Formed inSheffield, England in 1977, Def Leppard became a bar band favorite while its members were still in their teens. A year later, the band consisted of Joe Elliot(vocals), Pete Willis(guitar), Rick Savage(bass) and Steve Clark(guitar) who got together to cut the "Getcha Rocks Off", EP in 1978 on their own Bludgeon Riffola label.
Def Leppard's metal crunch and ability to find a good hook got the attention of the BBC, the British press and several influential local musicians. After adding drummer Rick Allen and signing to Mercury at the urging of AC/DC's manager Pete Mensch, the band toured with Sammy Hagar in Britian and such metal demi-gods as Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne in the U.S. Their debut album, "On Through the Night" placed solidly on the U.K. and the U.S. charts.
Def Leppard's sophomore album, "High and Dry" hit the charts high in 1981 and started off platinum trend. Despite in-studio troubles (Willis was replaced by Phil Collen midway through the production during a bout with alcoholism) 1983's "Pyromania's" eventually sold 10 million copies, helped along by a number of videos put in heavy rotation on MTV.
After embarking on a world tour, the band found itself with another obstacle~~Allen lost his left arm in a car accident. Rather than replace him, the band took to the studio while Allen learned to play on a special kit, In 1987, they released their most successful album, "Hysteria". It produced six top 20 singles, including the junior high school dance favorites"Pour Some Sugar on Me"(No.2) and "Love Bites" (No.1). It was a step away from metal pop, topping the U.S. charts and selling 14 million copies.
The band encountered another setback when Steve Clark died from a drug and alcohol overdose. He was replaced in 1992 by Vivian Campbell of Whitesnake and the band released " Adrenalize", churning out another series of hits. In 1993, they released " Retro Active", a compilation of B-sides, rarites and covers that went platinum.
Def Leppard's 1996 effort, "Slang", was released on Mercury Records. The album was produced by Def Leppard and Pete Woodroffe and was written and recorded over the period of the year in the Spanish resort of Marbella.
Next, "Euphoria", was released on Mercury in the spring of 1999.