Def Leppard's 'Hysteria' is still a triumph of hard rock exuberance - 35 years on

Band will play the album's biggest hits at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix concert

Guitarist Steve Clark and singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard at London's Wembley Arena in 1988 during the 'Hysteria' world tour. Photo: Pete Still / Redferns

Taylor Swift made headlines this week for being the first artist to claim the entire top 10 singles chart with tracks from her latest album Midnights.

While impressive, an arguably bigger achievement occurred 35 years ago when Def Leppard's blockbuster album Hysteria spawned seven hit singles.

Not only was this the pre-streaming era, when music had to be physically bought, it was 1987 and Def Leppard’s exuberant rock was a far cry from the sounds of that era’s pop stars, such as Madonna and Michael Jackson.

Coming off the back of their successful 1983 predecessor, Pyromania, the UK group aimed for an impact of which Jackson would have been proud.

“We wanted to make the rock version of Thriller,” guitarist Phil Collen tells The National before the band’s Abu Dhabi F1 race day concert on November 20.

He is referring to Jackson’s 1982 album, which sold 70 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

With Hysteria registering more than 20 million copies in sales, it remains a monumental achievement in presenting hard rock’s commercial clout, in addition to being a new high-water mark for the genre's production.

It is also a good news story.

Hysteria’s buoyant anthems were laced by personal tragedy and a budget blowout.

The drama began at the onset of the recording process in 1984, when a horrific New Year's Eve car accident involving drummer Rick Allen resulted in the amputation of his left arm.

While heroically returning behind a specially designed electronic drum kit a year later, Def Leppard were also stuck in a creative cul-de-sac.

With Pyromania they reached a commercial ceiling with their brand of heavy metal.

Keen to expand their reach and follow heroes such as The Beatles and Queen in playing arenas, the group wanted to release a supremely polished album full of earworm melodies.

Another obstacle arose when producer of choice, South Africa's Mutt Lange (who also guided Pyromania), was initially unavailable.

By the time his calendar was clear, the group had already burnt through their budget by hiring and effectively firing (they bought out his contract) Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman.

“We wanted that Mutt Lange sound,” Collen says. “He pretty much taught us how to sing. We knew we had OK voices but he knew how to combine them all together and make us sound great.”

A notorious taskmaster, Lange’s inclusion meant the band jettisoned their hard-partying ways to focus on the work at hand.

“We didn't really go out. There was no partying. We were in the studio and supremely focused,” Collen says.

“While we perhaps missed out on some of the crazy stuff other bands go to, we ended up finishing what we wanted to do.”

And that is an album warranting the weathered adage: all killer, no filler.

Hysteria is full of tracks defining the rock sounds of that era.

The bass lines are muscular, the riffs come thick and fast and frontman Joe Elliott's vocals evolved from the whiny castrato of previous releases to take on a richer and deeper timber.

This is exemplified in marauding opener Women and the stomping glam-rock of Rocket.

Def Leppard's investment in melody also shines in the majestic power ballad and wonderful three-part harmonies of Love Bites.

Global hit Pour Some Sugar On Me is also indicative of the group's desire to please the masses.

Beginning with a squall of guitar riffs before moving on to a verse featuring Elliott's snarling vocals, the song could easily have settled into being a pretty decent hard rock tune.

However, it is that wondrous and surprising major key change in the chorus elevating the song to the kind of pop anthem used in film montages Coyote Ugly and Rock of Ages and heard in baseball stadiums across the US.

That nous is also heard in the work of guitarists Collen and the late Steve Clark.

Hysteria is marked by their exhilarating counter melodies and arpeggios which provide powerful songs such as Gods of War and the album's title track with added emotional resonance.

Of course, it was Lange, the band’s Svengali, piecing it all together immaculately.

Lange's meticulous approach allows listeners to appreciate the detail of Hysteria's interlocking guitar parts, highlighted in Animal, and the intricate harmonies such as in of Gods of War.

The fact that the follow-up album, 1992’s disappointing Adrenalize, was Def Leppard and Lange's last collaboration, is no surprise.

Hysteria is more than the sound of a band reaching new creative heights. It also captures the kind of kinetic energy and synergy between band and producer hard to find and harder to maintain.

For an album reportedly costing an eye-watering $3.5 million to make — it remains one of the most expensive rock albums yet produced — Hysteria easily recouped the costs.

While Def Leppard would never match that album’s critical and commercial success, it laid the groundwork for other big-selling titles from the likes of Bon Jovi and Poison.

Def Leppard's deft blend of melody and powerful sonics also influenced many of today’s leading pop stars, with Lady Gaga, Maroon 5 and John Mayer listing the band as an influence.

Such enduring appeal not only maintains Hysteria’s place as one of rock'n'roll's most influential albums, but also provides the songs that will contribute to what should be an awesome concert in Abu Dhabi.

45 artists who have played at the Abu Dhabi F1 After-Race Concerts — in pictures

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  Prince kept it fun and funky during his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix performance in 2010. Reuters

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  Beyonce performs at Ferrari World on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix on October 29, 2009. Philip Cheung / The National

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  Jamiroquai performs at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on October 30, 2009. Philip Cheung / The National

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  Kings of Leon performed in the UAE for the first time at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Formula Grand Prix. Reuters

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  Aerosmith performs on the final race day on November 1, 2009. Philip Cheung / The National

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  Kanye West performs at Yas Island on November 12, 2010. Rich-Joseph Facun / The National

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  Linkin Park at the Formula One after-race concert on November 13, 2010. Rich-Joseph Facun / The National

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  Britney Spears's 2011 show was high on choreography but low on energy. Lee Hoagland / The National

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  US rock band Incubus performs in 2011 in what was an odd double bill also featuring The Cult. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Paul McCartney played a hit-filled set in 2011. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue kept it fun and breezy in her 2012 Abu Dhabi F1 concert. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Nickelback played all their anthems in a 2012 concert. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Eminem made his concert debut in the Middle East with a race day performance at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi was one of the first Arab artists to perform as part of the Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concerts

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  Hip-hop superstar Jay-Z wowed crowds with his 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix show. Delores Johnson / The National

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  British rockers Muse brought their progressive rock sounds to Etihad Park in 2013. Delores Johnson / The National

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  Dave Gahan, from Depeche Mode, owned the stage during the group's 2013 race-day concert. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Egyptian pop star Tamer Hosny at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix after-race concert. Getty Images

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  Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren was the first EDM act to perform as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race concert series in 2014. Delores Johnson / The National

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  Pharrell William lost his voice during his 2014 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix concert. Delores Johnson / The National

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  The Who rocked loud and proud during their 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race day concert. Ravindranath K / The National

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  Emirati singer Aryam made her stage return during the 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Enrique Iglesias was all charm during his 2015 performance at Etihad Park. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Brit-pop group Blur gave a rare live performance of 'Country House' for their 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concert. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Florence + the Machine at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Cuban-American singer and rapper Pitbull was underwhelming in 2016. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

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  UK dance duo The Chemical Brothers were relentless at their 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concert. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Lionel Richie didn't disappoint at his 2016 after-race concert. Waleed Shah for The National

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  Rihanna rocked out at Etihad Park in 2016. Christopher Pike / The National

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  UK DJ Calvin Harris was a shadowy presence at his Etihad Park concert in 2017. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  US rapper J Cole performed at the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar pulled out. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The 2017 concert by Mumford & Sons was largely a fans-only affair. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race day concert in 2017 by Pink had its fair share of acrobatics. Photo: Flash Entertainment

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  US rapper Post Malone brought new meaning to the term 'solo performance' with his 2018 Abu Dhabi F1 show. Victor Besa / The National

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  The Weeknd gave a typically brooding show in 2018. Victor Besa / The National

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  Sam Smith changed a few misconceptions at their 2018 Abu Dhabi F1 concert. Victor Besa / The National

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  The Guns 'N' Roses concert at the 2018 Abu Dhabi F1 was cut short due to singer Axl Rose feeling unwell. Lee Hoagland / The National

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  Marshmello was a hit with the younger crowd during his 2019 Abu Dhabi F1 concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Rapper Future performing at the 2019 after-race concert at Etihad Park. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Lana Del Rey was suitably dramatic during her 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The Killers were the big act in 2019. Photo: Flash Entertainment

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  Khalid performed a sweet low-key set to kick of the 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concerts Pawan Singh / The National

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  British rapper Stormzy was happy to be back on stage at the 2021 Abu Dhabi F1. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  Lewis Capaldi performs in 2021. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  DJ Martin Garrix performing the Abu Dhabi F1 race-day concert in 2021. Pawan Singh / The National