Editing Def Leppard (section)

=== Atomic Mass and formation (1976–1979) ===
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[[Rick Savage]], Tony Kenning, and Pete Doubleday, all students at [[Tapton School]] in [[Sheffield]], South Yorkshire, formed a band called [[List of Atomic Mass & Def Leppard members#Atomic Mass members|Atomic Mass]] in 1976. [[Pete Willis]] joined in 1977, departing briefly but returning full time. The band originally consisted of Doubleday (and later Willis) on guitar, Savage on bass guitar after briefly playing guitar, Kenning on drums, Andy Nicholas on bass and Nick Mackley on lead vocals. Other members to come and go were Paul Holland (vocals), Melanie Davis (guitars, keyboards, violin, bass), Paul Hampshire (lead guitar) and Nick Hawnt (vocals).<ref>Kenning, Tony (2019), My Life Time With Def Leppard and Other Bands, Amazon, p. 14. ISBN 9781999695415</ref> Only 18 at the time, [[Joe Elliott]] tried out for the band as a guitarist following a chance meeting with Willis after missing a bus in November 1977.<ref>{{cite news |title=About Joe and Def Leppard |url=https://www.planetrock.com/on-air/joe-elliott/about-joe-and-def-leppard/ |access-date=13 December 2018 |work=Planet Rock}}</ref> During his audition it was decided that he was better suited to be the lead singer. The band's initial rehearsals took place at [[Portland Works]], and their first gig was in the dining hall in A Block in [[Westfield School, Sheffield|Westfield School]] in [[Mosborough]], Sheffield.<ref>Frame, Pete (1999). ''Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland''. p.&nbsp;211. Music Sales Group.</ref>

Elliott proposed the name "'''Deaf Leopard'''" which was originally a band name he thought of while designing band posters in art class.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BA5dezB7Z74 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/BA5dezB7Z74| archive-date=29 October 2021|title=The First Time with Joe Elliott |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=30 April 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Konow, David (2003). ''Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal'', p.&nbsp;131. Turnaround, {{ISBN|978-0609807323}}.</ref> At Kenning's suggestion, the spelling was slightly modified to make the name seem less like that of a punk band.<ref>Laura S. Jeffrey (2011). Def Leppard: Arena Rock Band. P. 26, 27. Enslow Publishing, LLC,</ref> In January 1978, [[Steve Clark]] joined the band. According to Elliott, he successfully auditioned for the band by playing [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]'s "[[Free Bird]]" in its entirety.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prato |first=Greg |title=Steve Clark Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-clark-mn0000039975 |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

In November, just prior to recording sessions for a three-song release known as ''[[The Def Leppard E.P.]]'', Kenning abruptly left the band; he later formed the band Cairo. He was replaced for those sessions by [[Frank Noon]]. By the end of the month, [[Rick Allen (drummer)|Rick Allen]], then only 15 years old, had joined the band as its full-time drummer. Sales of the EP soared after the track "Getcha Rocks Off" was given extensive airtime by [[BBC Radio 1]] DJ [[John Peel]], considered at the time to be a champion of [[punk rock]] and [[new wave music]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bronson |first1=Fred |title=The Billboard book of number one hits |date=1997 |publisher=Billboard Books |location=New York |isbn=0823076415 |page=709 |edition=4th}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hann |first1=Michael |title='It had to be raw and dangerous' – Def Leppard, Saxon and Venom on 80s British metal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/16/it-had-to-be-raw-and-dangerous-def-leppard-saxon-and-venom-on-the-british-metal-revival |website=The Guardian |date=16 May 2019 |access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>

Throughout 1979, the band developed a loyal following among British [[hard rock]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] fans and were considered among the leaders of the [[new wave of British heavy metal]] movement.<ref>Macmillan, Malc (2012). The N.W.O.B.H.M. Encyclopaedia. p. 148. Iron Pages Books (3 ed.). Berlin, Germany: I.P. Verlag Jeske/Mader GbR.</ref> Their growing popularity led to a record deal with the major label Phonogram/Vertigo (Mercury Records in the US). Def Leppard's original management, MSB, a local duo consisting of Pete Martin and Frank Stuart-Brown, were fired after Martin and Joe Elliott got into a fistfight over an incident on the road. The band approached [[Peter Mensch]] of Leber-Krebs management, who had booked them on a tour of the UK supporting [[AC/DC]]. Mensch, who admitted that he had had his eye on the band, became their manager.<ref name="veoh.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.veoh.com/watch/v7578164ZNSqXrnq?h1=Rock+Of+Ages+-+The+Def+Leppard+Story |title=Rock of Ages—The Def Leppard Story |publisher=Veoh.com |date=2 May 2008 |access-date=17 April 2014}}</ref>