I was in HS in the late 70’s.
I had a buddy who was into rock music, not just to listen to, but as an aficionado/journalist type.
Probably sometime in ‘77 early ‘78, our sophomore year, he told me of some band that was going to be HUGE. Named AC/DC.
Most kids as sophomores know only what they hear on the radio. AC/DC hadn’t made it to our stations...unless it was the alternative/ more avant garde station.
About the same time, maybe a year later, he told me to watch for another band.
Def Leppard.
I was one of the few people, in my circles, who had On Through The Night, when it came out.
EVERYBODY asked me who they were.
Def Leppard were one of the bigger bands to come out of the NWOBHM. Iron Maiden were the tip of the spear, and one of the few survivors. They also have had unimaginably huge success and have influenced innumerable rock and metal bands since 1980.
Timing is everything. Bon Scott was with them at the height of disco. By the time “Back in Black” came out, Hard Rock/Heavy Metal was becoming much more in vogue. That being said, the material on Back in Black was different than the Bon Scott era, it was definitely more heavy rock, and less bluesy than the Bon-era AC/DC, and I wonder how Back in Black would have sounded with Bon singing instead of Brian.