def leppard tour 1979

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Def Leppard Reflects on the ‘Early Years’ and Why Those Iron Maiden Comparisons Were ‘Tiresome’

The just-released five-disc box set The Early Years 79-81 (Mercury, March 20) displays a grittier, more metallic sound than Def Leppard’s most popular material. The band assembled the collection to…

By Jon Wiederhorn

Jon Wiederhorn

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Best known for ’80s hard-rock fist-raisers such as “Rock of Ages” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” as well as pioneering hair metal ballads including “Hysteria” and “Love Bites,” Def Leppard is looking forward to playing their hits. The plan is to do it during the Stadium Tour with Motley Crue and guests Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, which the band hopes to launch June 18 in Jacksonville, Fla., at the TIAA Bank Field.

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Right now, however, vocalist Joe Elliott and bassist Rick Savage are focusing on the just-released five-disc box set The Early Years 79-81 (Mercury, March 20), which displays a grittier, more metallic sound than Def Leppard’s most popular material. The band assembled the collection to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their major-label debut, 1980’s On Through the Night . In addition to featuring remasters of that album and 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry , the set includes the group’s first studio recording, alternate song takes, B-sides and live recordings.

“The bottom part of an Apollo rocket gets you off the ground and moves you into another stratosphere, but then it just pulls away and it’s gone,” says Elliott of the motivation for compiling The Early Years 79-81 . “Music’s not like that because people can always go and revisit your history. So we dressed it all up in a physical box with a book and included things people never have heard before.”

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The earliest material in the compilation are the three songs from 1979’s self-produced, self-released The Def Leppard E.P. that gave the band liftoff. Like many of the act’s releases, the EP wasn’t created as it was originally planned. A week before it was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull, England, co-founder and drummer Tony Kenning stopped showing up at practice. He was fired, and local musician Frank Noon of The Next Band filled in for the afternoon session.

Chester Bennington's Pre-Linkin Park Band Grey Daze Reaches Top 10 on Mainstream Rock Songs

The next day, Def Leppard hired 15-year-old Rick Allen, who had replied to a newspaper ad the band had placed for a new drummer. “He came down to the rehearsal and blew us away with his technique and musicianship,” recalls Savage. “He was young, but he had been playing in bands since he was 10, and for many years, he was the most accomplished musician in the band.”

Def Leppard’s first step toward fame came in January 1979 when Elliott attended a University of Sheffield DJ event attended by BBC radio legend John Peel. Afterward, the singer sidled up to Peel and handed him the EP. “I asked him if he’d give it a listen, and he asked me to write my phone number on it,” says Elliott. “Soon after, he called me up and said, ‘OK, I’m playing it tonight.’ He played a song a night for five straight nights.”

Other DJs followed Peel’s lead, and a couple of BBC studio sessions (featured in the box set) later, Def Leppard was signed. At the end of 1979, the band entered Startling Studios in Ascot, England, with producer Tom Allom (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest). The group recorded 11 songs for On Through the Night , which was heavily influenced by Thin Lizzy, UFO and Aerosmith. Acting more like an engineer than a producer, Allom encouraged Def Leppard to be themselves and he would capture their energy. In retrospect, Elliott wished Allom had been less involved.

“Basically, On Through the Night was a diary entry of what we had been doing for the previous year,” says Elliott. “We got all of the backing tracks done in a day and then spent three weeks ruining the album with too many overdubs, leaving me three days to do all the vocals, which really wasn’t enough time.”

Nonetheless, On Through the Night charted at No. 15 in the United Kingdom, and the metal press championed the band, crowning it a leader of the new wave of British heavy metal along with Iron Maiden, Saxon and Tygers of Pan Tang. While Def Leppard enjoyed the adulation, they never liked being categorized.

“We didn’t agree that our music was anything like Iron Maiden’s,” explains Savage. “And it became a little tiresome because everyone wanted to talk about that all the time when we didn’t feel like we fit the category.”

Def Leppard also seemed to set its sights on the North American market. The band embarked on a 10-week U.S. tour opening for the Pat Travers Band and Judas Priest, which miffed some British fans.  On Through the Night ’s euphoric track “Hello America” didn’t help dissuade those who accused Def Leppard of being turncoats, either. When the band took the stage at the Reading Festival in August 1980, they were greeted with boos and projectiles.

“Within 20 seconds of us starting to play, this can of beer went flying through the air, hit my guitar strap and splashed all over,” recalls Savage. “I was lucky I was only hit by beer because some people were throwing bottles of piss.”

When Def Leppard announced Robert John “Mutt” Lange would produce the next record, fans were intrigued because Lange had worked miracles for AC/DC, Foreigner and others. The band also was enthused, but pre-production was delayed after Lange’s sessions for Foreigner ’s 1981 classic 4 ran long and Def Leppard was financially strapped.

“It should have been a great time for us, but it was actually depressing,” says Elliott. “In the winter of ’80, I had to work for my girlfriend’s father hauling bricks at a building site in Sheffield because we couldn’t afford to live on the paltry retainer from the record company.”

While waiting to enter the studio, the band reworked such old songs as the midtempo “Lady Strange” and wrote a batch of new ones, including “Bringing on the Heartbreak.” Originally, the latter track was slow and dreary — far from the breakthrough power ballad it later became. “When we wrote it, it was cold and overcast, and we were at a factory in Dronfield, which is where Rick’s mom used to work,” says Elliott. “At the time, it was just another song. We never imagined it would become this big thing.”

In February 1981, Def Leppard finally started working with Lange. Like its predecessor, High ‘n’ Dry was rooted in bluesy English hard rock, but the influence of AC/DC (with whom Lange had recently worked) was evident in the jagged riffing and howling vocals. But being subjected to Lange’s perfectionist work ethic and exacting standards was a real wakeup call.

“It was full-on boot camp, which was insanely difficult for us because the environment wasn’t very rock’n’roll,” says Elliott. “We had to listen to him and follow his lead to get the record done. We were like headless chickens going, ‘Yes, sir; no, sir; three bags full, sir.’ ”

“Mutt came in and took the songs completely apart,” adds Savage. “He literally became the sixth member of the band in every sense, from helping with the songwriting to working on the arrangements and, obviously, the production.”

Lange was especially hard on Elliott, who was forced to sing parts repeatedly until he got them right or his throat was too sore to continue. “In the end, he did a great job with my vocals, but it was a struggle. [Drumsticks] got thrown and [drinking] glasses got thrown. Language got thrown all the time: ‘F–k you. I ain’t doing this s–t.’ I’d walk out, but then I’d always end up coming back a couple hours later. Big hugs and then, ‘OK, let’s get on with it.’ ”

High ‘n’ Dry arrived on both sides of the pond in July 1981 to universal acclaim. It reached No. 26 and No. 38 in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively, thanks in part to the video for “Bringing on the Heartbreak” receiving regular MTV airplay. In December 1982, the album went gold in North America, then platinum in November 1983. Its success boosted sales of the now-platinum On Through the Night to gold in November 1983.

Rock Hall Inductees Def Leppard & Bryan Ferry Reflect on Their Careers

From June to December 1981, Def Leppard opened for Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow and Blackfoot, and headlined their own shows between major tours. Having a hit video drew more young women, and before the band members could say “groupie,” they were having the time of their lives. “As a kid in Sheffield, I couldn’t get a date to save my life,” says Elliott. “But as soon as you’re in a successful band, you don’t have to try.”

Some members were partying harder than others, and original guitarist Pete Willis was one of them, according to Savage. “We all drank back then to celebrate after the shows,” he says. “But [guitarist] Steve [Clark] and especially Pete were starting to be overly influenced by wanting to get drunk all the time. That was what worried us.”

Elliott adds that the beginning of the end with Willis came during a flight from London to America. “By the time we landed, he couldn’t walk,” the vocalist claims. “Throughout the tour, he got worse and worse. We kept threatening him. We gave him 100 last warnings.”

After completing the High ‘n’ Dry World Tour, Willis was forced out in July 1982 and replaced by Phil Collen from the band Girl. With the twin-guitar lineup of Collen and Clark, Def Leppard began its transformation from rock stars to superstars. However, tragedy lay ahead.

On New Year’s Eve 1984, Allen’s left arm was severed when his Corvette swerved off a highway in Sheffield and he was thrown from the vehicle. After recovering, he relearned how to play drums using his left foot to trigger samples. And in January 1991, Clark — who was on a six-month hiatus from the band — died from a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was replaced by Vivian Campbell (Dio, Whitesnake) in April 1992.

Four decades have passed since On Through the Night arrived, but Elliott says the lessons he and Savage have learned during that time are invaluable. “As kids, we were absolute dreamers,” he says. “Our path to success was very different than we thought it would be. But everything we learned in those formative years gave us the fuel to be here now and still be making music, which is all I ever wanted to do.”

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Get Ready for: Def Leppard’s 2024 Tour – What You Need to Know

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The rock of ages is still rollin’ as Def Leppard depart on the 2024 Summer Stadium Tour with co-headliners, Journey . Although the two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands have previously shared the top bill before, nothing tops the size and scale of their 27-city North American trek.

The hysteria begins when The Summer Stadium Tour opens in St. Louis on July 6. The band is set to hit some classic ballparks like Chicago’s Wrigley Field on July 15 and Boston’s Fenway Park on August 5 and take the field at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on July 20 and Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium on August 25. As a closer, Def Leppard will play at Coors Field in Denver on September 8.

Below, find everything you need to know to get ready after snagging Def Leppard tickets or risk bringin’ on the heartbreak before the show.

Who are Def Leppard?

Def Leppard are a hard rock quintet from Sheffield, England. The band formed in 1977 and has featured frontman Joe Elliott, guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen since 1992. Across 12 studio albums, Def Leppard have sold over 100 million records and notched 15 Top 40 singles such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages” and the chart-topping 1988 hit “Love Bites.” The group are one of the only musical acts to have earned two diamond certifications, for 1983’s Pyromania and 1987’s Hysteria , and the latter has since surpassed 20 million copies sold worldwide. Def Leppard were influential in the ’80s hair metal scene, but have continued to rock with eight Top 10 albums including their 2022 album, Diamond Star Halos . In 2019, Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

How to Get Tickets for Def Leppard Concerts

Def Leppard tickets for The Summer Stadium Tour and VIP packages are available via Ticketmaster. Standard Tickets and VIP packages are still available for many dates.

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Def Leppard Discography

• On Through the Night (1980)
• High ‘n’ Dry (1981)
• Pyromania (1983)
• Hysteria (1987)
• Adrenalize (1992)
• Slang (1996)
• Euphoria (1999)
• Yeah! (2006)
• Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
• Def Leppard (2015)
• Diamond Star Halos (2022)

What to Know for Def Leppard’s The Summer Stadium Tour

If the first extended stadium run shared by Def Leppard and Journey isn’t sweet enough, let’s pour some sugar on the situation: select dates on The Summer Stadium Tour will feature fellow Rock Hall inductees Cheap Trick , Steve Miller Band and HEART . The all-star lineup of The Summer Stadium Tour matches the standard set by Def Leppard’s last two live treks, 2022’s The Stadium Tour and 2023’s The World Tour, which included Mötley Crüe , Alice Cooper , Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts .

Def Leppard have enough hit songs to fill a setlist, plus a whole host of fresh material from their 2022 album Diamond Star Halos . However, the band has delivered more to fans with their 2024 single “Just Like 73” featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello . The song received its live debut at a SiriusXM Classic Rewind event in June 2024, Def Leppard’s first U.S. performance of the year, where the band also played two Pyromania live rarities, “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and “Comin’ Under Fire.”

Is There an Opening Act for The Summer Stadium Tour?

Def Leppard’s 2024 Summer Stadium Tour will feature co-headliners Journey as well as special guests Cheap Trick , Steve Miller Band and HEART on select dates. Cheap Trick will open and close the tour, while Steve Miller Band appears for the majority of the dates and HEART joins for shows in Cleveland on July 30, Toronto on August 2 and Boston on August 5.

How Long is a Def Leppard Concert?

For The World Tour in 2023, Def Leppard’s set typically lasted about one hour and 30 minutes and spanned 17 songs. Check back for updated concert information once The Summer Stadium Tour launches in July.

Where Can I See Def Leppard on The Summer Stadium Tour?

Def Leppard’s 2024 Summer Stadium Tour will make stops at the following cities across North America:

• 07/06 – Saint Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium ^
• 07/10 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium ^
• 07/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park *
• 07/15 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field *
• 07/18 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park *
• 07/20 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium *
• 07/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park *
• 07/25 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium *
• 07/27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park *
• 07/30 – Cleveland, OH @ Progressive Field +
• 08/02 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre +
• 08/05 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park +
• 08/07 – Queens, NY @ Citi Field *
• 08/12 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field *
• 08/14 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park *
• 08/16 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome *
• 08/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Field *
• 08/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field *
• 08/25 – Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium *
• 08/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park *
• 08/30 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park *
• 09/02 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
• 09/04 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park ^
• 09/08 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field ^

* = w/ Steve Miller Band

^ = w/ Cheap Trick

+ = w/ HEART

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ac/dc tour history

1979 "Highway To Hell" UK Tour

Sat. 27 oct. 1979 : glasgow, uk (apollo theatre).

Most probable set list. Alternates between Problem Child and Walk All Over You, first encore alternates between If You Want Blood and T.N.T.

• Shot Down In Flames
• Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
• Problem Child
• Walk All Over You
• Bad Boy Boogie
• Highway To Hell
• High Voltage
• Girls Got Rhythm
• Whole Lotta Rosie
• If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
• Let There Be Rock

Supported by: Def Leppard

Tickets: 2.75 / 3.75 Pounds

Promoter: M.C.P.

Fan reviews:

By william binnie, France : Met Bon Scott in his hotel room, they were staying in the Albany, he said he has been in bigger jail cells than his hotel room. The concert was simply out of this world. Long live the memories of both Bon Scott and the Glasgow Apollo.

By Tam Short, Glenrothes : Ive still got Bons autograph from this concert, met him outside the Albany hotel, sneaked inside and sat beside Malcolm too, got malcolm and angus autographs too, but meeting Bon was the making of my night,the show was great too,missed the connecting train to fife in edinburgh so had to spend the night in waverley station but i didnt care how cold it got,i had my precious autographs!! never dreamt for one minute that would be the last time i would see my hero perform on stage,,,,,,,r.i.p. Bon Scott

By John donnelly, Glasgow : First concert I ever went to. I thought all concerts were this amazing, including support by Def Leppard. 40 years later still waiting for it to be bettered...

By Paul Hughes, Glasgow : Went to gig on 27th October 79 front row stalls not best view but brilliant. Found out band staying at Albany hotel so returned to Glasgow next day with my programme hoping to get it signed. When I arrived there were fans outside and Bon appeared at room window and gave us a wave. That was it, 6th floor time for action. The Albany had a glass fronted entrance and you could see the elevator and what floor it was on. The manager was keeping watch as there had been a couple of failed attempts so timing had to be perfect. I was 15 at the time and 5ft 3, the pal I was with was 17 and about a foot taller. We waited till the manager was at the opposite end of the reception area and when the lift doors opened we made a dash for it. The manager spotted us and ran towards us but was to late the door shut button 6 was pressed and we were off. The doors opened at floor 6 and we walked along the corridor until we came to a door with a do not disturb sign so I chapped it and and Bon answered it and invited us in. First thing to do was give the fans below a wave then got my program signed and sat talking for 10 minutes. Bon then gave us Angus' room number so we shook hands and left. Made a schoolboy error and tried to use lift again but got captured by security and papped out. Later went to Apollo and managed to sneak into concert ending up in front row of the balcony. Best concert ever and don't think will ever be bettered. A few years later in 1982 while working at Waverley Knitwear in East Kilbride I gave a woman called Betty my program to show her daughter who was a big Bon fan and have not seen it since so if anyone out there knows where it is I would love it back as it holds many great memories...

All AC/DC concerts in Glasgow

• 15 May 1976: Glasgow, University
• 11 Jun. 1976: Glasgow, City Hall
• 2 Nov. 1976: Glasgow, City Hall
• 19 Feb. 1977: Glasgow, University
• 22 Oct. 1977: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 30 Apr. 1978: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 1 Nov. 1978: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 27 Oct. 1979: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 28 Oct. 1979: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 1 Nov. 1980: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 2 Nov. 1980: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 8 Oct. 1982: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 9 Oct. 1982: Glasgow, Apollo Theatre
• 20 Apr. 1991: Glasgow, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Hall 4
• 1 Jun. 1996: Glasgow, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Hall 4
• 2 Dec. 2000: Glasgow, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Hall 4
• 30 Jun. 2009: Glasgow, Hampden Park
• 28 Jun. 2015: Glasgow, Hampden Park

» Upload a review if you were at any of these shows!

TOUR HISTORY

RARE PROMO ALBUMS

DISCOGRAPHY DATABASE

©1997-2024 Arnaud Durieux. All rights reserved. This site is not affiliated with the band or its management.

Def Leppard, Journey team for stadium tour: 'We may have a surprise or two up our sleeves'

The anthems will be loud and frequent when Journey and Def Leppard take a spin through stadiums this summer.

The rock powerhouses are teaming for a 23-city tour that will kick off July 6, 2024, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and wrap Sept. 8 at Coors Field in Denver.

While the bands have a stockpile of smashes including “Any Way You Want It,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” respectively, they’ll also be joined by fellow hitmakers Steve Miller Band , Heart and Cheap Trick in varying markets (see list below).

When do tickets for Def Leppard, Journey go on sale?

Registration for presale tickets begins at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on Dec. 7 at www.defleppardjourney2024.com .

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

A presale for Citi cardholders kicks off at 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 13 via www.citientertainment.com . The general public sale begins at 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 15.

Both Journey and Def Leppard have been road warriors lately. Def Leppard played a sold-out stadium run in summer 2022 with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and continued a worldwide tour with Motley Crue in 2023.

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott shared that the band's set will celebrate specific parts of the rockers' history. "We may even have a surprise or two up our sleeves," he said in a statement.

Journey recently announced a spate of 2024 dates for their 50 th anniversary Freedom tour, which will play arenas across the U.S. between Feb. 9 and April 29.

Interested in going? Check out tickets at Vivid Seats , StubHub , SeatGeek , and Ticketmaster .

Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

More: Steve Miller felt his 'career was over' before 'Joker.' 50 years later 'it all worked out'

Journey and Def Leppard 2024 tour dates

• July 6, 2024, St Louis, MO Busch Stadium with Cheap Trick
• July 10, 2024, Orlando, FL Camping World Stadium with Cheap Trick
• July 13, 2024, Atlanta, GA Truist Park with Steve Miller Band
• July 15, 2024, Chicago, IL Wrigley Field with Steve Miller Band
• July 18, 2024, Detroit, MI Comerica Park with Steve Miller Band
• July 20, 2024, Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium with Steve Miller Band
• July 23, 2024, Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park with Steve Miller Band
• July 25, 2024, Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium with Steve Miller Band
• July 27, 2024, Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park with Steve Miller Band
• July 30, 2024, Cleveland, OH Progressive Field with Heart
• Aug. 2, 2024, Toronto, ON Rogers Centre with Heart
• Aug. 5, 2024, Boston, MA Fenway Park with Heart
• Aug. 7, 2024, Flushing, NY Citi Field with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 12, 2024, Arlington, TX Globe Life Field with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 14, 2024, Houston, TX Minute Maid Park with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 16, 2024, San Antonio, TX Alamodome with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 19, 2024, Minneapolis, MN Target Field with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 23, 2024, Phoenix, AZ Chase Field with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 25, 2024, Los Angeles, CA SoFi Stadium with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 28, 2024, San Francisco, CAOracle Park with Steve Miller Band
• Aug. 30, 2024, San Diego, CA Petco Park with Steve Miller Band
• Sept. 4, 2024, Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park with Cheap Trick
• Sept. 8, 2024, Denver, CO Coors Field with Cheap Trick

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Is this the Summer of Rock? How tours from Creed, Def Leppard, others are igniting fans

They claimed the Summer of Love in 1967 .

2024 is primed to be the Summer of Rock.

Not because rock songs are topping music charts or surging on streamers. They're not. It's because titans of the genre have decided to unleash themselves on the road, giving fans a gluttony of opportunity to revel, whether they prefer hard rock, metal, alternative or punk.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Just look at who is on tour. There are the guitar slingers in Def Leppard, Green Day and Journey; the resurgent Nickelback ; reunions of Jane’s Addiction and Blink-182 ; a 25-year anniversary for Slipknot; adrenalized hits from Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette ; and, perhaps most surprisingly, the monster return of Creed, who will embark on the biggest tour of their career July 17. Even those sultans of stadium shows, the Rolling Stones , continue their age-defying lap around the country through July.

As Neil Young once sang , “Rock ‘n’ roll can never die.”

This summer, it’s about to thrive.

When it comes to rock fandom, there's 'a fresh new energy,' says Creed frontman

Many of the rockers on tour this summer are pulling in fans from two buckets: those who listened during their heyday (people who remember when you went to MTV to watch music videos) and those who are discovering the greats for the first time (young music fans expanding their musical horizons).

“There is this fresh new energy,” Creed frontman Scott Stapp says. “My 17-year-old is tapping into Nirvana and Soundgarden and old Metallica, and she’s hearing it for the first time. We’ve carried that theme in how we’ve designed this tour, as though there was never time off. This is the 2024 version of what we did in 2002.”

Creed is leading one of the most anticipated tours of the summer. Their Summer of ’99 trek is sold out, according to Live Nation, and will bring openers 3 Doors Down and Finger Eleven, with a rotation of Daughtry , Switchfoot, Tonic and Big Wreck joining certain dates.

It’s the first time in more than a decade that Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips have toured, a scenario that Stapp likens to “that friend you have that you don’t talk to every day, but you pick up where you left off. It feels right."

Though many ticketholders likely lived during the Summer of '99 referenced in their tour name, a slice of them are newer fans driven by the use of Creed's songs in viral TikTok videos, the Texas Rangers' use of "Higher" in its pregame soundtrack during its World Series-winning run, and even by Grammy-winning R&B/hip-hop artist SZA giving permission to think Creed is cool, saying "I will be a Creed fan forever" in her 2023 “ SZA: Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year”  interview. Even Live Nation’s statistics show the key demographic of ticket buyers to the band’s tour at 25-34.

Even though Stapp, through a vibrant solo career , and Tremonti, with the successful rock outfit Alter Bridge , have stayed visible, the revival of the band’s popularity has been revelatory.

“It’s not common,” Stapp concedes, “unless you can remind me of someone with this resurgence after this amount of time.”

These rock 'n' rollers are 'clearly the real deal'

Though there are fewer stadium tours in 2024, concert promoter Live Nation reports to USA TODAY that sales for shows in arenas, amphitheaters, theaters and clubs are up double digits year-over-year, with more than 100 million tickets sold so far.

“We have a more diverse set of artists on the road than ever before,” said Omar Al-Joulani, president of touring for Live Nation Concerts. “While many rock bands will be touring, there will also be a wide range of artists across various genres."

Indeed, if there is a through line to this season’s rock-heavy itinerary, it’s that while nostalgia inevitably seeps in, most of the bands filling amphitheaters and stadiums have never been too far from public consciousness, whether with new music or enduring affection for their hits.

More: The Sphere in Las Vegas really is a 'quantum leap' for live music: Inside the first shows

On June 13, perennial stadium-fillers Def Leppard released the stomper “Just Like 73” with guitar ace Tom Morello adding his signature wizardry. Though the band, which dropped “Diamond Star Halos” with the crunchy single “Kick” in 2022, has no shortage of smashes to tear through onstage, the thought of merely trotting out classics is unappealing.

“It would be really lame to be out there as a nostalgia act or doing it for the money,” says Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen , who noted that “Just Like 73” will be on the new set list alongside evergreen fist-pumpers "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Photograph" and "Armageddon It." “We got into music because we wanted to be in a band, and for us, (playing live) is very easy because you still really want to do it.”

Def Leppard will share this summer’s stadium stretch , which kicks off July 6, with Journey. The Steve Miller Band occupies a regular opening slot, and Cheap Trick and Heart will dot other dates with their melodic guitar rock.

Journey is never far from a spotlight, with “Faithfully” still landing on prom night playlists and, of course, the self-generating popularity of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which will live on as long as new generations discover “The Sopranos.”

Though the band released the album “Freedom” in 2022, they plan to hit rewind/repeat on the vintage tape deck this tour.

Thanks to the “great chemistry” shared between not just the members of both chart-topping, guitar-forward bands but also their audiences, Journey guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon expects sold-out sing-a-longs across the nation this summer.

“ Def Leppard had a lot of radio success at the same time we did, so history kind of puts us together,” Schon says. “We first met them many years back when they first broke, but you immediately admire people in your same rock arena who are clearly the real deal.”

Is rock ‘n’ roll dead? Yes. No. Maybe? But enjoy it this summer

Most of the artists sweating for your entertainment this summer are close to, if not in, AARP territory – Lavigne is a relative youngster at 39 – and the debate continues about the current state of rock ‘n’ roll and who might maintain longevity to fill amphitheaters and stadiums in 20 years.

Mammoth WVH with Wolfgang Van Halen is the type of rock outfit carrying an old-fashioned torch as they open stadiums with Metallica, play club shows in between and will join Creed for a fall arena run.

Greta Van Fleet spans the globe this summer at a combination of festivals, theaters and arenas, and Dorothy, fronted by singer Dorothy Martin (who duets with Stapp on his single “If These Walls Could Talk” ) is the kind of power-lunged belter who makes you nearly blow a speaker.

Collen believes rock is more of an idea – “People love the idea of a rock star,” he says – and artists he considers rock icons, such as Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison , have no one in their shadows.

“You’re got getting new versions of that,” Collen says. “I think the image part of rock is dead.”

More: R.E.M. performs together for first time in nearly 20 years

Stapp, meanwhile, points to country music and the cross-pollination of rock and country as a meaningful migration.

“In a weird way, the country music scene is reinvigorating rock,” he says.

The future of rock might be hazy, but for now, there are plenty of guitar amps ready to be turned to 11.

So for those who still want to rock, we salute you.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is this the Summer of Rock? How tours from Creed, Def Leppard, others are igniting fans

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• October 26, 1979 Setlist

Def Leppard Setlist at Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

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• World Beyond the Sky Play Video
• Overture Play Video
• Wasted Play Video
• Glad I'm Alive Play Video
• Ride Into the Sun Play Video
• When the Walls Came Tumbling Down Play Video
• Answer to the Master Play Video
• Good Morning Freedom Play Video
• Rocks Off Play Video
• It Could Be You Play Video
• Misty Dreamer Play Video
• Beyond the Temple Play Video
• Sorrow Is a Woman Play Video
• Heat Street Play Video
• Hello America Play Video
• Rock Brigade Play Video
• Medicine Man Play Video
• Satellite Play Video

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6 activities (last edit by pomes27 , 30 May 2015, 23:12 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Answer to the Master
• Hello America
• It Could Be You
• Rock Brigade
• Sorrow Is a Woman
• When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
• Beyond the Temple
• Heat Street
• Misty Dreamer
• World Beyond the Sky
• Glad I'm Alive
• Good Morning Freedom
• Medicine Man
• Ride Into the Sun

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Mayfair ballroom.

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• Oct 06 1979 The LCR, UEA Norwich, England Add time Add time
• Oct 08 1979 Hamilton Club Birkenhead, England Add time Add time
• Oct 26 1979 Mayfair Ballroom This Setlist Newcastle upon Tyne, England Add time Add time
• Oct 27 1979 Apollo Theatre Glasgow, Scotland Add time Add time
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