 NWOBHM bands had been touring steadily in the United States , but had not yet received enough FM radio airplay there to make a significant impression on American charts . Def Leppard remedied that , releasing Pyromania at the beginning of 1983 , an album with a more melodic and FM @-@ friendly approach in comparison with the more aggressive sound of their earlier music . The band 's goal of reaching a wider international audience , which included many female fans , was attained completely in the US , where Pyromania peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart behind Michael Jackson 's Thriller . Thanks to a string of hit singles and the heavy rotation of their music videos on the recently launched MTV , the album had sold more than six millions copies in the US by 1984 and made Def Leppard superstars . The overwhelming international success of Pyromania induced both American and British bands to follow Def Leppard 's example , giving a decisive boost to the more commercial and melodic glam metal and heralding the end of the NWOBHM . 
