A light emitting device material comprises a pyrene compound represented by formula (1) below. Also disclosed is a light emitting device using such a material. (R1 to R17 may be the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an aryl ether group, an aryl thioether group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, an amino group, a silyl group, —P(═O)R18R19, and a ring structure formed together with an adjacent substituent; R18 and R19 are each selected from an aryl group and a heteroaryl group; n is an integer of 1 to 2; and X is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, an arylene group and a heteroarylene group, provided that at least one of R10 to R17 is used to link to X.)