Def Leppard

Def Leppard is an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, it has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, vocals), Joe Elliott (vocals), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, vocals) and Vivian Campbell (guitar, vocals). The band became known in the new wave of British heavy metal in the early 1980s, with maximum commercial success between the 1980s and mid-1990s.

Their first album, On Through the Night (1980), reached the UK Top 15. The second, High 'n' Dry (1981), produced by Mutt Lange, established their melodic hard rock style, with the single Bringin' On the Heartbreak becoming one of the first rock videos broadcast on MTV in 1982. Pete Willis was subsequently replaced by Phil Collen. In 1983, Pyromania became a major success in the United States, reaching #2 in sales and being certified diamond.

The fourth album, Hysteria (1987), topped the charts in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. Certified 12× platinum in the United States, it has sold over 30 million copies to date. Six of its titles, including Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar on Me and Animal, entered the US Top 20.

After Steve Clark's death in 1991, the band recorded Adrenalize (1992), which reached #1 in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Several tracks, including Let's Get Rocked and Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad, became major hits. In 1993, Retro Active featured acoustic tracks, including Two Steps Behind. The compilation Vault (1995) reached the Top 10 in several countries.

Among rock bands that have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, Def Leppard is one of the few with two studio albums certified diamond, Pyromania and Hysteria. The band is ranked 31st among the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" by VH1 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.