Yes, 'Hysteria' Is 26 Years Old

Def Leppard released Hysteria 26 years ago yesterday. That fact just stuns me.

Hysteria is hugely important to me. I can remember playing the album during a lot of important times in my life. And "Animal" alone has gotten me through more brutally long days at work than just about any other song ever recorded.

Next to Aerosmith, Def Leppard is my favorite band. It's been that way for pushing three decades now. I can't imagine that fact ever changing.

Comments

[Metalboy!]

It's a great album but doesn't hold a candle to "Pyromania". Gotta dig that album cover art, however. PURE 80's Graphic Design.

[Ace Steele]

I'm gonna agree w/ Metalboy here... Hysteria is OK, but pales in comparison to Pyromania. Still major props to Ric Allen for coming back from insurmountable odds to continue drumming & also mass respect to the band for not replacing him.

All that said, Hysteria just seems limp compared to it's predecessor. Pyro is one of those rare "perfect" albums.

What the hell do I know, my fave DL records are Pyromania, X, & Slang...

[Kixchix]

Love getting milestones like this. It's puts me in the Delorean and transports me back to that exact time 26 years ago. Thanks Ally.

The year was 1987: 19 days till my 17th birthday which coincided with Mötley Crüe & Whitesnake at Nassau Coliseum. My best buds bought my ticket, bought my beers and we had a classic summer night in the 80's! Got busted for public urination on someone's tree: Told the cop as any 17 year old fun loving teen should: "sorry sir it's my birthday :) " Cop smirked knew what it's like to be a dumb punk out having a harmless fun birthday and let me go.

Oh & as for Hysteria, I love it but the album was soo delayed, Rick had one arm how would that sound? & remember "Women" or "Animal" was the first single and was NOT the Rock of Ages or Pyromania this 16 year old punk was hoping for. Good songs though. So I would say Hysteria is more of a chicks album where as Pyro was more of the dude album. And I have to get out of this Sunday morning time warp I'm in! Back to the Delorean!!!

[Rita]

Kixchix - thanks for sharing your great story. Brought a smile to my lips cuz I totally agree that music is a time machine.

That said, I must be a dude because I prefer Pyromania over Hysteria too. But this isn't the first time that I've seen eye to eye with the guys rather than the girls, so no surprise there.

[Kixchix]

Rita lol. Your another story, you know and love the 80's metal genre. The aforementioned "chicks" that I said prefer Hysteria are the ones I partied with last night at a block party. Put Pour Some Sugar On Me on and they squeal like teeny boppers again. But then again, when "My Prerogative" by Beater Brown comes on, a good song yes but not my cup o tea, they squeal just the same.

Peace

[Rita]

You are right Kixchix. Hysteria had so many hit songs that I think it really broadened their fan base to folks who weren't as hard core. And Pour Some Sugar On Me really is such an amazing song so it is always fun to see non-metal fans appreciate our music.

But I do seriously think I was a man in a past life. That would make a lot of sense to me. My husband is way more like a girl sometimes than I am.

[Roy]

This album was too commercial for me. This is where I started to lose interest.

[Gary]

My personal favorite is High and Dry. Between the 2 that are being discussed,I'd have to go with Hysteria, only because it has "Don't Shoot Shotgun" and "Armageddon It". But as Roy pointed out, I also think that this is where they started to get over commercialized.

[GNR]

Solid, solid album all the way through just like Pyromania, hell just like High n Dry !!!

[bkallday]

Hysteria holds the same fondness for me Allyson, it always takes me back. As a freshman, I lost my virginity to this album. Lol. Although theyve changed for the worst since then, this album is one of my top 5 fave albums of all time. Right up there with Shout, Master of Puppets, Back in Black, & Vulgar Display.

[Paintman]

I just remember how this album didn't take off until they released the 4th single "Pour Some Sugar on Me". It was all over MTV, quite frankly I couldn't stand the song for years from it being so overplayed. That explains why I prefer the non singles from Hysteria much more.

[red6ixx]

I remember going in to HMV to ask if they had it - i was told - i dont think its the kind of album we would stock. i bought it somewhere else - within weeks HMV had it advertised all over the window display.
i never shopped there again and its now bankrupt - karma in my opinion

[dj]

Amazing album but yeah i agree with metalboy! dosent even compare with pyromania, and pyromania dosent even hold a candle to high and dry.

[Metalboy!]

Hear, hear, DJ, though I can't agree with you about "Pyromania" vs. "High and Dry", though I could see why you and many others might make an argument for the latter's superiority. I believe Ace shares the same view or calls it even.

It could be said that "H&D" is better because it's rawer, came first and is more BADA*S, to give a few reasons. But for me, it all comes down to "Photograph", Lep's crowning achievement, the second Greatest 80's Hair Metal Anthem of All Time next to RATT's "Round And Round"

p.s. Here's a thought: I played "Appetite for Destruction to death for 2 months from the week it came out to about 8 weeks later. I don't care if I ever hear another G'n'R song ever again, to be honest. However, I never get sick of Def Lep's or RATT's stuff. Why is that?

[fletch]

'cause it's all good.