Def Leppard

The Soundwaves Vinyl Of The Week is Hysteria by Def Leppard.

 

Originally released in 1987, Def Leppard’s Hysteria sold over 25 million copies worldwide, including a whopping 12 million in the US alone. This blockbuster album straight up defined '80s arena rock. I mean, more than half of the tracks on the album had airplay and were featured on MTV regularly.

 

Def Leppard, fresh off their massive success of Pyromania poured everything into Hysteria, but not without some serious roadblocks. Drummer Rick Allen's devastating car accident in 1984 left him with the challenge of relearning how to play drums on a custom kit with just one arm. That alone is a story of sheer grit. And producing this colossal of an album was the perfectionist wizard “Mutt" Lange, who pushed the band through a grueling three-year recording process that reportedly cost upwards of $5 million dollars. But Lange had a vision: craft the hard rock answer to Michael Jackson's Thriller, where every song could be a single, and he did just that. The twelve tracks blended thunderous riffs with sky-high harmonies that still feel futuristic to this day.

 

The opener, "Women," is pure adrenaline and kicks things off with a swaggering groove and Joe Elliott's wail. But the real fireworks start with the track "Animal," the second single that clawed its way up the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped to ignite sales overseas. Then there's the title track “Hysteria", a power ballad that peaked at No. 10, with Phil Collen's shimmering guitars weaving around Elliott's vulnerable croon that were equal parts raw and romantic. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is the party monster everyone knows it to be, reaching No. 2 and becoming Def Leppard's signature chant, it featured sticky sweet hooks and Rick Savage's thumping bass. I swear that video played on a continuous loop on MTV at least 5 times a day. “Love Bites”, a slow-burner with computerized harmonies delivered their one and only No. 1 in the U.S.. And let’s not forget "Armageddon It" for its fist-pumping riffage or "Rocket," a funky nod the band’s musical influences. So if my math is correct, that’s seven Top 20 hits in total, a feat that's still mind-blowing. 

 

What gets me every time is how this album captured that '80s excess without ever feeling dated. The production is so dynamic it’s like a fireworks show on vinyl. Overall, Hysteria is a masterclass that brought a synergy between the band, producer, and their unbridled spirit and is what makes this big-rock album feel so alive.