Def Leppard has released “Just Like ‘73,” a surprise collaboration with guitarist Tom Morello. You can listen to the new song below.

According to Morello, he’s a longtime fan of the Sheffield really hard rock legends. “I played ‘Rock of Ages’ in my college cover band nearly 40 years ago,” he shared in a press release. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist requires the lead on the guitar solo, applying his distinctive whammy bar to additional boost the vintage vibes of “Just Like ‘73.”

As the title suggests, Def Leppard had their own early days as music fans in mind as they were working on the new music. “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,” guitarist Phil Collen said. “‘Just Like ‘73’ represents that awakening.”

The band applied a retro strategy on social media to tease the arrival of “Just Like ‘73, announcing a “hotline” fans could call to hear a snippet of the new song. It marks their first new original music since 2022’s Diamond Star Halos. During a conversation earlier this year, Collen shared that they take their writing procedure extremely seriously. “It’s never been about [writing] 30 songs and [let’s] choose the best 10 or whatever,” he told UCR. “It was always, let’s write 10 great songs.”

Listen to Def Leppard’s ‘Just Like ’73’ (Featuring Tom Morello)

Will Fans Hear ‘Just Like ‘73’ Live?

Def Leppard is reportedly preparing to shake up the set list for their summer season tour with Journey and Steve Miller Band. Bassist Rick Savage teased in an April Instagram post that fans can count on a “brand new song” and also, a “few more” tracks from Pyromania as they continue to belatedly celebrate its 40th anniversary. “In fact, for those who care, we’ll be rehearsing a song we’ve never played live before, to throw into the mix,” he added.

Study Extra: Def Leppard, Journey and Steve Miller Announce Summer 2024 Tour

A video for “Just Like ‘73” featuring each Def Leppard and Morello will arrive subsequent week. A particular 7” vinyl single is now obtainable for pre-order as nicely.