us by,” Allen told John Swenson in Rolling Stone. Britain experienced a new wave of heavy metal as the ’80srolled in and Def Leppard was in a prime position to cash in. They recorded a privately-made EP, Getcha Rocks Off, which sold out its initial 24, 000 copies. AC/DC manager Peter Mensch picked up the group and convinced Polygram to sign them to a deal. In 1980 the chartbreaking On Through the Night was released, climbing all the way to #51 in the US. “We actually wrote the first album nine months before ever playing a live concert,” Willis told Guitar Player.

“We wanted to do it right from the start and be polished.” Songs like “Rock Brigade,” “Hello America,” “When the Walls Come Tumbling Down,” “Overture,” “Sorrow is a Woman,” and “Wasted” were recorded in just eighteen days and made for a remarkably strong outing. “Displaying a wisdom beyond their years, Def Leppard take the timeworn basics of heavy metal, give them a punky Eighties overhaul and come up with, uh, heavy melody,” stated David Fricke in Rolling Stone. “On Through the Night is awfully impressive for a band making its vinyl debut.” The band then toured the UK opening for For the Record… Original band members included Joe Elliott (born August 1, 1959), vocals; Steve Clark (born April 23, 1960), guitar; Pete Willis (born February 16, 1960), guitar; Rick Savage (born December 2, 1960), bass; and Rick Allen (born November 1, 1963), drums. Phil Collen (born December8, 1957), guitar, replaced Willis in 1982.

All original members from Sheffield, England. Willis and Savage formed Atomic Mass after completing schooling; Clark, Elliott and Allen joined, changed name to Def Leppard; released EP in 1979; signed with Polygram and released debut in 1980. Addresses: 80 Warwick Gardens, London, W148PR, England. Sammy Haggar and AC/DC before coming Stateside to warm up audiences for Ted Nugent. Their follow-up LP, High ‘n’ Dry, was an even bigger seller breaking the Top 10. Their sound also expanded as “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” stretched the metal boundaries even further. In 1982 Willis was replaced by ex-Girl guitarist Phil Collen who told Guitar World, “We offer a lot more melody than most heavy rock bands, vocally as well as musically.” Def Leppard was now a headline act after only two albums, and Collen’s style differed enough from Willis’s to create a unique combination with Clark. They employed the services of ace producer Mutt Lange for 1983’s Pyromania, another Top 10 LP which eventually sold over two million copies.

The album also included three hit singles: “Photography”(#12), “Rock of Ages” (#16), and “Foolin’” (#28). By now the five members were being featured in teen magazines and ruling the MTV airwaves. Tragedy struck the band on New Year’s Eve 1984, when drummer Rick Allen severed his left arm in an auto accident. Refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that such an injury would certainly end his musical career, Allen determined to relearn to play with the aid of a special drum kit. In a show of loyalty, the band didn’t replace Allen, deciding to remain on hiatus until he was able to return. Lange was used again as producer on 1987’s Hysteria LPand more hits followed. “Animal,” “Women,” “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Armageddon It,” and “Rocket” each received substantial air-play. In 1988 Def Leppard issued a seventeen-cut video entitled Historia providing an excellent summary of their musical career.

“With its intriguing perspective and loads of superb, hard-driving solos, Historia will hopefully inspire other bands to release similar projects,” wrote Jas Obrecht in Guitar Player. On Through the Night, Mercury, 1980. High ‘n’ Dry, Mercury, 1981. Pyromania, Mercury, 1983. Sources Books The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, edited by Jon Pareles and Patricia Romanowski, Rolling Stone Press/Summit, 1983. The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, Mike Clifford, consultant, Salamander, 1988. Nite, Norm N., with Charles Crespo, Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Volume 3, Harper, 1985. Rock Movers & Shakers, edited by Barry Lazell with Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Banson, 1989. Periodicals Guitar Player, March 1982; November 1988. Guitar World, September 1983. Rolling Stone, June 26, 1980; October 2, 1980.

—Calen D. Stone Def Leppard — Listen for free on Spotify Def Leppard Play on Spotify In many ways, Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the '80s. There were many bands that rocked harder (and were more dangerous) than the Sheffield-based quintet, but few others captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late '70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Def Leppard actually owed more to the glam rock and metal of the early '70s, as their sound was equal parts T. Rex , Mott the Hoople , Queen , and Led Zeppelin . By toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody, Def Leppard were poised for crossover success by the time of 1983's Pyromania, and skillfully used the fledgling MTV network to their advantage. The musicians were already blessed with photogenic good looks, but they also crafted a series of innovative, exciting videos that made them into stars. They intended a quick follow-up to Pyromania, but were derailed when their drummer lost an arm in a car accident, the first of many problems that plagued the group's career.

They managed to pull through such tragedies, and even expanded their large audience with 1987's blockbuster Hysteria. As the '90s began, mainstream hard rock shifted away from their signature pop-metal and toward edgier, louder bands, yet they maintained a sizable audience into the late '90s and were one of only a handful of '80s metal groups to survive the decade more or less intact. Def Leppard had their origins in a Sheffield-based group that teenagers Rick Savage (bass) and Pete Willis (guitar) formed in 1977. Vocalist Joe Elliott, a fanatical follower of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex , joined the band several months later, bringing the name Deaf Leopard with him. After a spelling change, the trio, augmented by a now-forgotten drummer, began playing local Sheffield pubs, and within a year the band had added guitarist Steve Clark to the lineup, as well as a new drummer. Later in 1978, they recorded their debut EP, Getcha Rocks Off, and released it on their own label, Bludgeon Riffola . The EP became a word-of-mouth success, earning airplay on the BBC.

The group members were still in their teens. Following the release of Getcha Rocks Off, Rick Allen was added as the band's permanent drummer, and Def Leppard quickly became the subject of the British music weeklies. They soon signed with AC/DC 's manager Peter Mensch, who helped them secure a contract with Mercury Records . On Through the Night, the band's full-length debut, was released in 1980 and instantly became a hit in the U.K., also earning significant airplay in the U.S., where it reached number 51 on the charts. Over the course of the year, Def Leppard relentlessly toured Britain and America, playing their own shows while also opening concerts for Ozzy Osbourne , Sammy Hagar , and Judas Priest . High 'n' Dry followed in 1981 and became the group's first platinum album in the U.S., thanks to MTV's strong rotation of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." MTV would be vital to the band's success in the '80s.

As the band recorded the follow-up to High 'n' Dry with producer Mutt Lange, Pete Willis was fired from the band for alcoholism, and Phil Collen , a former guitarist for Girl , was hired to replace him. The resulting album, 1983's Pyromania, became an unexpected blockbuster, due not only to Def Leppard's skillful, melodic metal, but also to MTV's relentless airing of "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages." Pyromania went on to sell ten-million copies, establishing Def Leppard as one of the most popular bands in the world. Despite their success, they were about to enter a trying time in their career. Following an extensive international tour, the group reentered the studio to record the follow-up, but producer Lange was unavailable, so they began sessions with Jim Steinman , the man responsible for Meat Loaf 's Bat Out of Hell. The pairing turned out to be ill-advised, so the bandmembers turned to their former engineer, Nigel Green. One month into recording, Allen lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve car accident. The arm was re-attached, but it had to be amputated once an infection set in.

Def Leppard's future looked cloudy without a drummer, but by the spring of 1985 -- just a few months after his accident -- Allen began learning to play a custom-made electronic kit assembled for him by Simmons. The band soon resumed recording, and within a few months Lange was back on board; having judged all the existing tapes inferior, he ordered the band to begin work all over again. Recording sessions continued throughout 1986, and that summer, the group returned to the stage for the European Monsters of Rock tour. Def Leppard finally completed their fourth album, now titled Hysteria, early in 1987. The record was released that spring to lukewarm reviews, with many critics claiming that the album compromised Leppard's metal roots for sweet pop flourishes. Accordingly, Hysteria was slow out of the starting gates -- "Women," the first single, failed really take hold -- but the release of "Animal" helped the album gather steam.

The song became Def Leppard's first Top 40 hit in the U.K., but more importantly, it launched a string of six straight Top 20 hits in the U.S., which also included "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It," and "Rocket," the latter of which arrived in 1989, a full two years after the release of Hysteria. During those two years, Def Leppard's presence was unavoidable -- they were the kings of high school metal, ruling the pop charts and MTV, and teenagers and bands alike replicated their teased hair and ripped jeans, even when the grimy hard rock of Guns N' Roses took hold in 1988. Hysteria proved to be the peak of Leppard's popularity, yet their follow-up remained eagerly awaited in the early '90s, as the band took a break from the road and set to work on a new record. During the recording process, however, Steve Clark died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs. Clark had historically battled alcohol, and following the Hysteria heyday, his bandmates forced him to take a sabbatical.

Although he did enter rehab, Clark's habits continued, and his abuse was so crippling that Collen began recording the majority of the band's guitar leads. Following Clark's death, Def Leppard resolved to finish their forthcoming album as a quartet, releasing Adrenalize in the spring of 1992. Adrenalize was greeted with mixed reviews, and even though the album debuted at number one and contained several successful singles, including the Top 20 hits "Let's Get Rocked" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad," the record was a commercial disappointment in the wake of Pyromania and Hysteria. After its release, the group added former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell to the lineup, thus resuming Def Leppard's two-guitar attack. In 1993, Def Leppard released the rarities collection Retro Active, which yielded another Top 20 hit with the acoustic ballad "Two Steps Behind." Two years later, the group released the greatest-hits collection Vault while preparing for its sixth album.

Slang arrived in the spring of 1996, and while it proved more adventurous than its predecessor, it was greeted with indifference, indicating that Leppard's heyday had indeed passed and they were now simply a very popular cult band. Undaunted, Leppard soldiered on, returning to their patented pop-metal sound for Euphoria, which was released in June of 1999. Despite the success of "Promises," the record failed to produce any additional hits, resulting in a return to adult pop balladry on 2002's X. The two-disc Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection arrived in 2005, followed in 2006 by Yeah!, a strong collection of covers. In 2008, the guys released their ninth studio album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, which debuted at number five and was supported by a lucrative summer tour. Material from that tour helped make up the bulk of 2011's Mirror Ball: Live & More, a three-disc live album containing a full concert, three new studio recordings, and DVD footage. Another live album followed two years later: Viva!

Hysteria found the band running through their 1987 blockbuster in its entirety on the first disc, and a collection of early, rarely played material on the second. In 2014, the band announced the upcoming release of their 11th studio album and first collection of original music since 2008. The resulting Def Leppard was issued via earMUSIC on October 30, 2015. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Read More Show less

Question: With which heavy metal pop group is Rick Allen associated?
Answer: 'DEF LEPPARD'