Def Leppard "Hysteria"

What are your thoughts on this CD and my review?

Def Leppard - Hysteria (Mercury) 1987

1. Women (5:41)
2. Rocket (6:34)
3. Animal (4:02)
4. Love Bites (5:46)
5. Pour Some Sugar on Me (4:25)
6. Armageddon It (5:21)
7. Gods of War (6:32)
8. Don't Shoot Shotgun (4:10)
9. Run Riot (4:38)
10. Hysteria (5:49)
11. Excitable (4:19 )
12. Love and Affection (4:35)

With Def Leppard's fourth studio album the former English hard rock/heavy metal band jumped head long into bubblegum pop. The album is a plastic as can be. Three years in the making, "Hysteria" is all about studio tricks; layers of vocals, processed guitars, tons of studio effects, etc. High gloss and completely tasteless, "Hysteria" is devoid of life whatsoever! It is the album that most fans of hard rock and heavy metal point to as the band's biggest commercial sellout. Yes, yes, I know, the official line of reasoning is, "we've always been fans of pop, we were never really a heavy metal band, blah, blah, blah." Whatever! They sure didn't mind gracing the covers of all the heavy metal rags when it was serving their purpose. Whatever the excuse is, Joe Elliot's vocals, when he is actually singing by himself, are the only bits of humanity left on this misuse of studio technology. "Hysteria" is, in my opinion, one of the worst "rock" albums ever recorded. I'd have a hard time calling this "hard rock", no less "hair metal" or "pop metal" as it is commonly tagged. As a pop album, it's actually quite catchy and I can understand the mass appeal. However, songs like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" are just plain embarrassing. Though it's not politically correct to say so, that song is about as ga-hey as a song can get. I mean, c'mon, no guy should ever sing the lines, "I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet". What an insult to anyone's intelligence. But hey, the strip clubs of the world needed another song for girls to swing around polls to. Right? But wait, I did hear a bit of guitar on "Run Riot" and maybe on "Woman". Are there still traces of the rock and roll band that once was? Nahhhh, it's all synthesized, processed bubblegum pop. I sometimes wonder how much of this album was influenced by a similarly successful and glossy studio album titled "The Final Countdown."

I will give the album credit for being incredibly catchy radio pop. There is no doubt that these songs are made for the radio to please the masses. Even the band admits that they were going for pop hits here, as opposed to heavy metal or hard rock. As well, the album was a huge influences for years to follow as hordes of record labels and bands attempted to capture this sound after it's release. Whether that influence is a good thing or not is purely a matter of opinion. As a matter of fact, it's all opinion.

Ahhh, but obviously my opinion is complete hogwash. I mean, the album is their biggest selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, and spawning at least six hit singles. The album went 12x platinum in the United States alone. You couldn't go anywhere in the Fall of 1987 and not hear this album blasting from radios and jukeboxes. It was monumentally everywhere, and is still in regular rotation on pop and rock radio. For some reason people seem to equate number of records sold with "quality or music". Frankly, I don't get that line of reasoning. How many millions of albums did Milli Vanilli sell? However, despite my utter distaste for the fact that Def Leppard turned the back on heavy metal, millions of people love and cherish this album.

There seems to be two vehemently opposing camps when it comes to "Hysteria". One camp makes the claim that it is one of the greatest rock records ever recorded. A quick check on-line reveals comments like, "every track is a masterpiece", "one of the greatest heavy metal albums", "without a doubt one of the best rock albums of all time...PERIOD", "one of the finest rock/metal albums ever assembled", "facts don't lie, this album is great", "by far the best melodic hard rock album ever made", "undoubtedly the best piece of work by ANY artist, period! ","Pour Some Sugar is one of the five best songs ever written...", "Hysteria is THE Def Leppard album...". etc. These are all quotes that I copies and pasted from site like HeavyHarmonies, sleazeroxx and Amazon. Some fans will defend this album to the hilt and will even get angry if you disagree. I am of the opposite camp and have always thought that "Hysteria" is plastic pop and devoid of life. For expressing that opinion, I have been called just about every name in the book and have been told that I am "ignorant" and "not a true fan of rock". I find it completely bizarre that people can't recognize an opinion for what it is, just an opinion.

A bit of trivia about "Hysteria", a the time of the LP's release, this was the longest rock album ever released as a single album clocking in at just under 63 minutes long (62 minutes 52 seconds). According to Wikipedia, Deep Purple's hits album "Deepest Purple" was released at 62 minutes 48 seconds (4 seconds shorter than Hysteria) in 1980. "Hysteria" was the last album to feature guitarist Steve Clark who died from an overdose of codeine, Valium, morphine and a blood alcohol level of .30.

your review is spot on. generic songwriting and performance covered up by layers of studio gloss and a huge advertising budget. About as substantial as a .99 cent bag of Cheetos.

Scott, I have a love/hate relationship with this album. I loathe songs like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Love Bites". I don't like songs such as "Armageddon It" and "Animal". I think songs like "Excitable" and "Run Riot" are average at best. I like songs such as "Don't Shoot Shotgun" and "Love & Affection", but I love songs like "Women", "Rocket", "Gods of War", and "Hysteria".

Much of my disdain for this album is based solely upon the audience that Def Leppard began to cater to. It is what is, as Def Leppard aren't the only ones to travel down this particular path within the industry. This type of album made the band multi-millionaires ten times over, and has allowed them to put out average/bad albums the rest of their career.

The love I have for this album is built purely around nostalgia, and being 16-18 years old during its run. There wasn't a day during the fall of 1987 and the spring of 1988 when I didn't hear this album on the way to school, going out to lunch, or being taken home, since my buddy Craig played it in his car all the time. Whether you loathed it, loved it, or like it, "Hysteria" was more or less a part of the musical fabric of those times. If I based my feelings about this album solely on the music, then I would probably feel the same as you, but I base it on so much more. In the end, the album "Hysteria" could have been used as a video montage for those most impressionable years of my life. This is the sole reason why I cut this album more slack than possibly any other record ever produced!

It's too long...and poorly sequenced...

This should be the track list/running order:


1. Run Riot (4:38)
2. Armageddon It (5:21)
3. Animal (4:02)
4. Hysteria (5:49)
5. Don't Shoot Shotgun (4:10)
6. Pour Some Sugar on Me (4:25)
7. Love Bites (5:46)
8. Excitable (4:19 )
9. Love and Affection (4:35)
10. Gods of War (6:32)

This would have been my track listing had Def Leppard gone with other songs that were written during the "Hysteria" sessions. I copied this from the Def Leppard discography thread:

1. Desert Song
2. Fractured Love
3. Women
4. Armageddon It
5. I Wanna Be Your Hero
6. Gods of War
7. Don't Shoot Shotgun
8. Hysteria
9. Rocket
10. Ring of Fire
11. Run Riot
12. Love And Affection


songs omitted: Pour Some Sugar on Me, Love Bites, Excitable, Animal

I think your first paragraph is a bit harsh (for you anyway). You're usually the one to find something positive about an album even if everyone else pans it. Other than that, it's pretty good.

I haven't listened to that album in years, but I suppose I like it decent enough. Probably more burn-out on my part than anything though.

I have to agree with you on this one! I mean....... my MOM bought this album...... for herself!!!!! I never bought a copy of this and I never bought another Def Leppard album until I tried Slang(because I heard that it was different). DL will always be the first three to me.

I like the album and I don't give a rat's ass if soccer moms, geekesters, Madonna fans, and metal fans I bought the album.

IMO it was a well crafted album with featured songs that were fun, and these guys were not trying to be Pink Floyd, they created IMO the perfect pop metal album.

Slick,glossy,over-produced garbage ? Yes indeed but very well done slick ,glossy,over-produced garbage. I like it alot and for me it's the last great thing Def Leppard ever did.

Def Leppard always get pegged as a huge sell out band (whatever that means), going from their raw sound of 'On Through the Night' to ' Hysteria' which is slick and produced by micromanaging John Mutt Lange.

I personally do not see that way, Def Leppard made no secret from day one they wanted to be as successful. They never claimed to be the heaviest band on the planet.

Also besides the shared love these lads had for Deep Purple, their biggest influence were the first wave of British glam bands of the early 70's such as Mott the Hoople, T. Rex, Sweet, Bowie, Slade, etc

Slade and T. Rex especiallized in three minute catchy songs with big chrouses and I feel in some ways Def Leppard is carrying on this tradition in their own style.

Also unlike Bon Jovi and other artists that I am huge fans of such as KISS, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper, they never hired a turd like Desmond Child to help them become more commerical and co write their songs.

I didn't like Def Leppard prior to Hysteria, that album was just the final nail in the "avoid coffin" for me.

If I want slick, overproduced fluff, I'll listen to Foreigner and Journey, who did it earlier, better and with better songs.

This is the end of Def Lep for me. Luckily for them, nobody agreed with me and this sold boatloads. High 'N Dry is still the best thing they ever did.

Good review Ult!

Shawn D. wrote:

I didn't like Def Leppard prior to Hysteria, that album was just the final nail in the "avoid coffin" for me.

If I want slick, overproduced fluff, I'll listen to Foreigner and Journey, who did it earlier, better and with better songs.

Well if you didn't like them before Hysteria, then this album was certainly not going to receive any love from you. I like both Foreigner and Journey but IMO these guys have very little incommon, beside the fact Mutt Lange produced Foreigner 4.

manny wrote:

Def Leppard always get pegged as a huge sell out band (whatever that means), going from their raw sound of 'On Through the Night' to ' Hysteria' which is slick and produced by micromanaging John Mutt Lange.

I personally do not see that way, Def Leppard made no secret from day one they wanted to be as successful. They never claimed to be the heaviest band on the planet.

Also besides the shared love these lads had for Deep Purple, their biggest influence were the first wave of British glam bands of the early 70's such as Mott the Hoople, T. Rex, Sweet, Bowie, Slade, etc

Slade and T. Rex especiallized in three minute catchy songs with big chrouses and I feel in some ways Def Leppard is carrying on this tradition in their own style.

Also unlike Bon Jovi and other artists that I am huge fans of such as KISS, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper, they never hired a turd like Desmond Child to help them become more commerical and co write their songs.

No doubt that they wanted to be successful. What band doesn't? Tons of bands from the NWOBHM movement would have listed Mott the Hoople, T. Rex, Sweet, Bowie, Slade, as influences. Many covers of these bands have been recorded. Krokus had a hit with a Sweet cover. Quiet Riot had a hit with a Slade cover.

However, you can't see the stylistic difference between "Hysteria" and the band's more straight forward hard rock albums? For sure, "Pyromania" bridged the gap between that melodic NWOBHM sound and the radio pop of "Hysteria", but there really isn't anything heavy metal or even "hard rock" about "Hysteria". Everything is very polished, very smooth and sterile sounding. It doesn't have the rock and roll balls that bands like The Sweet, Slade and T.Rex had. It's not just about writing hooks, it's about the whole package. The production, the songs, the lyrics. It's very bubblegum pop.

There's nothing wrong with liking it. That's just a matter of taste and opinion, but there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the band and Mutt Lang purposely set out to write a record full of pop hits. There is no way anyone can convince me that was their goal on "On Through the Night" and "High n Dry". Those are rock and roll records no matter how much Joe Elliot tries to convince us that they always wanted to be a pop band. Even "Pyromania" despite it's studio gloss is a rock and roll record. "Hysteria" is blatant 100% manufactured pop.

It's an AOR record...

I will agree with two points in your posting ULT

1) It is a fact that band and Mutt Lange wanted to record an album that was full of hits, and I agree it is more pop then metal, I don't agree that is sterile sounding, but is it slick? without a doubt

2) They at one time in their early career where proud to be called a metal, even the book they wrote years and years ago, they used the term heavy metal to describe their music. In for some reason Elliot seems to have distanced themselves from this term, but then again their post Hysteria material is not all that metallic.

I'd be willing to sign my name to Ult's review, so I think we're on the same page with Hysteria.


I didn't say Def Leppard "sounded" like Foreigner or Journey, I just said that those bands are way better...and they are. At least in my opinion.

AOR doesn't have to mean "dumb as hell", but it does on Hysteria.

Shawn D. wrote:

I'd be willing to sign my name to Ult's review, so I think we're on the same page with Hysteria.


I didn't say Def Leppard "sounded" like Foreigner or Journey, I just said that those bands are way better...and they are. At least in my opinion.

AOR doesn't have to mean "dumb as hell", but it does on Hysteria.

I don't think Hysteria is any dumber then the lyrics Mick Jones penned for Foreigner

okay, we agree to disagree. I'm too old to argue about albums from 1987 and none of these bands really mean anything to me anyway. If all the Def Leppard and Foreigner discs vanished suddenly from the face of the earth, I would not shed a tear.

Shawn D. wrote:

okay, we agree to disagree. I'm too old to argue about albums from 1987 and none of these bands really mean anything to me anyway. If all the Def Leppard and Foreigner discs vanished suddenly from the face of the earth, I would not shed a tear.

LOL! Too true.

Now Motorhead would be a different story for me.

manny wrote:

Shawn D. wrote:

I'd be willing to sign my name to Ult's review, so I think we're on the same page with Hysteria.


I didn't say Def Leppard "sounded" like Foreigner or Journey, I just said that those bands are way better...and they are. At least in my opinion.

AOR doesn't have to mean "dumb as hell", but it does on Hysteria.

I don't think Hysteria is any dumber then the lyrics Mick Jones penned for Foreigner

I don't know Manny, I think songs like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and parts of "Armageddon It" prey on the stupid. I don't have to repeat the lyrics and I certainly don't want to look any of them up, but I think you have a good idea of what I'm talking about. Def Leppard for all accounts had their album wrapped up and then they wrote "Pour Some Sugar On Me". It kind of reminds me of the "Cherry Pie" saga. Another situation, where the band had the album they wanted, but either the record company or the producer in this case tells the band that they have to come up with a gimmicky song geared towards the dolts. And there a lot of dolts out there. Like I stated earlier, I have a love/hate relationship with this album, but I will NEVER like "Pour Some Sugar On Me". It insults my intelligence...It doesn't mean that every song has to be serious. Some songs can be fun, but ones like the aforementioned teeter on the retarded.

I never saw Joe Elliot as pop metal's answer to Bob Dylan, I agree that their lyrics can be a bit daft but like all of you pointed it out, it is pop record, probably me calling it a pop metal record was a stretch.

'Pour Some Sugar On Me' is a great example of moronic lyrics but a fun song IMO. Plus I saw a couple of strippers do some amazing things while this song was playing.

Yes 'Armaggeddon It' is the worst pun in rock history.

I totally agree with the review. I can't stand this album and this is where I jumped off the Def Leppard train. I had been hoping that Pyromania was an aberration and the band would return the style of High N Dry or On Through The Night. Sadly, the opposite was true; Pyro was merely the transitional album between the metal Def Leppard and the radio pop stars Def Leppard.

tohostudios wrote:

I totally agree with the review. I can't stand this album and this is where I jumped off the Def Leppard train. I had been hoping that Pyromania was an aberration and the band would return the style of High N Dry or On Through The Night. Sadly, the opposite was true; Pyro was merely the transitional album between the metal Def Leppard and the radio pop stars Def Leppard.

I understand where you are coming from and ULT, I did not discover Def Leppard til 'Pyromania' and I am probably the least metal guy on this board, but I liked 'Hysteria' and to a certain extent still do, IMO it was a natural progression from the Pyromania album.

"High n Dry' is my fav Def Leppard album also, but the band has shown little (which is a shame) to no interest to returning to that style, lot of early Def Leppard fans hate their post Pyromania material, I am just not one of them.