Def Leppard

Def Leppard's melodic hard rock sound, radio-friendly hooks and powerful vocals were fixtures on Top 40 radio and MTV from the early 1980s into the early 1990s.

Def Leppard formed in Sheffield, England in 1976; the classic lineup of the group - lead vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarists Steve Clark and Pete Willis, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen - first attracted widespread attention with the 1981 release of the Mutt Lange-produced High ‘N' Dry, which featured the power ballad "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," two different versions of which entered heavy rotation on fledging cable network MTV.

Def Leppard's breakthrough album Pyromania, released in 1983, featured hit singles including "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" and sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. Hysteria, issued four years later, was even bigger, launching the smashes "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites" and "Armageddon It" and selling in excess of 25 million copies worldwide. Def Leppard continued to release new music and tour extensively, and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.