Def Leppard

    Def Leppard got together in the late 70s and are still going strong today. They endured tragedies and numerous album delays to put out some of the best selling albums of the 80s.

With Steve Clark:

            Their first EP was released in 1978 and their first full-length album, On Through the Night, the following year. The sounds of 1970s English punk that the band grew up around are quite evident on this album although it is definitely rock rather than punk. Def Leppard followed this up with High n’ Dry in 1981. This album was the first of many Def Leppard would do with famed producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. Much of the punk sound that was evident on On Through The Night was lost for this and subsequent albums. Pete Willis (guitar) left the band during the recording of their third album, Pyromania, and was replaced by Phil Collen. Although Pyromania was a huge hit in the United States, led by the single "Photograph", international fame still eluded them. Disagreements with producers caused delays in the recording and release of their next album. In addition, December 31, 1984, drummer Rick Allen is involved in a car accident. His left arm was severed and doctors were unable to reattach it. However, using a slightly modified kit, he learned to play the drums with only one arm (having seen Def Leppard live in 1999, I can say it’s absolutely incredible to see Rick drum and see how he has refused to let his handicap slow him down). In 1987, Hysteria is finally released. Although this album would be one of the top selling albums of the decade (sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone), it would take almost a year before the album really took off. Seven of the twelve tracks were released as singles, and it was “Pour Some Sugar on Me” that jump started sales of Hysteria. Def Leppard would begin work on their next album in 1988, though it would not be released until 1992. Unfortunately, tragedy struck Def Leppard again, part of the reason for the delay. January 8, 1991, Steve Clark (lead guitar) was found dead from an overdose of alcohol and painkillers. When Adrenalize was finally released, it debuted at number 1 in the U.S. and would become their top selling album to date in several countries.

Post-Steve Clark:

            Def Leppard looked at several individuals to replace Steve Clark. They decided on Vivian Campbell who had previously worked with Whitesnake and Dio. He would debut with the group at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992, though would not be heard on an album until Slang. Slang marked a bit of a departure from the traditional “Def Leppard sound” and was not a big hit. Euphoria, released in 1999, went back to a more typical Def Leppard sound, sounding similar to Hysteria and Pyromania. Def Leppard has put out a few albums since then and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.

Discography:

Def Leppard EP (1978)
On Through the Night (1980)
High 'N' Dry (1981)
Pyromania (1983)
Hysteria (1987)
Adrenalize (1992)
Retro Active (1993)
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits(1995)
Slang (1996)
Euphoria (1999)
X (2002)
Best of Def Leppard (2004)
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
Yeah! (2006)