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Def Leppard Tour History Fan Archive.
33 Years Ago Def Leppard's Pyromania Album Reaches Number 2 In USA

Saturday, 14th May 2016





Def Leppard 1983.
Def Leppard 1983

Def Leppard's classic third studio album Pyromania reached Number Two 33 years ago on this day in 1983 in the USA.

The album had been released on 20th January 1983 after one year of recording work.

The third studio album released by the band.

It's success was helped by the Photograph single which on this same day was at Number 13 following heavy radio airplay and for the video on MTV.

Stopping the band from achieving their first Number One album was Michael Jackson with 'Thriller'. He was also at Number One on the Hot 100 singles chart with 'Beat It'. 'Thriller' spent 22 weeks at Number 1 in 1983 and 15 more in 1984.

The album had entered the The 200 on 5th February at Number 69.

It entered the Top 10 on 12th March and stayed inside it for 35 straight weeks followed by another two - 37 in total. Much of its time in the Top 10 was spent at Number 4.

The album's initial chart run last for 92 weeks until November 1984. It would not re-enter until mid-September 1987, two weeks after 'Hysteria' had been released.

Six million copies had been sold by November 1984. It would reach 7 million in 1988 following it's second chart run.

The album's first awards came in March 1983 (Gold) and April 1983 (Platinum) just before the band started its first US headline tour. It eventually sold over 10 million copies by July 2004 earning a second Diamond award for the band.

On the same day the 1984 reissue was still at Number 95.

Thomas Dolby, who had played keyboards on the album as 'Booker T. Boffin', was at Number 36 with his biggest selling album 'Blinded By Science'.

Read some chart facts about the album below.

Six months at Number 2 Behind Michael Jackson's Thriller?

As it turns out one of the myths about Def Leppard's success in 1983 is not strictly true. Billboard's chart archive has now revealed that the album reached Number 2 on 14th May 1983.

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album, which had been released in December 1982, was at Number 1. 'Pyromania' spent just two weeks at Number 2 but did go on to spend a massive 37 weeks inside the Top 10. Ending in early December with most of those weeks lower than 'Thriller' but not in direct competition with it.

From the end of July to mid November The Police were at Number 1 with 'Synchronicity'.

Pyromania 1983.

Joe Elliott - September 2015 Interview Quotes

"But with Pyromania, when you're selling six million records in America and a tour that started off at the Marquee ends with the last gig in San Diego in front of 55,000 people, there's not much you can say about what went wrong."

'Mutt' asked us: 'What was the biggest pisser of the year for you guys?'. We said: 'Michael Jackson stopping us from getting to number one.' There are worse problems, you know?."

1987 Animal Instinct Biography Quotes

"With Pyromania, the Def Leppard Admiration Society increased its membership by the multi-millions. By September 1983, Pyromania had sold four million copies, becoming the biggest-selling non-soundtrack LP in their record companies history."

"Notably, cassette sales of the album were outstripping record sales three-to-two. Fans were obviously buying Pyromania tapes to play on their car stereos, confirming that the album was great teenage cruising music."

Billboard Top 200 - Top Five 14th May 1983

  • 01 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
  • 02 - Def Leppard - Pyromania - Peak Position Week 1 (of 2)
  • 03 - Journey - Frontiers
  • 04 - Men At Work - Cargo
  • 05 - Styx - Kilroy Was Here

Def Leppard Pyromania - Weeks At Number 2 in USA

  • 14th May 1983 - 2 - (After 15 weeks on chart)
  • 21st May 1983 - 2 - (Second of only 2 weeks)

Def Leppard Pyromania - Billboard Chart Facts

  • Total Weeks On Chart - 122
  • First Chart Run - 92 weeks (1984/1984)
  • Second Chart Run - 24 weeks (1987/1988/1989) - non-consecutive
  • Third Chart Run - 6 weeks - (2014) - non-consecutive
  • Weeks in Top Ten - 37 (35 and 2 additional)
  • Weeks at Number Two - 2

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