Still In My Top 5 Of All Time

Def Leppard's Hysteria will always be in my top 5 albums of all time. In fact, it's probably my second favorite album, following Aerosmith Rocks. On this date back in 1988, Hysteria reached the top position on the Billboard chart. It stayed there for six weeks, but not consecutively. That is a huge accomplishment and testament to the popularity of the band and their place in cultural music history.

On this day in Leppard History - 33 Years ago on July 23, Hysteria peaked at #1 on @billboard's Top 200 Chart 🤘 Blast the album to celebrate 💥 pic.twitter.com/E7Ti0hyi1A

— Def Leppard (@DefLeppard) July 23, 2021

Comments

[Gary]

Agreed Allyson. A true masterpiece. Not a “space filler” on the entire album. They truly were firing on all cylinders at that point in time. Sad that Steve’s demons caught up with him in the not so distant future.Dude was a riff machine…

[stu]

i still love this album, but for some reason i pick it apart every time i listen to it these days. maybe it’s because i hear it and then think back to high n dry and wish hysteria had a less polished production to it. regardless, the song crafting ability of this band was great back in the day.

[Metalboy!]

Top 11 Greatest 80’s Hard Rock Albums

AC/DC - Back In Black
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
Scorpions - Love At First Sting
Ozzy Osborne - Blizzard of Ozz
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Cinderella - Night Moves
Mötley Crüe - Too Fast For Love
KIX - Blow My Fuse
Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Poison - Look What The Cat Dragged In
Dirty Looks - Cool From The Wire

*Please edit … I know I’ve got glaring omissions!

[Jeff]

Cinderella - "Night Moves"??? LOL, Tom Keifer does Bob Segar! Love it. Just busting your balls Metalboy :)

[Bkallday]

Totally agree Allyson. It’s at #3 for me. & nice list MB, although Priest is really metal. I’d also say I disagree with your Scorps, Crüe, & DL choices.

[George]

I would love to hear this album played in full in concert with special guest Bill Leverty from Firehouse soloing on Animal. That would be so friggin cool. He does not mess around when he soloes!!!!

[Gogmagog]

I wanted so badly to love this album, but I wound up not even really liking it. I'll break it out and give it a spin soon, but since it's my fourth favorite Def Leppard disc (it is better than anything they recorded after, I will give it that), so not close to being in my all-time Top 5.

I hate to try and quantify things like this (and best solos from a while back), mainly because I can't make up my damn mind. A friend of mine asked me once what Iron Maiden record I thought was best. My answer was/is probably their debut album, but sometimes I think it's Piece Of Mind, and occasionally I think it's Powerslave.

[Metalboy!]

Oh, Metal Geezus, Jeff … There I go again … I’m surprised I didn’t get verbally pistol whipped for that faux pas! “Night Songs”! … Geeeeezus!!! … I f’n HATE “Night Moves”, though I do love me some Bib Segar! … How ‘bout “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”?, though I do like Def Leppard’s live cover of that particular number, with Brian May guesting on lead guitar, no less.

BK, I appreciate your frankness. Just curious, what are your favorite albums by Scorps, Crüe and DL? To be honest, I had a hard time deciding which Priest album I like best (I suffer from the same challenge you do, Gogmagog, in making up my mind about what albums, songs, solos I like better over another.

In the case of Priest, it is a mental toss-up for me - “Screaming for Vengeance” vs. “British Steel”, but what made me go for “Screaming” is that “Hellion” intro … SO bada*s!

Also, George, I gotta say, I notice your appreciation for all things (and members) of Firehouse. I could see how you’d have an unshakable fondness for them. I’ve seen ‘em 4 times and they blew me away EVERYTIME — Absolutely flawless in every respect!

[Jack T. Ripper]

Cool From the Wire is Definitely A better album then Night Moves! 😝

[Bkallday]

Firehouse was indeed an awesome, underrated band, especially live! And MB, my fave DL album was def Hysteria with Pyromania a close second though. Those first 2 were just too weak for my taste, not enough hard rock style for me. My fave Scorps is Blackout & fave Crüe is Shout. Hope all is well with you & ur fam.

[Metalboy!]

Thank you for the input, Gents …

BK, I almost opted for Crüe’s “Shout At The Devil” instead of “Too Fast For Love”, but “Livewire” alone makes their first album the best for me. However, I will listen to “Shout” again on your recommendation, as well as “Blackout”, another favorite.

But it’s just hard to get past their anthem, “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, as well as “Big City Nights”, for me, at any rate. I can’t even listen to “Hysteria” any more, it was SO overplayed by 98 Rock and DC 101 when I was living in DC back in the day.

Also, thank you for your well wishes, BK.

And now, more fodder for Jack T. and anyone else who wants to pile on …

Finally, I was so stoked to listen to Def Leppard’s cover of “Ramblin’ Gamblin Man” live with Brian May off the Deluxe Edition of “Pyromania”, but, lo and behold, I discovered that there’s NO such thing, as in, that cover doesn’t exist.

What DOES exist, however, is Def Leppard covering “Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival on that Deluxe Edition of “Pyromania”. And, yes, Brian May joins them for it. Needless to say, the song is a total barnstormer. Check it out, boyz!

And Keep on Rockin’ to Bring Back Glam!

p.s. I DO happen to really like Seger’s “Ramblin’, Gamblin’ Man”. Def Leppard or one of our other bands of heroes sure as h*ll would do that justice if someone ever decided to cover that!

[Jack T. Ripper]

metalBoy…. Cool from the wire is a fantastic album. Two other great ones…. One Bad Leg and Gasoline. What do you think?

[Stevwrox]

This album is near perfection. First CD O ever bought. Plus the album cover is fantastic!