50 Fun Facts About Def Leppard

Def Leppard formed in which English city?

The band's roots go back to 1976, when three Tapton School students formed a group called Atomic Mass.

What was the name of the schoolboy band that became Def Leppard?

Rick Savage, Tony Kenning and Pete Doubleday formed it at Tapton School in 1976.

Who is Def Leppard's lead singer?

He tried out as a guitarist at 18 after a chance meeting with Pete Willis when he missed a bus in November 1977.

What spelling did the singer originally propose for the band's name?

He dreamed it up while designing posters in art class; Tony Kenning tweaked the spelling so it sounded less punk.

How old was Rick Allen when he joined as full-time drummer in 1978?

He replaced Tony Kenning, who quit just before the sessions for the band's first EP.

Which BBC Radio 1 DJ's airplay of "Getcha Rocks Off" sent sales of the band's first EP soaring?

Peel was then known as a champion of punk and new wave rather than hard rock.

Def Leppard emerged as part of which early-1980s movement?

Their melodic take on the sound led Rolling Stone to include them in the "Second British Invasion".

What was the title of Def Leppard's 1980 debut album?

It reached the UK Top 15, though some early fans felt songs like "Hello America" pandered to the US.

Which producer, known for his AC/DC work, shaped the band's sound starting with High 'n' Dry?

His meticulous studio approach defined their melodic hard rock style and continued through Hysteria.

Which High 'n' Dry track became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982?

The album itself only peaked at 38 in the US, but the video raised the band's profile there.

Why was guitarist Pete Willis fired in July 1982?

Phil Collen of the band Girl replaced him the very next day, midway through recording Pyromania.

Phil Collen joined Def Leppard from which band?

He played on five tracks of Pyromania after Pete Willis had recorded the rhythm parts.

Which 1983 album turned Def Leppard into a household name?

It sold six million copies in 1983 alone and has been called the catalyst for the pop-metal movement.

"Photograph" displaced which Michael Jackson video as MTV's most requested?

It also held number one on the US Album Rock Tracks chart for six weeks.

Which album kept the band's 1983 breakthrough LP from the top of the US charts?

Pyromania peaked at number two while selling more than 100,000 copies a week that year.

A 1984 US Gallup poll named Def Leppard favourite rock band ahead of which acts?

Pyromania had been a far bigger hit in America than in the UK, where it stalled at number 18.

The band moved to which city in 1984 for tax purposes while writing Hysteria?

Mutt Lange initially bowed out of producing through exhaustion, and Jim Steinman briefly worked with them instead.

Which Meat Loaf collaborator was briefly brought in to produce the Hysteria sessions?

He worked with the band only briefly and none of the recordings were released; Lange later returned.

On what date did Rick Allen crash his Corvette and lose his left arm?

Doctors reattached the arm, but an infection forced its amputation.

Which company helped Rick Allen design the custom electronic kit he returned with?

He realised his legs could take over work his arms had done, and showcased his progress with the intro to "When the Levee Breaks".

Rick Allen's comeback was sealed with an ovation at which 1986 festival?

Jeff Rich had played alongside him on a warm-up tour of Ireland that August.

In what year was Hysteria finally released?

It took more than three years to record and topped the UK, US, Canadian and Australian charts.

Which Hysteria single was the band's first UK Top 10 hit?

It reached number six and started a run of ten consecutive US Billboard Top 40 singles.

Which power ballad became Def Leppard's only US Hot 100 number one?

It hit the top in October 1988, more than a year after the album came out.

What was the US peak chart position of "Pour Some Sugar on Me"?

"Armageddon It" reached number three and "Rocket" number 12 from the same album.

Roughly how many copies has Hysteria sold worldwide?

It stayed on the charts for more than two years and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

How many singles from Hysteria charted on the US Hot 100?

"Women" scraped in at number 80 alongside the six Top 20 hits, a feat matched by only a handful of albums.

Which guitarist died in January 1991 from a mix of prescription drugs and alcohol?

His worsening alcoholism had already stalled the Adrenalize sessions; he had been granted six months' leave.

Def Leppard recorded which 1992 album as a four-piece?

It entered at number one in both the UK and US and sold more than eight million copies worldwide.

Vivian Campbell joined in 1992 after playing in which two bands?

Adrian Smith, John Sykes and Gary Hoey were among the other guitarists who auditioned.

Which 1992 single by the band topped the Billboard chart?

The album itself spent five weeks at number one in the US.

Which acoustic Top 5 hit appeared on the 1993 collection Retro Active?

The compilation gathered B-sides and unreleased material from the previous decade.

Which UK No. 2 hit featured on the 1995 greatest-hits album Vault?

Vault reached the Top 10 in several countries.

For their 1995 Guinness record, which three cities hosted the band's concerts in one day?

The stunt on 23 October promoted the Vault compilation.

Which 1996 album marked a drastic musical departure with darker lyrics and an alternative edge?

A remastered deluxe edition with 30 tracks finally appeared in 2014.

Which VH1 series revived the band's US fortunes in 1998?

Re-runs of their episode drew some of the series' highest ratings.

Which Queen guitarist inducted Def Leppard into Hollywood's RockWalk in 2000?

He did the honours again at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2019.

What was the title of the band's 2006 all-covers album?

It paid homage to Blondie, the Kinks, Sweet, ELO and Badfinger, among others.

Which country star co-wrote and sang on "Nine Lives" from Songs from the Sparkle Lounge?

The 2008 album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200.

Def Leppard taped a 2008 CMT Crossroads show in Nashville with which singer?

The DVD, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, was the best-selling DVD of its release week.

The band's 2013 Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel was titled what?

The two-part show had Def Leppard opening for themselves under an alias before playing Hysteria in full.

In which year was Def Leppard inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

The ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center also inducted past members Pete Willis and Steve Clark.

Def Leppard's 2022 album Diamond Star Halos takes its name from a lyric by which band?

The phrase comes from the Marc Bolan song "Get It On"; the lead single was "Kick".

Which ensemble performs on the 2023 reworkings album Drastic Symphonies?

Sixteen catalogue tracks were stripped down or re-recorded with newly composed orchestral parts.

The Stadium Tour, announced in 2019, paired Def Leppard with Poison, Joan Jett and which band?

Planned for 2020, it was pushed to 2021 and then 2022 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Which band is NOT among the other four with two US Diamond albums alongside Def Leppard?

The Beatles complete the list; Pyromania and Hysteria are the two albums.

Roughly how many records has Def Leppard sold worldwide?

They are counted among the world's best-selling music artists.

Which side band, playing Mott the Hoople covers, does the Def Leppard frontman lead?

He formed it with members of the Quireboys; Vivian Campbell's Dio tribute band is Last in Line.

In 2025 Def Leppard received a star on which landmark?

It came 25 years after their induction into Hollywood's RockWalk on Sunset Boulevard.

Which Def Leppard bassist has been with the band since its schoolboy beginnings?

He co-founded Atomic Mass in 1976 and remains the only original member from that line-up.