36 Years Of Hysteria
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Hysteria is one of those rare albums that feels much greater than the sum of its parts.
While it may seem like a no-nonsense hard rock album on the surface, its inherent musicality and catchy hooks continue to attract fans around the world.
Even though "Hysteria" propelled Def Leppard to the pinnacle of fame, its creation was faced massive setbacks. Looking back, it's truly surprising that the album was ever completed!
Following the success of their 1983 breakthrough "Pyromania", Def Leppard embarked on creating "Hysteria" with great momentum.
However, Mutt Lange, the producer of "Pyromania," stepped away due to exhaustion. The band was left frustrated after struggling for almost eight relatively unproductive months in the studio with his replacement, Meat Loaf songwriter/producer Jim Steinman.
On 31st December 1984, drummer Rick Allen unfortunately lost his left arm in a horrific car crash. Leppard was shattered; yet despite the severity, Allen was resolute about continuing to play.
Allen collaborated with the Simmons drum company to create a personalized drum kit incorporating electronic triggers. This revamped drum arrangement introduced a fresh dynamic to Def Leppard's music.
This evolution aligned with the renewed focus of Mutt Lange; and he luckily resumed his role as producer.
“Mutt wanted to make Hysteria a hard rock version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller,” Phil Collen told Guitar World in 2012.
“The fact that with Thriller you had an R&B artist who crossed over not just into pop, but everything, even rock with Eddie Van Halen playing on ‘Beat It’, that really appealed to Mutt and to us.”
Naturally, fans had concerns about the four-year wait for the successor to Pyromania. True to its name, the album lived up to expectations, swiftly claiming the top spot on the UK album chart upon its August 3, 1987 release; and eventually stayed in the Top 40 for a 105 consecutive weeks!
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