Def Leppard News - 29 Years Ago Def Leppard Perform PSSOM On Top Of The Pops (Video)

29 Years Ago Def Leppard Perform PSSOM On Top Of The Pops (Video)

Saturday, 17th September 2016

Def Leppard 1987.
Screenshot by dltourhistory

Def Leppard performed their classic single Pour Some Sugar On Me on BBC music show Top Of The Pops 29 years ago on this day in 1987.

The single had been released on 7th September in the UK and would go on to peak at Number 18.

They had performed the song earlier in the week on The Roxy on rival channel ITV.

This was their second Top Of The Pops appearance following Animal in August.

'Animal' was still in the charts when 'PSSOM' entered a few days after this show. The 1987 video shows the new entry position of 31 with the charts not announced until a few days after.

This performance was taped the day before which delayed their show up in Newcastle. They had to catch a flight to make the show which was delayed until 10:30pm, over two hours after the scheduled start time.

This episode was presented by DJs Mike Smith and Gary Davies.

The performance features some fun interaction between Phil and Steve. Phil is seen (once again) wearing a cut-off version of the same Metallica T-Shirt that Rick wore in the UK promo video.

Def Leppard 1987.
Screenshot by dltourhistory

Other performers on the show included Cliff Richard and Rick Astley again (who was at Number One for five weeks at the time).

Top Of The Pops - 17th September 1987

01 - Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me
02 - Luther Vandross - Stop To Love (Video)
03 - House Master Boyz & The Rude Boy Of House - House Nation
04 - Cliff Richard - Some People
05 - The Communards - Tomorrow
07 - Karel Fialka - Hey Matthew
08 - Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
09 - M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume (Video)

Joe Elliott 16th September 1987 - Onstage Quotes

(After Animal) "Thank you. You bought it. Bit of class in the Top Ten for once. Well, we're late. We know we're late. We're very sorry. But at least I'll tell you this much. Amongst all this shit like The Communards and Terence Trent D'arby. Def Leppard are on Top Of The Pops tomorrow night."

"It's been a long time coming Newcastle. It's been three and a half years. A lot of shit. A lot of ups and a lot of downs. But I think it's fair to say the biggest up we ever had, The return of the Thundergod!."

Watch two versions of the performance on this YouTube Playlist which also includes 'Animal'.