Editing Def Leppard (section)

=== ''On Through the Night'' and ''High 'n' Dry'' (1980–1981) ===
{{main|On Through the Night|High 'n' Dry}}

Def Leppard's debut album, ''[[On Through the Night]]'', was released on 14 March 1980. Although the album hit the Top 15 in the UK,<ref name="GB" >{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21191/def-leppard/ |title=Def Leppard Official Charts |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=13 August 2015}}</ref> many early fans were turned off by the perception that the band was trying too hard to appeal to American audiences by recording songs such as "Hello America" and touring more in the US (supporting [[Pat Travers]], [[AC/DC]], and [[Ted Nugent]]); a performance at the [[Reading Festival]] in August was marred when audience members expressed their displeasure by pelting the band with beer cans and bottles filled with urine. This incident was partially blamed on a cover story in ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' music newspaper by the journalist Geoff Barton titled, "Has the Leppard changed its spots?", accusing the band of selling out to the American market. In a documentary on the band recorded for [[BBC 2]], Barton recalls feelings of guilt over the story and having a "stand-up row" with the band's manager, Mensch, backstage at the show.<ref name="veoh.com"/><ref>Peter Buckley (2003) [https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PT287 The rough guide to rock]</ref><ref>Colin Larkin (1995) ''The Guinness encyclopedia of popular music'', Volumes 1–6. p.&nbsp;1118.</ref> In the documentary series ''[[Metal Evolution]]'', Joe Elliott says that the media had exaggerated the event and all bands on the day had experienced 'abuse' from the crowd.<ref>Metal Evolution, Season 1 Director [[Sam Dunn]]</ref>

The band had by then caught the attention of AC/DC producer [[Robert John "Mutt" Lange]], who agreed to work on their second album, ''[[High 'n' Dry]]'', released on 6{{nbsp}}July 1981. Lange's meticulous approach in the studio helped them begin to define their sound. Despite the album's unimpressive sales figures (it only peaked at number 26 in the UK and 38 in the US), the band's video for "[[Bringin' On the Heartbreak]]" became one of the first metal videos played on MTV in 1982, bringing the band increased visibility in the US.<ref>Daniel Bukszpan, Ronnie James Dio (2003) ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''</ref> The band continued to use the up-and-coming music television industry to reach fans over the years with their unique videos and the extravagance of their concerts.<ref>Robert Walser. "Def Leppard." ''Grove Music Online''. ''Oxford Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Web. 14 February 2016.</ref> After the album's release, European and American tours followed. The band opened for [[Ozzy Osbourne]] and [[Blackfoot (band)|Blackfoot]].<ref>[http://defleppard.com/band/index.html Band Biography]. DefLeppard.com. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223063516/http://defleppard.com/band/index.html |date=23 February 2006}}</ref>