Def Leppard: what are the biggest hits of the Sheffield rock band set to play at Bramall Lane?

Def Leppard have announced a homecoming gig in Sheffield as part of their ‘The World Tour’.

The band will play alongside rock legends Mötley Crüe at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground on Monday 22 May 2023.

It will be the first gig of their European leg and the first of four UK dates. But who are Def Leppard, and what songs are they known for?

Who are Def Leppard?

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1976 and rose to prominence in the 1980s as part of the British heavy metal movement.

The band, consisting of lead vocalist Joe Elliott, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell on guitar, bassist Rick Savage, and Rick Allen on drums, are hailed as one of the world’s greatest.

They have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Since 2018, their songs have been streamed 5.5 billion times and averaged 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone in 2021.

They are one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling more than 10 million copies in the US - the others include the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Van Halen.

What are their biggest hits?

Def Leppard’s biggest hits include Hysteria, Love Bites and Pour Some Sugar on Me.

Their studio album Pyromania was released in January 1983 and was a catalyst to the band’s success in the states, although it was not as successful in the UK, where it reached number 18 on the album chart.

The lead single, “Photograph” held the number 1 position on the US Album Rock Track Chart for six weeks, while the second single, ‘Rock of Ages, also reached number 1 on the Rock Tracks chart, with both singles reaching the Top 20 of the Hot 100

Def Leppard’s fourth album, Hysteria, was released on 3 August 1987, and topped the UK Album Charts in its first week of release.

It featured hits including “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, which is regarded as the band’s signature song, and “Love Bites“, Def Leppard’s only number-one single and last top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100

In May, Def Leppard released their 12th studio album, Diamond Star Halos, which debuted at number one on both the Apple and Amazon Music charts.

Why are they named Def Leppard?

The name “Deaf Leppard” was first coined by lead singer Joe Elliot while designing band posters in art class at school.

The spelling was slightly modified as the band’s members did not want people to assume they were a punk band.

When are Def Leppard touring?

The band have just completed a huge North American tour, for which more than 1.3 million tickets were sold.

This week they announced a huge world tour that will begin on 18 February, next year, in Mexico City and conclude at Hampden Park on 6 July.

Speaking about Def Leppard’s tour, lead singer Joe Elliott said: “After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US and Canada this year, we’re beyond thrilled to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield, where it all started for us 45 years ago. We’re looking forward to seeing you out there, somewhere soon!”

The band are scheduled to play in the following UK cities:

• Sheffield, Bramall Lane - 22 May 2023
• London, Wembley Stadium - 1 July 2023
• Lytham Festival - 2 July 2023
• Glasgow, Hampden Park Stadium - July 2023

How can I get tickets for the tour?

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe will have numerous presales, with the first being an artist presale on Tuesday 25 October, at 10 am.

There will be an O2 Priority presale on Wednesday 26 October, at 10 am, followed by a Live Nation presale on Thursday 27 October at 10 am - all via Ticketmaster.

Tickets go on general sale on Friday 28 October, at 10 am via Ticketmaster.