Only a small elite group of bands can say they have made one of the greatest selling albums of all time, selling more than 16 million copies worldwide. Only a small number of bands could handle 23 years of touring, often only taking a year off to record new material and most bands would break apart before even coming close to the challenges faced by Def Leppard.

Def Leppard began in 1977, when lead singer Joe Elliott joined up with bassist Rick Savage, guitarist Pete Willis, and drummer Tony Kenning. After putting in a full days work the band would rehearse in an old spoon factory in Sheffield, England, honing their skills and forming the sound that would later make them international superstars.

In 1978, a young gifted guitar player named Steve Clark auditioned for the band, hoping to become their second guitar player. He played "Freebird" by himself on an electric guitar and blew the band away. After months of rigorous rehearsals the band played their first gig at the Westfield School in Sheffield. The show was a success, the students wouldn't stop screaming for them to play more, and the school had to shut the band down, literally pulling the plug.

After playing several local clubs, Elliott realizes that if they were going to have a shot at making it big, they needed to record an album. Elliott managed to come up with the 600 pounds needed to record the album and they released "The Def Leppard Ep." As their reputation for wild live shows grew, the band was signed in 1979 to Phonogram and Mercury Records.

Def Leppard began touring in support of bands like AC/DC, and Sammy Hagar. They started work on their debut album "On Through The Night," which produces their first single and a small hit called "Wasted."

In 1981, they record the album "High N' Dry," with legendary producer Robert "Mutt" Lange. Lange, a perfectionist, worked the band hard, but their hard work paid off when the song "Bringing On The Heartbreak" climbed up the charts.

In 1982 , Phil Collen replaces Willis on guitar, and completes the signature Def Leppard line up. The band begins production on the album "Pyromania," not knowing that this would be the album that would help launch them into superstardom. The album produced the hits "Photograph," "Rock of Ages," "Foolin," and "Too Late For Love."

"At first it was a little nerve-racking, because all of a sudden we had people trying to break into our hotel room, just to get a look at you, or fans who will try anything just to meet you. We had to avoid crowds of people because they would be trying to pull your hair out. It was kinda scary at first," said Elliott.

After "Pyromania" sold millions of copies they began work on the epic album "Hysteria," but the recording sessions were abruptly interrupted when drummer Rick Allen, got into a car accident that left him with a severed arm. After adapting to an electronic drum kit, Allen returned to the studio and the band finisheed the recordings. "Hysteria" went on to become not only the band's best selling album but also one of the greatest selling albums of all time, selling more than 16 million copies worldwide, and producing the hits "Hysteria," "Women," "Animal," "Rocket," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It," and "Pour Some Sugar On Me."

After completing the "Hysteria" tour the band headed back into the studio to record "Adrenalize," but again the recording was stopped due to the death of guitarist Steve Clark from a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. The band completed the album and again produced numerous hits.

"Each tour is a bit different, and it's weird now because we get a mix of people at our shows, but lately it seems as though we are gaining a larger teenage crowd. Maybe some kids today are realizing that there is something to our music. I remember a show where the first 50 feet of rows were all teenagers and the older groups were in the back. I wondered if I was at the right gig," says Elliott.

"It's really something when you see some of the older fans, but then you see a 4-year-old singing every word to one of your songs. The best thing about touring is when the audience is cheering, clapping, and stomping, and you want to introduce your next song, but you can't because they're still cheering the last one."

Def Leppard will be performing at the New York State Fair at 7:30 tonight. Tickets are $34 and $32, and they are available at the NYS fair box office. For more information on the NYS fair visit www.nysfair.org, and for more information on Def Leppard visit www.defleppard.com.