Def Leppard: Hysteria (Song Spotlight)

The Def Leppard song “Hysteria” may very well be a magical mysteria, especially in how it packs a wallop as powerful as any of the Hysteria album‘s most bombastic tracks.

It’s not a power ballad. It would be a bit of a stretch to even classify it as a ballad per se, at least a typical one. Referring to “Hysteria” as a mid-tempo pop-rock song might be more appropriate.

The elusiveness to label “Hysteria” only adds to its mystique. And while it’s delicate and subtle in its approach, it grasps listeners and places them under its mighty spell right from the outset.

The song’s positioning on the Hysteria album’s tracklisting is quite fitting, too. Once you get beyond opening track “Women,” the first half of the album (“Side 1”) overflows with a slew of massive, radio-friendly hit singles.

Meanwhile, the second half (“Side 2”) contains the album’s “deeper” cuts. And in the middle of that assortment, “Hysteria” makes its appearance. It’s a bit unexpected and almost sneaks up on a listener, yet still doesn’t seem out of place as it’s sandwiched between “Run Riot” and “Excitable.” It assuredly holds its own, standing out from the “Side 2” pack.

It’s also worth mentioning that Def Leppard did a splendid job visually capturing the essence of the song with its classy, memorable music video. From its dancehall setting to its dimly lit mood lighting, not to mention the band’s choice of wardrobe, the video embodies and reinforces the elegance of the track. (Frankly, there have been times when a Def Leppard music video has detracted from a song, “Tonight” being one of them. “Hysteria” is definitely not one of those instances!)

When You Get That Feelin’, Better Start Recording It!

“Hysteria” is a prime example of Def Leppard’s method of song-creation synchronicity.

As you may have already read elsewhere on this site, the band is known to sometimes piece together completely different ideas brought forward by band members, which then results in the creation of an entirely new song.

Phil Collen explained how the song “Hysteria” came about to Goldmine Magazine:

“We pieced together that song. I remember we were sitting in Dublin, and Rick Savage goes, ‘Oh, I’ve got this riff.’ He played it, and I literally just sung the first verse. It was the first thing that came out of my head and I was like, ‘Write this down; record it.’ We did the next bit. It literally happened so quickly that we had half of the song. We took it to Steve, Mutt and Joe, and it turned out to be something else.”

Rick Savage described (and demonstrated) the origins of the song in the Classic Albums: Hysteria release:

Between all its nuances, “Hysteria” magnificently showcases each band member’s talents right alongside its hard-to-resist melodies and harmonies: Joe Elliott’s rich, emotive vocals; the finely textured guitars layered on by Steve Clark and Phil Collen; Rick Savage’s smooth and steady bass line; the hypnotic groove of Rick Allen’s drumming.

Producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange and engineer Mike Shipley (who handled the mixing) also deserve major accolades for making “Hysteria” a reality. Without their creative input and technical wizardry, the song would not have been the gem it turned out to be. (Read an in-depth look at Mutt Lange’s body of work here.)

“Hysteria” Chart Performance

“Hysteria” was the third single off of the Hysteria album in the U.S. (following up “Women” and “Animal”), and continued the album’s streak of every single release outperforming its predecessor on the charts. “Hysteria” became the album’s first Top 10 single, peaking at #10. (The upward chart streak on Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart would continue, as “Pour Some Sugar On Me” followed it up, reaching #2; “Love Bites” then came next, reaching #1.)

Might the single chart performance of “Hysteria” have been even better if it were released after a juggernaut like “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” which resulted in Hysteria‘s album sales, radio support, and overall awareness to skyrocket? Potentially.

In the end, it doesn’t matter, as a #1 single does not always a great song make, and “Hysteria” soared regardless.

(By the way, if you really want to indulge in more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book!)

Still Hysterical After All These Years

“Hysteria” is a mainstay on Def Leppard’s tour setlist; it would be sacrilegious to not include it. (The same can be said about numerous other songs in the band’s catalog, which is a whole other discussion.)

The track is still well-received and as popular as ever with concertgoers. The band’s live performance is more straightforward these days, as opposed to the Hysteria tour, when they teased audiences with an extended, ambiguous introduction, leaving them guessing for a brief period (which also allowed Joe Elliott to take a quick break). It wouldn’t be until the song’s classic melody kicked in that its identity would finally be revealed, to the delight of those in attendance.

Here’s a prime example of this unique introduction, from the band’s memorable In The Round, In Your Face live release:

“Hysteria” (Take 2)

Before making their catalog available digitally, Def Leppard re-recorded nearly identical versions of several of their songs and released them on their own because of what felt like a never-ending royalty dispute over digital sales with their record company.

It’s no surprise that one of the songs the band chose to re-record in 2013 was “Hysteria.” While the term “imitated but never duplicated” could apply, Def Leppard’s effort was respectable, despite the newer version’s inability to completely (and impossibly) replicate the inimitable magic of the original.

Fortunately, it’s now a moot point, as the band’s entire catalog was finally released digitally in 2018, allowing a whole new generation of fans to discover and enjoy the songs as they were originally intended.

Oh, Can You Feel It? Def Leppard Fans Still Do!

“Hysteria” isn’t the band’s loudest or most anthemic track, yet it’s Def Leppard at their Hysteria-era best.

It also ranks #1 on this site’s song ranking of the Hysteria album:

“Some Def Leppard songs have the ability to transport you to a different time and place the very moment you hear their opening chords; “Hysteria” unfailingly achieves this remarkable feat.”

As for the song’s true meaning and ultimate message, Phil Collen explained it to Songfacts:

“The song really is about finding spiritual enlightenment. Not many people know that because it sounds like just getting hysterical, but it’s actually about that. It’s about finding this deeper thing, whether you believe it or not.”

Oh, can you feel it? Do you believe it? Def Leppard fans certainly still do.