Def Leppard is a British hard rock band formed in 1977. The success of their albums Pyromania and Hysteria, promoted by the singles “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, made the band one of rock's best-sellers in the 80s.
Def Leppard rose to success soon after the release of their three-song debut self-titled EP (1978), when renowned British DJ John Peel championed the track "Rocks Off". Before long, the band had established a steady following among British hard rock fans, and a record deal with Phonogram soon followed.
Their debut album was On Through the Night (1980) and, in spite of criticism that they were pandering to American audiences, the album still sold well and hit the upper reaches of the UK album charts. Having secured the interest of producer Mutt Lange, the band returned to the studio to work on their follow-up album High 'n' Dry (1981). Though the album did not sell especially well, the video for the single "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" brought them the attention they sought from the US market.
Their next album Pyromania (1983) was the album which broke them, selling six million copies in 1983 alone; it has since been certified diamond. The band returned to the studio in order to record their follow-up, but plans were almost ruined when drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a serious road accident. In a remarkable display of triumph over adversity, Allen steadily taught himself to drum with an adapted kit and one arm, and the band waited patiently for him to re-train. The long-awaited follow-up album, Hysteria, was finally released in 1987 and topped the charts immediately in their homeland. Success in America followed when "Pour Some Sugar on Me" promoted the album to the top spot.
Recording for their fifth album, Adrenalize, was hampered by delays caused by guitarist Steve Clark's alcoholism. While on leave of absence from the band, Clark died after accidentally taking a mixture of painkillers and too much alcohol. Adrenalize was finally released in 1992, hitting the top of the charts in the UK and the US. However, with grunge on the ascendancy, the fortunes of Def Leppard began to suffer a downturn and their next two releases were a collection of B sides, Retro Active (1993), and a greatest hits collection, Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (1980-1995). Their next studio album, Slang, was released in 1996 and marked a shift in style with darker lyrics and a stripped back sound, however they returned to classic Leppard with the release of 1999's Euphoria.
After a brief detour, while Elliott and Collen played for the Cybernauts, the band released X in 2002, which was a distinctly poppy album removed by several degrees from their rocky past. The album did not fare as well as its predecessors. They followed this with the covers album Yeah! (2006).
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge was released in 2008 and hit the Top 5 of the US charts, proving that the American love affair with the Brit rockers isn't quite over yet.
