Def Leppard's "HYSTERIA"-- Its Place In Rock Music History--Just Sayin'

Just a word of note: both On Through the Night and High 'N' Dry are actually more influential than anything else that came from them afterwards; for example, both Dimebag Darrell and Jeff Hanneman were influenced by the former of those two albums I mentioned.

 

Woah, kinda surprised by some of the negativity towards this album. As for me, I liked it then and like it now, no shame, no qualifications or reservations whatsoever.
From a career - business perspective, Hysteria deserves some credit for achieving the unthinkable. With over 10 million sold in the US, it eclipsed Pyromania which was quite a hard act to follow up. Lightening rarely strikes twice, so having Def Leppard follow a 7 million seller with an even bigger success is nothing short of astounding.
Moreover, the pattern of singles releases was brilliant. Lead single "Women" is a slow burner, too long to get to the hooks and, well, just too long. It flops. But the album was still massive out of the gate. It hit #4 and went double platinum even without a hit. The subsequent releases got better and only fueled interest in the album further and took it supernova: Animal, Hysteria...and Pour Some Sugar. And just when we thought the album couldn't get any bigger, they release the Power Ballad, Love Bites (in the summer of Power Ballads, 1988) and it hits #1. Then Armageddon, Rocket.
Hysteria's musical importance may be debatable, but let's face it: Def Leppard and Mutt Lange made heavy metal that sounded bigger and more bombastic than anything else (those insanely catchy choruses!) and took it to Michael-Whitney heights on the charts. In the music business, that ain't no small thing.

 

I love music as a serious art form literally more than anyone I know in real life. But this kind of take on an album like Hysteria just reeks of a stick in the mud type personality who is likely no fun to be around. I'm not even what I'd consider to be a huge fan, but c'mon it's basically a party in album form, how can anyone hate it?

 

Yeah, especially if you consider the fact that a lot of time and money went into the making of this album (David Simone, the then managing director at Phonogram, said that it might have been the most expensive record made in the UK at the time), and that when they were finally finished with it, they were left worried that it wasn't going to break even (Phil Collen said that the album had to sell at least 5 million copies in order to break even). It sure as hell did, and it became their most commercially successful album.

 

Just so you guys know, I have absolutely nothing against the band; I've loved them ever since I was a small child. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" actually made me cry when I was just five years old, mainly because of it just being a very emotional song. It doesn't make me cry anymore, but that one time it sure as hell did. The only album of theirs we have is the Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) compilation.

 

Not one of Martin's prouder moments. He is usually a level headed guy with a good take on Hard Rock and Heavy Metal; but on this one his take is nasty and vindictive.

Martin is a heavy metal guy that loves NWOBHM (new wave of British heavy metal) of which Def Leppard is a part of. I suspect Martin simply has a vendetta against a band who changed from a classic hard rocking NWOBHM sound to a Queen/Sweet style pop-rock style; hence he sees no redeeming qualities in Hysteria (aka stick in the mud).

He is wrong. You can respect albums even if you don't personally like the sound and style. He should have shown more respect. This is a great album of that era; it is not heavy metal, it is pop influenced rock with a heavy 80s electronic component.

I am a heavy metal, hard rock guy myself and I absolutely love this album. Every time I listen to it, it is like a time machine, I am transported back in time and I always end up with a smile on my face.

 

I actually liked their first album On through the Night, best. My sister had that album when it first came out and I would play it over and over. The next 2 albums are great, but I think Pyromania put them on the map. I don't think I've ever listened to Hysteria. I'll have to give it a go.
Cheers

 

Listen......I don't care if Def Leppard influenced musicians. Irrelevant. People don't get into music to impress other musicians, they make music to have it heard.

Hysteria pushed the then boundaries of rock. Mutt Lange asked can a rock record have 6 or 7 hits singles, like Thriller....like a pop record? Can you make a pop metal record the likes of Thriller? To this, Def Leppard answered with a resounding "yes". This record influenced music.....musicians be damned. I think Hysteria is a masterpiece, the likes of Nevermind, Appetite For Destruction, Thriller, Sgt. Pepper, etc.. Amazing.

 

Absolutely not. There were very few moments that I liked about that album, but overall too bubblegum pop for me, and nothing I would ever want to listen to more than twice.

The first three albums on the other hand I am a big fan of, and they did influence musicians that I listened to, because they were much heavier records.

 

Hysteria and "heavy metal"? Just no.

 

Muse

 

Queen (band) - Wikipedia

Being influenced by a band doesn't mean sounding like a clone.

 

Absolutely yes, sales figures alone put's this up there with Thriller, Saturday Night Fever et al whether you like it or not! 80's metal as we know it wouldn't have existed in it's popularity if it was'nt for Hysteria! It influenced a whole genre!

Apart from Guns & Roses and Def Leppard I don't think any other metal band is a household name!

There's always an 'air' of jealousy whenever very successful albums are discussed that usually leads to a degree of denial as such!

 

When I listen to Queen I mostly hear Uriah Heep, Utopia, Sweet & Zep
all thrown in the mixer! Queen where clearly more influenced than influential !

Dire Straits had their own sound and where more unique & quite influential. Queen not so!

 

Buzzwords and absolute judgements don't make it anything more than his opinion.

As far as I'm concerned, his "review" is stupid, and Gods of War is an unsung classic, well-served by the lush production. Fantastic track, guitar heaven.

 

Absolutely love Gods Of War.

 

Gods of war is the best track. Steve Clark was awesome. Iike the first 2 albums only these days

 

I know it influenced Richard Marx for his song Angelia.

 

Not a chance. Queen's stadium rock shows were very influential. The larger than life spectacle of it all has inspired many. Muse, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Adele, Katy Perry have all named Queen as an influence. None of who I like! But I don't recall anybody from the next generation naming Dire Straits as an influence. Why would they? There's nothing striking about them and they are no fun whatsoever. Queen's multi layered studio productions were also very innovative. Hysteria being an album that took it to extremes.

Dire Straits were big in their day, but interest in them has waned massively. Aside from a handful of tunes, not much of their music gets played a lot now, books aren't written about them, they aren't on magazine front covers. For the most part, their popularity is rooted in the 80s. Queen's music, like it or not, has got more and more popular over time. As for them not being unique. That comment is barely worth dignifying with a reply. Find me another song like Somebody To Love, another singer with the range and charisma of Freddie Mercury, or a band with worldwide hit singles that cross as many genres and boundaries as Queen's did. Another One Bites The Dust was a hit on black r'n'b radio, they had several hard rock hits, some pure pop, electronic music, ballads, disco, rock 'n' roll and more, with all band members contributing.

Of course they had obvious influences at times. Like almost every band.

 

Maybe Rush for "Neurotica" too.

 

My answer.
Pyromania influenced Hysteria and and the rest of the Pop/Metal era albums.

 

Can't argue with that assessment.

 

I lived it too and it actually shot to # 2 in the U.S. upon release.
But it's massive success a year later in 88 means nothing about future influence.
That was Pyromania's job.
Hysteria was the fulfillment of of previous Pop/Metal albums.

 

Pyromania uses a Linn Drum machine

 

I think you need to listen to Pyromania again. That's not an acoustic kit.