Def Leppard drops new single, “Just Like 73,” featuring Tom Morello

Mercury Records

Def Leppard is back with new music. The band just dropped the brand new tune “Just Like 73,” featuring a guitar solo by Rage Against The Machine‘s Tom Morello.

Like the title suggests, the song has a ’70s rock vibe, with frontman Joe Elliott sharing, “It encapsulates a time that burned deep into our DNA. We wanted to celebrate that very important and glorious time.”

Guitarist Phil Collen adds, “When I saw David Bowie on TV between 1972 and 1973, everything I thought I knew about music went from black and white to vivid technicolor. Our song ‘Just Like 73’ represents that awakening.”

Morello shares that he “had a blast rocking a solo” on the tune, noting, “I played ‘Rock Of Ages’ in my college cover band almost 40 years ago and here Def Leppard are still killing it in stadiums with a brand new tune that’s one of their best.” 

The single is streaming now on digital outlets, with a video set to premiere on June 20. The tune will also be released on 7-inch black and colored vinyl on Aug. 2 and can be preordered through DefLeppard.com.

“Just Like 73” is the first new music from Def Leppard since they released their 2022 album, Diamond Star Halos. In 2023 they released the new album Drastic Symphonies, but that featured reworked versions of their classic tunes backed by an orchestra. 

The song comes as Def Leppard is gearing up to hit the road this summer with Journey. The stadium tour, featuring special guests Steve Miller Band, Heart and Cheap Trick, kicks off July 6 in St. Louis. A complete list of dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.

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