41 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's Breakthrough PYROMANIA Album Released In North America #Pyromania40

Saturday, 20th January 2024

41 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's Breakthrough PYROMANIA Album Released In North America

Def Leppard 1983

Def Leppard released their classic third studio album Pyromania on this day in 1983 in North America.

The band's third studio album had been released on 20th January 1983 in North America and Canada and soon after in the rest of the world.

It reached Number Two on the Billboard Top 200 chart in May 1983 spending two weeks there and eventually sold over 10 million copies around the world. The album sold over 7 million copies in the USA by late 1988 and eventually over 10 million.

The success of the album was helped by the three singles - 'Photograph', 'Rock Of Ages' and 'Foolin' which all reached the Top 20 or 30 on the Hot 100 singles chart between May and November 1983.

The album would achieve Diamond status with 10 million sales in July 2004. Their second Diamond Award after 'Hysteria'.

The making of the album began in January 1982 when the band commenced songwriting sessions in Sheffield before meeting up with producer Mutt Lange in London. Unlike the 'High 'n' Dry' album before it, Mutt became a sixth member of the band for the songwriting and arranging on 'Pyromania'.

The recording would begin under a cloud as the band's managers were involved in a legal dispute with the Leber-Krebs management company. They were also heading into major debt of almost £1 million as recording costs spiralled.

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