<P> In November, just prior to recording sessions for what would be a three - song release known as The Def Leppard E.P., Kenning abruptly left the band; he would later form the band Cairo . He was replaced for those sessions by Frank Noon . By the end of the month, 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 renowned BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, considered at the time to be a champion of punk rock and new wave music . </P> <P> Throughout 1979, the band developed a loyal following among British hard rock and heavy metal fans and were considered among the leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal movement . 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 . </P> <P> 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, 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 music newspaper by the journalist Geoff Barton entitled "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 . In the documentary series Metal Evolution, Joe Elliott says that the media had exaggerated the event and all bands on the day had experienced the' abuse' from the crowd . </P> <P> 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 11 July 1981 . Lange's meticulous approach in the studio helped them begin to define their sound . Despite the album's unimpressive sales figures, 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 U.S. 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 . After the album's release, European and American tours followed . The band opened for Ozzy Osbourne and Blackfoot . </P>

When did def leppard release their first album