Def Leppard are a pretty big deal. You might think they're just another hair metal band from the 1980s who had a good run, but they're one of the most successful musical acts of all time. Not only do they sport two diamond-certified albums with more than 10 million sales each (1983's "Pyromania" and 1987's "Hysteria"), they've also sold more than 100 million records worldwide. And there's also the fact that they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
With diamond RIAA certifications, Def Leppard, along with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Van Halen, are one of five rock bands with two original studio albums, each of whichhas sold over 10 million copies inthe UnitedStates. Both Pyromania and Hysteria include Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Def Leppard were one ofthe most successful British heavy metal bandsof the new wave inthe early 1980s. They combined the raw powerof metal witha pop emphasis on melody, catchy hooks and vocal harmonies that, especially later,stood in stark contrast tothe more hardcore modern metal and punk bands. Their early album Through the Night (1980)was likedby metal fans such as Dimebag Darrell from Pantera and Jeff Hanneman from Slayer. Their extremely popular later albums, such as Hysteria (1987),were characterized by perfectionism inthe studio, butwere likedby a wide rangeof music lovers. In 2006, the band received the "Legends of Sheffield" plaque in their hometown of Sheffield. Despite their huge commercial success, Elliott said inan interview that, in his opinion,the banddid not enjoythe proper respect of the British music press, and he said thatthe bandwas bannedfrom participating inthe BBC series "Later with Jools Holland" because they were "not coolenough". The band played a cameo role in the partially fictionalized film "Dave's Bank", released in January 2023. They simulated a fundraising concert at Turf Moor, Burnley.
So, yeah, a big deal. Def Leppard started off as baby-faced teenage sensations in England, then went on to perfect a sound that blended perfect pop hooks with crunchy metal guitar. But that doesn't mean their success came easy, or that they've lived any sort of charmed lives. In fact, it's been quite the opposite — Def Leppard spent years slaving over a single album, and they have withstood more than their fair share of tragedy and heartbreak.
In fact, once you dig into everything this band has been through, the fact that they're still together, still recording, and still touring is kind of remarkable. Here's the tragic real-life story of Def Leppard.
If you don't know anything else about Def Leppard, chances are you know that drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident. For reasons both obvious and not so obvious, this tragic event almost killed the band outright just as they were getting huge.
The Def Leppard Tour History explains that Allen was driving in Sheffield, England with his girlfriend, Miriam Barendsen, when he lost control of the vehicle while trying to overtake another car (some reports state he was drag-racing) on New Year's Eve 1984. He was wearing his seatbelt, but incredibly it tore his arm off as he was thrown through the sunroof. Even more incredibly, surgeons were initially able to reattach his arm, but within weeks it had to be amputated when infection set in.
Metalhead Zone reports that Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott was devastated by the news because he assumed, naturally enough, that Allen's drumming career was over. The band had been riding high on the success of their 1983 album, "Pyromania," which had become their huge breakout hit (via Ultimate Classic Rock). Allen's injury and his determination to re-learn his instrument despite the loss of his arm delayed their followup album, potentially costing the band crucial momentum in the fickle world of music.
But Allen's recovery was incredible. He had a custom drum kit created, reworked his style and many of his drum fills, and less than two years later was drumming in live performances again.
When the story of Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen losing his arm in an auto accident comes up, it's easy to focus on the inspiring aspects of it. As Louder explains, Allen initially thought his career was over, but he began tapping a foam insert on his hospital bed with his feet while listening to music. His friend Pete Harley built a custom electric drum kit for him, and Allen dedicated himself to learning a whole new way of drumming, leading to his triumphant return to live performances in 1986. After three gigs with a backup drummer just in case, Allen took over on his own.
That's an amazing story, but as Monterey County Weekly notes, it hides the darker side of Allen's recovery. Allen has admitted that by focusing exclusively on the band and getting back behind the drum kit, he didn't deal with his trauma at all. He began to self-medicate with alcohol, going to a very dark place. "I literally threw myself right back into the band, didn't do any work on myself or therapy," he told Monterey County Weekly. It all culminated in a 1997 domestic abuse charge. Allen pled guilty and was sentenced to community service and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. It wasn't until Allen met his future wife, a massage therapist, in 2000 – 16 years after his accident — that he began to confront his pain and heal.
Def Leppard - Let's Get Rocked (1992)
[Intro]
Do you wanna get rocked?
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
[Verse 1]
I'm your average ordinary everyday kid
Happy to do nothing, in fact that's what I did
I got a million ways to make my day but daddy don't agree
Because when I try to get away, he says, he got plans for me
"Get your butt right out of bed"
Stop bugging me
"Get up and move your sleepy head"
Don't shake my tree
He said, "Mow the lawn", who me?
"Walk the dog", not my style, man
"Take out the trash", no way
"Tidy your room", come on, get real
Sorry Dad, got to disappear
Let's get the rock out of here
[Chorus 1]
Seven day weekend, up all night
In at the deep end, hang on tight
It won't take a minute, it won't take long
So get on in it, come on, come on, come on
[Chorus 2]
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Let's go all the way, get it night and day
Come on, let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
[Verse 2]
I'm your average ordinary everyday dude
Driving with my baby to get her in the mood
She's dialing through my radio and I'm ready to make my move
What she got ain't rock 'n' roll and it really blew my groove
It was Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven
It makes me want to scream
Bach, Tchaikovsky, violins
Turn it off, that ain't my scene
Well, I'm sorry, girl, here's my confession
I suppose a rock's out of the question
[Chorus 1]
Seven day weekend, up all night
In at the deep end, hang on tight
It won't take a minute, it won't take long
So get on in it, come on, come on, come on
[Chorus 2]
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Let's go all the way, get it night and day
Come on, let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
[Verse 3]
Hey, all I want to do is take a ride into the blue
Every time I want to love you, I get stuck inside my room
Heaven knows I'm sick and tired of dancing with this broom
I feel lucky today
Hey, look at that, man
Do you want to get rocked?
Do you want to get rocked?
Ho, it won't take you a minute
It won't take that long
So get on, get with it
Oh, come on everybody
[Chorus 2]
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Get on top baby
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Do you wanna, do you wanna?
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Get on top of it
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Love to rock your body baby
Let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
Let's go all the way, get it night and day
Let's get out and play, rock the night away
Come on, let's get, let's get, let's get, let's get rocked
[Outro]
Do you want to get rocked?