“Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we look back at the unlikely, multi-platinum smash that perfected pop metal—and brought the genre to its logical endpoint.”
“If a series of personal and professional tragedies couldn’t tear the English rockers apart, following up the smashing success of their fourth studio album stood no chance. What didn’t kill Def Leppard made Hysteria.”
“"Pour some sugar on me," Def Leppard sang on their fourth album, and producer Mutt Lange obliged, coating songs like "Animal" and "Rocket" in a sweet multitracked glaze until they became the decade’s tastiest pop-metal candy. Not that Hysteria came easy: Def Leppard spent years in the studio before its 1987 release, interrupted by drummer […]”
