The 80's were a great time to be a metal fan. Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Metallica were releasing big time albums during that era. The 80's also gave rise to the glam metal era and bands like Cinderella and Poison were born. The 80's had huge hits and Def Leppard's Hysteria was one of them. Shying away from their NWOBHM sound they achieved with albums like Pyromania and High 'n' Dry, the band opted for a newer sound due to producer Jeff "Mutt" Lange wanting to produce a hard rock version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. So the band went more in the way of pop metal and completely eliminated their NWOBHM sound of yesteryear. Despite the length the band took to make the album, due to problems like drummer Rick Allen's near tragic car accident that cost him his left arm, it was a hit. Although it started slow, songs like Pour Some Sugar On Me and Love Bites, pushed the album into the stratosphere and helped launch Def Leppard into stardom.

Now I'm not going to go full detail on the singles (there were 7 by the way) because we all know them by heart and if you don't shame on you. I do want to put emphasis on the non singles that complete this album. Why because people were skipping over these tracks just to hear the singles which is a shame because there is more to this album than those songs themselves. Songs like the bombastic Gods Of War Run Riot and Don't Shoot Shotgun which are one of the best songs on the album prove that the album has better songs than the singles produced. Even the ballad Love And Affection is good despite Hysteria, their other ballad, getting attention. Don't get me wrong I like the songs Animal and Women and the other singles but this album is more than just those songs. The non singles have their moments and people need to know this. This is why the album is classic and not just because you saw each and every one of Hysteria's videos on MTV's Head Bangers Ball.

Joe Elliot does a good job singing on the album. He's less gruff than he was on previous Def Leppard albums but nonetheless he still has a good voice. Steve Clark and Phil Collen's guitar riffs are also good if you like guitar effect sounds which this album is full of. Another thing this album is full of and what made up their core sound is multi layered harmonic vocal melodies. That's is one reason I like this album. The vocal melodies make this album special. Some might not like it compared to other albums but it did put them on the map though and that is why this album is bombastic in nature.

Alas though this album would be the last album featuring Steve Clark as he was found dead in 1991 due to a fatal combination of painkillers and alcohol. It's a shame he was an underrated guitarist and was a perfect fit for the band. Overall though this album is considered one of the best releases of the 80's. Love it or hate it, Def Leppard became a force to be reckoned with and this release in 1987 proved it.