Biography of Def Leppard

Def Leppard's catchy, guitar-driven, power-pop/rock was one of the most imitated styles of the '80s. Leppard's hit albums are polished syntheses of heavy, hummable guitar riffs, memorable pop melodies, and simple teen-oriented lyrics. Originally the band (Joe Elliot, vocals; Pete Willis, guitar; Steve Clark, guitar; Rick Savage, drums; Rick Allen, drums) was associated with the new wave of British heavy metal bands, releasing two albums (On Through the Night and High 'N' Dry) that made a small impact on the U.S. Robert "Mutt" Lange produced High 'N' Dry, which contained the seeds of the signature Leppard sound. Before the recording of their next album, Pete Willis left and was replaced by Phil Collen, who used to play in the glam-rock band Girl. Pyromania, released in 1983, was a monster success selling over 6.5 million copies in the U.S. and featuring three Top 40 hits ("Photograph," "Rock of Ages," and "Foolin'"). The album showcased the refinement of Def Leppard's twin-guitar attack, where both parts worked together to create a huge sound instead of merely repeating the riff. In 1984, the group made two attempts to record a follow-up, one with the exhausted Lange and another with Jim Steinman, both ending with the dismissal of the producer. On New Year's Eve, Allen lost his left arm in an auto accident. Despite this, the band wanted Allen in the group; he was equipped with a customized electronic drum kit to ease his playing. In 1987, the long-awaited Hysteria (also produced by Lange) was released. Although Hysteria was a bigger success than Pyromania, it took a considerable amount of time for it to gain its sales -- after 49 weeks, the album reached number one. Recording for the follow-up to Hysteria was under way when Clark was found dead in his apartment after a drinking binge in January 1991. Def Leppard continued the album, with Collen playing all the guitars. Adrenalize shot to the top of the charts upon its release in April 1992. Vivian Campbell, former guitarist for Whitesnake, was announced as Clark's replacement in spring of 1992. Def Leppard released a greatest hits collection, Vault, in 1995. The following year, the group released the followup to Adrenalize, Slang, which stalled at gold status despite heavy promotion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine