Def Leppard influences on Bon Jovi
 

Def Leppard fans like to say that Bon Jovi basically stole their sound in the 80s and then ended up being more popular. This is interesting to me because to me the only BJ album that sounds like Def Lep to me is 7800 Fahrenheit. As a DL fan myself, (yes, I like Bon Jovi better) I've thought about this a lot and compared their 80s albums - I can clearly hear the Pyromania influences on a lot of those 7800 Fahrenheit songs. After that though, it seems to me like Bon Jovi really found their groove with SWW and the two bands went their separate ways stylistically. Hysteria sounds nothing like SWW or NJ. If anything one could argue that "Sugar" ripped off "Bad Name." I know Jon has said that he was trying to make his own Pyromania back then and that he really admired the guys in DL, but like I said, 7800 Fahrenheit seems like the only album that really sounded anything like DL. Thoughts?

Well, Lay Your Hands On Me's intro got these huge HEY! chants I associate with Leppard.

The bands two biggest records sound very distinct, though. Leppard have more of a 70s glam rock thing going, Bon Jovi were Springsteen in minor. The only thing both albums share is a country influenced rock ballad.

If jovi sounded like leppard id have never got into them

I'm not a great fan of Def Leppard. Speaking of isolated sounds, and small production things, if it is true that there is something stolen or influenced them. But they are so different for me. Each band has its own identity.

I like more Bon Jovi, they had more claw to me, Jon as vocalist was a beast, especially on SWW. And riffs and guitar solos of Richie were more rockers, stronger, more energy and with more art.

Bon Jovi always felt like a cross between Aerosmith with Springsteen.

Def Leppard felt like a cross between Ac / Dc with Bryan Adams.

Both, sound popy for to be a rock band, but Def Leppard is more sugary, and the sound of Bon Jovi feel more powerful.

IMO.