Def Leppard is an English group formed in 1977 in Sheffield who can boast of having sold no less than 100 million records worldwide to date. Group made up in its early days of Rick Savage, Tony Kenning and Pete Willis. Which will be joined quickly by Joe Elliott, then by Steve Clark.
Initially the group is called Atomic Masset it is precisely Elliott who then proposed the name Deaf Leopard. Name that doesn't sound rocky enough to others, hence the name Def Leppard.
They will have to wait until 1979 to experience their first - small - success with the title "Wasted", a title which still allows them to go from shadow to light.
A year later in 1980 released their first album "On through the night", album rather well received by the public, at first. An album all the same which will create controversy because English fans accuse the group of betting everything on the American public, in particular through songs like "Hello America". Disgruntled fans who will even go so far as to throw beer cans filled with urine on stage during the band's concert during the Reading Festival which takes place in August that year !
The year 1981 saw the release of the album "High ‘n’ dry", an album which was to be very successful, especially in the USA. But the group is still struggling to produce a major hit that would finally allow him to pass in the big leagues.
They will have to wait for the year 1983 and the album "Pyromania" to finally move up a gear, in particular thanks to 2 singles that are "Photograph", but also and above all, "Rock of ages", a flagship single that offers them finally their first real global success. But an album which, despite its 11 million copies sold, is still controversial, not with the fans this time around but with its cover which represents a burning skyscraper topped with a target in the middle ...
Four years passed before the album "Hysteria" was released in 1987, an album of all records and above all of consecration. An album that will produce on its own no less than 6 mega planetary hits, just that ! 6 mega hits that will be released over three consecutive years, something extremely rare. Starting with "Animal", "Hysteria" and "Pour some sugar on me" in 1987. "Love bites" and "Armageddon it" in 1988 and finally "Rocket" in 1989. Album which will ultimately sell for 25 million copies. The group then becomes one of the biggest phenomena of the moment.
Despite this colossal success, the group suffered several tragedies, with drummer Rick Allen losing his left arm in a car accident in 1984 and Steve Clark dying in 1991 of an alcohol and drug overdose.
Tragedies which did not prevent the group from releasing a new album "Adrenalize" in 1992, album which will do almost as strong as its predecessor. Notably with titles like "Let’s get rocked", "Make love like man" and "Have you ever needed someone so bad".
The group remains in the leading pack without any problem at the start of the new decade, but the competition is getting tougher, especially the grunge wave that is starting to sweep across the planet.
An album of Face B and old singles which were sleeping in the boxes was released in 1993 under the name "Retro active". The album by itself would only have average success, however, the single "Two stemps behind" from which it was taken was going to be a hit.
New notorious hit in 1995 with the single "When love & hate collide" but which will unfortunately be their last. The 2 albums which will follow, "Slang" in 1996 and "Euphoria" in 1999, do not find their public, in part following the changes of sound operated by the group. And while both albums have sizable sales scores, neither will be able to produce any global class hits like those produced in the past.
But the adventure did not end there and continued for the next decade. But that's another story…
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Wasted 1979
Hello America 1980
Photograph 1983
Rock of ages 1983
Foolin 1983
Too late for love 1983
Bringin’ on the heartbreak 1984
Women 1987
Animal 1987
Hysteria 1987
Pour some sugar on me 1987
Love bites 1988
Armagedon it 1988
Rocket 1989
Let’s get rocked 1992
Make love like a man 1992
Have you ever needed someone so bad 1992
Stand up (Kick love into motion) 1992
Heaven is 1993
Tonight 1993
Two steps behind 1993
Miss you in a heartbeat 1994
Action 1994
When love & hate collide 1995
Work it out 1996
Promises 1999
Paper sun 1999
Goodbye 1999
Day after day 2000
Now 2002
Four letter word 2002
Long, long way to go 2003
No matter what 2005
Rock on 2006
20th century boy 2006
Nine lives 2008
C'mon C'mon 2008
Undefeated 2011
It's all about believin' 2012
Let's go 2015
Dangerous 2016
Man enough 2016
We belong 2016
Personal Jésus 2018
We all need Christmas 2018
Kick 2022
Clips :
1979 ... an adventure that starts off perfectly with a first classified title. An encouraging start to say the least ...
1980 ... a successful transition to the 80s with an obvious rise in power and above all a very good omen for the future
1983 ... after a surprisingly empty year 1982, the group is back in great shape and signs its first global top hit. It all smells good !
1983 ... no title in 1982 and a record number of titles in 1983, go figure. What is certain is that the group's fame at the planetary level is expanding exponentially ...
1983 ... third top hit ! The group begins to unroll in a more and more impressive way and becomes more and more one of the big phenomena of the moment
1983 ... a 1983 year that never ends. The group is on an incredible dynamic which takes him to the heights at the speed of light
1984 ... like any world-class Hard band, they had to line up at least one very high-caliber Intimist track. It is now done !
1987 ... well, this time it's a 2 years air hole. So back in this year 1987 with this title of obvious quality and which sees them especially find the leading pack
1987 ... then THIS title comes ! The group goes squarely into the dimension of the very Great. Here, they sign an enormous global hit which ideally positions them as the essentials of the end of the decade
1987 ... an exceptional year in all respects with this 2nd global mega hit in the wake. A level of success among the best of the moment and above all well deserved !
1987 ... three mega planetary hits for this year 1987 alone ! It was worth taking a break for the past 2 years, that's for sure !
1988 ... a year 1988 which starts again on the same bases as the previous year. The group delivers here an absolutely sumptuous Intimist track which demonstrates a truly extraordinary talent in this field. MA-GIC !
1988 ... anyway, their talent is incredible in all areas. The planetary mega hits are linked together at a truly astounding speed and nothing, and no one, is able at that time to counter them
1989 ... the second half of a decade that literally saw them explode. And one might think that the transition to the following decade will see them decrease in intensity. Oh no, it will even be quite the opposite !
1992 ... nice 3 years air hole and return to Olympic form in the 90s. To such an extent that they are going to sign here quite simply the biggest success of all their single discography. MAS-TER-FUL !
1992 ... a style that really stands out, but which they will have been able to develop very well over time. Hence the fact that they maintain themselves in the Elite with such ease
1992 ... we set off again in the luxury Ultimate Slow, a specialty in which they are truly among the best. MA-GIC once again !
1992 ... and yes, we are still in 1992. They hadn't done anything for 3 years, they took their time but when you see the result, it was worth the wait !
1993 ... a sound that remains trendy despite the fact that their original musical movement is increasingly running out of steam. But when we have talent, whatever the sound, we last, we last, we last ...
1993 ... a year 1993 a slight notch below the year 1992 but the level remains particularly high all the same. Notably thanks to Intimist titles of this caliber !
1993 ... with them, the basic union rate is at least one planetary mega hit per year and has been for several years. And it's far from over ...
1994 ... we continue in the Intimist, surprising from a group more specially oriented in the very punchy. But it is the strength of the Great in knowing how to keep up with the times ...
1994 ... there, the group finds its fundamentals and takes the opportunity to switch to supersonic speed. Unfortunately, it no longer pays for them ...
1995 ... after a year 1994 which will have seen them stand still, we find them in this year 1995 once again in the Intimist. And it is undeniably this area in which they record their biggest scores. The proof with this title !
1996 ... only one title for the year 1995 and then goes. Here they are in this new year 1996 again in supercharged mode. Who says boosted, says lagging success concerning them. Something that will be verified once again on this title
1999 ... new 3 years air hole. Once again a winner with this new top hit. Admittedly, the level of success no longer has anything to do with what they experienced 10 years ago, but it remains high no matter what...
1999...a year 1999 provided with titles of more than certain quality. Admittedly, this title will experience an average level of success, but it holds up, it is clear...
1999...another excellent job with this title which works perfectly. A beautiful adventure that is far from over because we will find them the following decade...
2000...and here they are in this new decade 2000, one more ! You have to remember that they started their adventure in 1979, which is already 21 years of career on the clock. A flattering longevity !
2002... not only did they last but they were also going to offer themselves here one of their biggest successes, yes, yes, it's possible ! Like what, in the musical field, everything is always possible !
2002...almost impossible for this title to compete with its predecessor as the bar has been set high. But it is far from unworthy, that's clear...
2003...we're not going to lie to each other, it's clear that the best years are now behind them. But as long as the quality is still there, we will be satisfied with what they continue to offer...
2005...nothing in 2004 and return in 2005 in luxury cover mode. They revisit here the title of Badfinger dating from 1970 and deliver a very nice version my faith...
2006...new luxury cover this time on the title of David Essex dating from 1973. It starts from a good feeling to want to revisit good old standards of the past years but it will not bring them more than that unfortunately. ..
2006...decidedly, they only do in the cover. This time it's a T. Rex title dating from 1973 that they are bringing up to date with a nice success of esteem in Canada. It's always better than nothing as they say...
2008...no matter the results in the Charts, the main thing is to participate for the group from now on. And above all, continue to have fun in what they do...
2008...the albums continue to do well on the Charts side, but the Singles find an echo with the general public, to say the least limited. Only the basic fans are still there now...
2011...we will lose sight of them for 3 years and here they are back in this new decade of 2010. Will this decade be that of renewal or of the slow but irreversible shelving ? The future will tell us...
2012...a beginning of the decade where the production of titles remains minimalist. Afterwards it is better to favor quality over quantity and we can say that for the moment this is the case...
2015...new 3 years air hole, it's becoming a habit with them. But they keep coming back again and again and probably don't intend to hang up the gloves just yet...
2016...after several years of minimalist production, the band decided to take matters into their own hands. A year 2016 which will therefore be a little more provided in terms of titles offered...
2016... of course, more titles will not necessarily mean a return to success in the Charts, but the group continues to believe in it in any case. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else...
2016...three titles just for this year 2016, it hadn't happened to the band for a long time. What is certain is that the three titles will have been of certain quality...
2018...reviving Depeche Mode from 1989 is a particularly daring gamble. And yet the group is going to get away with it pretty well on this one...
2018... here they come to the end of their 5th decade of career, who would have believed it ? An exceptional longevity that is only found with the greatest as always...
2022...and here they are again ! You have to know, with them, nothing is ever over. So we imagine that this title will surely not be the last, that's for sure...
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Greatest Hits :
Discography :