Def Leppard

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977 by school friends Rick Savage, Tony Kenning and Pete Willis, soon joined by frontman Joe Elliott. Emerging from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, they quickly moved beyond its raw, underground sound to craft a glossier, hook-driven style that bridged hard rock and pop.

That shift became fully realized in the 1980s, when the band, guided by producer Robert John «Mutt» Lange, layered dense vocal harmonies and polished production over hard rock riffs. Albums like «Hysteria» produced a run of massive singles including «Pour Some Sugar on Me», «Love Bites», «Animal» and «Rocket», turning Def Leppard into one of the best-selling rock acts of the decade. Earlier records had already established them with tracks such as «Photograph» and «Rock of Ages».

The band endured significant hardship, including drummer Rick Allen losing his arm in a car accident in 1984 and later guitarist Steve Clark’s death, yet continued performing and recording. Def Leppard remain active decades later, still touring arenas and stadiums, and are remembered as one of the groups that most successfully fused heavy metal grit with radio-ready pop songwriting.