JOE ELLIOTT On DEF LEPPARD's REJOICE Single/Next Album Release Date

Friday, 23rd January 2026

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was interviewed on UK radio and mentioned the new single and next album with audio and a full transcript available.

The new single 'Rejoice' was released yesterday along with a lyric video.

Joe appeared on his own Planet Rock radio station to promote it yesterday morning.

Rejoice Single

Joe appeared on the Wyatt show on Planet Rock to talk about the new single, the next album and the UK tour with Extreme.

Joe commented on the new song saying he feels it is "a very uplifting, classic piece of Def Leppard work".

New single 'Rejoice' was released yesterday and looks set to make its live debut in Las Vegas.

Judging by it's sound and lyrical theme it might possibly be the show opener.

Next Single/Def Leppard Studio Album

Joe also said the next album might contain 'Just Like '73' as well as the two new singles.

The second of which will be released in time for the UK tour.

He also said they are likely to announce the album title and release details in the summer when that song is released.

UK Tour/Extreme

Joe went on to talk briefly about touring with Extreme and praised their classic Freddie Mercury Tribute show appearance from 1992.

Read some quotes below and listen to the full audio via the link (starts after Tom Petty/Track #12).

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2026.

Joe Elliott/Planet Rock January 2026 Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

What’s been going on in Def Leppard world then? Obviously, you’re aware of the fact that starting in June we’ve got a European tour, which includes like six British dates.

Yes, with Extreme.

Before that, we have a residency starting in about two weeks’ time at Caesars Palace.

The legendary Caesars Palace, home of Elton’s Red Piano.

I think Rod is there right now.

And to celebrate the fact that we’re starting the year 2026 in Vegas, we decided we would release a new song.

Nice.

Yeah, it’s called Rejoice, and it’s out now as it happens.

And that’s exactly what it is.

It’s a very uplifting, classic piece of Def Leppard work, I suppose.

I mean, we’re known for our — people like to call them stadium anthems or arena anthems or whatever.

And yeah, we very much enjoy writing songs like that and celebrating, you know, all things positive.

And this is one of those kind of songs, so I thought it was a great way to kick off the year.

Yeah, is it a stand-alone track, or what do they call it?

It will be on the new album.

Oh okay, right — so it’s not that stand-alone.

It will be on the new album.

I mean, last year we released Just Like '73 as a stand-alone, which it was at the time.

It might go on the new record.

It all depends how balanced we need it to be, or how balanced it is with or without that song.

So we may be releasing our second single from the upcoming album, or our first.

And I just love the fact that we can do this.

We can release a new song, you know, just a few short months — or two years, at least — since Just Like '73.

And then, you know, there’ll be another one probably.

We’ll release a new song in time for the British tour.

So it’s good to stagger it like that.

And then by the time we do that, we’ll be announcing the date of the album.

Record Company

So that’s the great thing about life.

Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re doing, you know, and a little bit of naivety never did anybody any harm.

No, well that’s the modern world with, you know, record contracts and labels not being what they used to be.

You master your own ship.

You don’t have to do things by Monday and then get this out by Friday.

And then, you know, you can do things a lot more in your own time and on your own terms.

That’s exactly how we’ve been working ever since.

When our first record contract expired after the Songs from the Sparkle Lounge album in 2008, we literally became the biggest cottage industry on the planet, I think.

So we went on our own little journey and had a great time rebuilding the — you know — the brand and all that nonsense words that people use these days.

And then we kind of reunited.

We got back together about eight years ago now, and at the same time as taking the catalogue to places that we could never have taken it on our own, they were very, very excited to release any new music that we got.

But we do it on an album-by-album basis.

I don’t think we could survive without making new music, because it’s what we were born to do — and then take it out on the road.

Touring

So you look at the last tour we did, the Diamond Star Halos tour, we were playing 25 percent of the new album in stadiums.

I mean, not many people do that.

And in fairness, we did it for about a quarter — or maybe a third — of that tour before we introduced a couple more songs just to change it around after one of the breaks.

But we were still promoting the new album by playing three songs off it.

And I think we have a really good balance between the old guard, the band, management, and the label, of what the expectations are.

We manage them very well, I believe.

That is a great track. It’s rare that you hear Def Leppard with slide guitar.

And sure enough, there is the brand-new track, brand-new single Rejoice, which is out now ahead of their Las Vegas appearances next month, and in plenty of time for their UK tour with Extreme later this summer. And we’ll hear more from Joe Elliott after we hear a little bit more from Joe Elliott.

That new one from Def Leppard — really, really liking that.

So later this summer, Def Leppard are on tour in the UK with Extreme. I’m genuinely surprised, Joe, that you haven’t been on the road with them already so far. Yes, I know they were on hiatus for about 12 years, but what a great band to take out with you. What was the motivation for taking them out?

We did a couple of gigs with them this past summer.

I mean, we’ve known the guys for years, but we hadn’t done any gigs together until maybe June or July last year.

And then we did a couple more.

They’re such a fantastic band.

I mean, Nuno Bettencourt has got to be — if there’s a better guitarist on this planet, I’ve yet to meet him.

He’s such a humble guy.

He’s a lovely chap.

They all are.

They’re all great guys.

Pat Badger often comes to see us over the decades just to hang out and stuff like that.

I think they’re forever going to be remembered in the UK for putting on such a stunning performance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.

They were just out of this world.

So to have those guys on board is such a blessing, because we’ve always, throughout our career, wanted to take out a band that’s not just called “plus support.”

You know, we’ve always done it.

That first ever headline tour of the UK, we had Magnum opening for us, and then all the local bands like Tigers of Pan Tang and all that in Newcastle.

And then, you know, because we were special guests to AC/DC, and we were special guests to Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, Scorpions, and to Billy Squier on our third American tour.

But we eventually were the headline act that year, which was ’83.

And it always kind of felt right.

It looked better when there were names that people know.

So when we’ve been out on tour and it’s been us, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett, you know, it just looks great on the poster.

As it did in the ’80s when it was Tesla, Europe, Queensrÿche, or L.A. Guns.

You know, it’s what we’ve always tried to do.

We’ve had Poison, we’ve had Heart, with Foreigner, Journey — I mean, it just looks better.

And Extreme is just another great notch on that particular belt.