Def Leppard

Def Leppard were formed in Sheffield, England in 1977 as Atomic Mass by Rick Savage, Peter Willis and Tony Kenning. Frontman Joe Elliot came into the picture not long after and the band adopted the name Deaf Leopard, soon altering the spelling to be "more rock 'n' roll". Additional guitarist Steve Clark joined just in time for their first gigs in July 1978 and Frank Noon replaced Kenning prior to recording their first single. With finance provided by Joe's father, the band released a debut EP entitled Getcha Rocks Off in 1979.

Later that year, with Rick Allen taking up permanent residence on the drum stool, and following tours supporting AC/DC and others, the band were signed to Vertigo which prompted a move to London, and in 1980 their debut album On Through The Night broke into the UK Top 20. It would, however, be America that eventually embraced the band.

The band were certainly metal (albeit metal of the most easy listening variety) and while the critics hated them, their growing army of fans lapped up every release.

Although High 'N' Dry (1981) marked the beginning of their association with Mutt Lange, Def Leppard's big break came with 1983's Pyromania. Legendary for it's use of all manners of studio special effects and state-of-the-art technology, the record revolutionized heavy metal and became the benchmark by which subsequent 80s albums were measured. Highly melodic and extremely hook-laden, the Americans loved Pyromania and it's attendant singles Photograph and Rock Of Ages, with the album selling over 7 million copies. 

Tragedy struck when Rick Allen crashed his Corvette Stingray outside Manchester on New Years Eve 1984. His left arm was torn off by the impact, and although surgeons re-attached the limb they had to amputate it three days later when infection set in. A true metal warrior, Allen soldiered bravely on using a customized drum kit with programmable drum pads and foot pedals. 

Bearing in mind his accident and the band's perfectionist nature, four years wasn't too long to wait for a new album . . . and for the majority of fans, the delay was  well worth it. A melodic rock tour de force, the Hysteria album finally broke the band in their home country with three of its singles reaching the UK Top 10; Love Bites giving the band their very first Number 1.

Similarly successful across the Atlantic and worldwide, the album sold a staggering amount with Def Leppard staking their claim as the biggest heavy metal act on the planet. 

Ironically, just as the group were entering the big league, tragedy struck again as Steve Clark was found dead in January 1991 after a prolonged drink and drugs binge. The band recruited elder statesman of rock, Vivian Campbell, as a replacement and began work on the Adrenalize (1992) album. While the single Get Rocked bordered on cringeworthy, the album's glossy pop metal once again pulled in the punters in their millions. 

The next few years saw the release of a B-sides/rarities affair called Retro Active (1993) and a greatest hits collection, Vault (1995). A new studio album, Slang, eventually hit the shops in 1996, showcasing a more modern sound (and some updated hairstyles!).