The SERIOUS 1988 #1 Hit is ACTUALLY About a GIVING Someone a GIANT HICKEY! | Professor of Rock

Today, we’ve got a drama-filled double feature from Def Leppard, a band that ruled the airwaves with one album, Hysteria, from 1987 to 1989. At the time these guys were everywhere. Not only did they dominate radio, but every kid from the age of 8-18 had Hysteria. When all was said and done it boasted six Top 20 singles and a seventh that went Top 10 on the Rock Charts. Was there anything that could slow these guys down? Well, how about themselves? Get this, Def Leppard had been on tour for a year and they had no idea how to play their biggest hit Love Bites. How is that even possible? This track completely caught them with their pants down. Plus, we’re also telling the story of another hit song Animal, that was written in reverse… you’ll see what I mean. And this one may have saved the album from flopping. The tale of two rock classics is coming NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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By the summer of 1988, Def Leppard had become one of the biggest bands in the world… thanks entirely to their 1987 blockbuster LP: Hysteria. This massive album helped define music in the late ’80s. It was all over radio. All over MTV. At one point, it was practically impossible to make it through through a day without hearing one of this album’s seven singles. Pour some Sugar on me always get the credit for being the catalyst that pushed this album to the masses. WE talked about it before. it stared getting played in strip clubs and all of the sudden it was dominating Dial MTV. but the truth is two other songs are right there with Sugar in taking Hysteria from a certain flop to one of the biggest records ever and they have some great stories behind them . So let’s get into it
After the release of 1983’s Pyromania, Def Leppard was flying high. Their third studio album had gone to #2 on the Billboard Albums Chart held out of #1 by the colossus THRILLER but it sold 12 million copies worldwide anyway. one of the biggest selling #2 albums ever. The LP boasted four Top 10 singles on the US Mainstream Rock Charts, including two #1s… Photograph and Rock of Ages. All this was a huge step up for the band, who’s line-up consisted of frontman Joe Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Steve Clark, bassist Rick Savage, and drummer Rick Allen.
Def Leppard was happy to ride the wave of Pyromania’s success. But they weren’t content to stop there. With the album’s fourth single Too Late for Love still on the airwaves, the guys got to work on their next album, aiming for a 1984 release date. But at this point they could never imagined just how long and how difficult a road they had ahead of them. The original working title of the album was Animal Instinct. However, we know it as Hysteria… which is the perfect title for all the band would go through to finish it.
We’ve all heard the story before, the fact that Lep came apart at the seams during the recording of Hysteria, it’s the stuff of legend.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the PERFECT ALBUM of the 80s-Where EVERY SONG is Amazing?

[@Sweet--Richard.4981]

5150

[@peterd.9978]

Hi Infidelity - REO Speedwagon

[@rogerdeahl9629]

Thriller The Unforgettable Fire

[@Code.Name.V]

Def Leppard - Pyromania INXS - Listen Like Thieves Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Flaunt It U2 - The Unforgettable Fire U2 - The Joshua Tree Wang Chung - To Live and Die in L.A.

[@thomashalterman5231]

Huey Lewis with Sports

[@endcensorship874]

As a drummer, I'm very proud of them for not giving up on Rick Allen, would have been easy to find another guy.

[@mournblade1066]

Just ask Spinal Tap.

[@ghostmachine71]

Rick Allen is better than most 2 armed drummers out there.

[@edminchau811]

He actually became a better drummer after losing the arm.

[@ProfessorofRock]

So true!

[@ProfessorofRock]

@@mournblade1066 Ha!

[@donjohnston4215]

I bought pyromania in the spring of 83, my senior year in high school. Drove a POS truck, but had a good stereo in it. My girlfriend and I both loved that album but especially rock of ages and would play it over and over as we cruised thru town and by the beach where we lived on Lake Michigan. We eventually broke up, but remained friends, even as the years went by and we both started families of our own. She was killed by a drunk driver in 1997. I still think of her and that amazing summer when I hear that song. I’m thankful for those memories.

[@ScottJohnson80]

I had just broken off a relationship from my high school girlfriend of 3 years in August when Hysteria was released. This album, and especially the songs, Love Bites, and Hysteria, helped me to get through that tough time. Music has an amazing ability to heal.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@nickcastings1568]

In the late ‘70s I strolled up to Sheffield city hall, went to buy tickets for Status Quo, while I was being served the girl serving me asked ‘would you like tickets for a local rock band tonight’ they were selling them off cheap (& I mean dirt cheap, they were asking about 50p and the tickets I bought for Quo @ £5)because take up hadn’t been that good, I apologised and said I was on nights… as I walked out I asked ‘What are they called’ ‘Def Leppard’ she replied, I had actually heard of them and had their ‘Hello America’ single, I was gutted, still to this day I am absolutely gutted that I missed out on one of their very first gigs!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing.

[@timothya2742]

I get that. The first album I was aware of was On through the night. Rock Brigade drew me in. I first heard them live at the Stanley theater 1980

[@dukecraig2402]

​@@timothya2742 Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh? July 30th 1980? I didn't see that one but I saw them in 1983 on the Pyromania tour at the Civic Arena, June 5th, 1:06 Krokus and Gary Moore opened for them, and what a show it was. Pyromania was the tour where they'd started out opening for Billy Squire but during the tour the album Pyromania blew up so big and so fast they pulled them from that tour and gave them their own as the headliner, and with two acts opening for them at that. You and I have something in common that I tell people all the time, "I saw Def Leppard back when their drummer had both of his arms".

[@dukecraig2402]

​@@timothya2742 Well my first comment disappeared, as is so common on KZbin these days so here we go again, I'll try my best to recreate it. Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh? July 30th 1980? I missed that one but saw them on the Pyromania tour June 5th 1983 Pittsburgh Civic Arena and what a show it was, Krokus and Gary Moore opened for them. That was the tour where they started out opening up for Billy Squire but the album Pyromania blew up so big and so fast they pulled them from that tour and gave them their own as the headliner, and with two acts opening for them. You and I both have something in common, something I tell people all the time that not many can say, "I saw Def lepperd back when their drummer had both of his _____'s" fill in the blank. (it's a shame we live in a world where you constantly have to worry about being sensored).

[@LQOTW]

At the risk of inviting backlash, I must admit to not being a fan when Def Leppard was in their heyday. But this episode helped me appreciate them in a way I haven't before. Thank you, Professor, for your excellent discussion about this awesome group!

[@barrysmith8920]

“Photograph” is one of the 80’s top iconic anthems! My fave of theirs 🙏🏼 Thank you Professor 🌟

[@ProfessorofRock]

THanks Barry!

[@billkeithchannel]

Watching that slowly climb to the top of the MTV Friday Night Top 20 Video Countdown was an exciting time for that song and video. "Bring on the knife" was the catchphrase.

[@rogertemple7193]

Def Leppard have been through a lot of personal problems and many changes in their music over the years but I'm glad that they are still hanging in there thanks Professor.🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶

[@ProfessorofRock]

THanks Roger!

[@WILLNOTCOMPLY72]

Them staying loyal to each other for so long, when so many other rock bands have ripped apart at the seams and also their dedication to standing by their drummer during what must have been the most challenging time of his life, in what must have seemed career ending at the time is so understated too. To Rick himself,for the balls,the determination and work ethic to reinvent the way drums are played so he could remain the bad ass he is...man!The sheer nerve it took to walk out live on stage😊 the 1st time as a 1 armed drummer!!They've more than earned my respect and loyalty as a fan! What a band man. ✊ 🤟

[@bartbluemusic]

Def Leppard! You can play anything from them from the beginning through around 1999, and I'm gonna love it. From 2000 and on, not a big fan of their music. But for two solid decades, they could do no wrong. Awesome band.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool! Thanks Bart!

[@mournblade1066]

I'm pretty much that way with Iron Maiden. Their first seven albums (1980 through 1988) are on my constant play list. The following albums up to and including 2000's _Brave New World_ I will listen to once in a blue moon. I NEVER listen to anything after _Brave New World_ --those albums bore me to tears.

[@RavingMadStudios]

I’ve been a Def Leppard fan since they released “Bringing on the Heartbreak”, which is still one of my favorites. I just have a bunch more favorites along with it now.

[@guttersidecottage]

Hysteria was my first boyfriends life favorite album. We played it so much I can recite the lyrics despite not listening to it since 1990. Epic

[@ProfessorofRock]

Cool!

[@mournblade1066]

Never really cared for Def Leppard, but I have nothing but complete and utter admiration for Rick Allen. If his story isn't inspiring, then I don't know what is.

[@ProfessorofRock]

No kidding! A BEAST!

[@phatphat7089]

Just saw em in spokane a few weeks ago ! Loudest show ive ever been to! Ears are still ringing! And ive been to hundreds of concerts!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Cool!

[@cherylreichardt]

Saw these guys in '83! They opened up for Billy Squier. Poor Billy! He got toilet paper thrown at him on stage and Def Leppard had kids creating pyramids of themselves with the pull away chairs! Showed who they came to see! And three cheers for a one armed drummer!

[@-jjc4]

Yep I saw them in 83 in Kansas City and they opened for Billy Squier lol.

[@heidichristensen7919]

I remember that tour coming through Seattle but didn’t attend it. I liked Billy but hadn’t really discovered Leppard at the time. They returned shortly after as headliners.

[@mjc4art]

5 seconds in and I’m pressing thumbs up… High ‘n Dry is in my all time top 10 and will never leave. Can’t wait to watch this one about Hysteria.

[@stephenbrown4211]

Animal is my favourite Def Leppard song. Love the acoustic version they put out as a B-side to Slang

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree!

[@TheTriumfAnt]

My friend and I went everywhere together in his old Mini Cooper. It had no radio, just an aftermarket cassette player. We had one tape between us, Hysteria. We played it everywhere we went. We knew all the lyrics to all the songs. Great times.

[@wmg1958]

Hey, you retold the story of this album extremely well. It’s really a series of stories, and the way you put it together made clear what an odyssey the process was. I remember hearing about the drummer’s accident at the time and thinking that was it for Def Leppard. In a business littered with self destruction it is good to be reminded people can and do rally past tragedy to go on to greater heights. THAT is RocknRoll!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@giggigidy6998]

Def Leppard are a true band in every sense...band together, a band of brothers. What a great story and a great video for sure Professor 👍

[@BaddogSports]

Def Leppard, DEFINITELY, a staple of the 80s! Who didn’t have a Def Leppard t-shirt in 1988? Lol

[@robjacobs1606]

I saw them in 87. Great concert but you’d hear them on the radio so much I couldn’t stand this album after a while. Now, looking back, I can appreciate why it was suck such a huge smash hit album.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ponzo1967]

I agree about the radio overplaying it. Sugar was one of my favorites from that album until it hit the radio and ruined it. About half that album kicks butt. Over produced but Def Leppard was a great live band.

[@stevehill5803]

I think I saw them in 87. Who opened for them? It was Krokus for me.

[@zeus014]

We were at the concert for the Hysteria tour in Vancouver on June 23rd, 1988 - a tour that was done in the round. Phenomenal show it was, one of the best I've been to before or since. Being a rocker, I didn't really notice that they could not have played Love Bites that night since it didn't hit its stride in sales until two months later. Incidentally, Jon Bon Jovi joined them on stage that night for an encore (CCR's Travelling Band). At that time he was in Vancouver recording the follow-up to Slippery When Wet, New Jersey.

[@dave.in.oregon]

An ALL TIME Favorite Album of mine. Played this non-stop in high school when it came out.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Cool!

[@guessundheit6494]

This leaves out a big part of their story. All band members - even former member Pete Willis - were from Sheffield. They had grown up together. Elliot is the oldest, and he was only 20 when their debut album "On Through The Night" was released in 1980. Rick Allen was the youngest, only 17 in 1980. Everyone goes on and on about Def Leppard, Bon Anchovy and other pop-metal bands. But the guy who INVENTED pop-metal has yet to be talked about: Aldo Nova. He is a lot more than just "Fantasy" in 1982, he has huge songwriting and album producer credits throughout the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and beyond (e.g. Clay Aitken's # 1 "This Is the Night", many Celine Dion songs). And he's still writing and performing. He deserves an exposé.

[@melissamunoz-rush8298]

Def Leppard is THE best band. I have loved them since I was 12 and never miss them in concert!

[@ProfessorofRock]

How many times have you seen them?

[@margaretbonanno654]

One of the greatest stories of loyalty and friendship in rock history …❤

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@teejae2065]

I wore a hole 2:19 in On Though the Night. As a senior my Dad bought me a 1976 midnight blue camaro with a cassette player...and it was on! :)

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@BlindGordie]

I had bought Hysteria 5 times over the years: 2 tapes, 1 CD and 3 times on iTunes. This album got me through some of my years of junior high school and a discovery of something called Weather Radio in the spring of 1988.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool!

[@Whisper_292]

I didn't know Rick Allen got back on the horse so soon after the accident. That's the epitome of courage.

[@ProfessorofRock]

No kidding!

[@Code.Name.V]

I didn't know that either... VERY impressive!

[@robpaxson4455]

When they began touring they had a guy on standby right next to Rick in case he needed help, needless to say he did not

[@thomashalterman5231]

Did I have the album? The album, the cassette for the car, and now on 2 streaming platforms... so, yes!

[@jerrymarshall2728]

Def Leppard almost singlehandedly saved the 80's for me! There were some other groups I enjoyed, but I was really a Def-head through the mid-late 80's!

[@barbaraburgoyne8359]

I saw Def Leppard in 1983 in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena...the loudest concert I ever attended 😅 really good time

[@ProfessorofRock]

So cool!

[@nancysantamarialatica1141]

Gen X here and yea grew up around the MTV times , so yeah I love music.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome!

[@scottlouis]

I was in Jr high and I loved all the bands you mentioned: GnR, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi. They were mainstays in the arcades and carnivals. Anytime I hear these songs it takes me back to having fun as a kid in the 80s! Take me back!

[@billkeithchannel]

Holy wow you are jogging my memory. Once it was released as a single and started to climb the charts I recall saying, "it's about damn time this song got some airplay, it's only been a year." We album owners had worn it out already and moved on to other deep cuts (Armegeddin It, Gods Of War, and Rocket).

[@Polyphemus47]

My goofy friend thought it was 'Deaf Leonard'. He also talked about 'Monty Crew'. At that time, I was still listening to 10CC and Ambrosia. I didn't give Def Leppard more than a casual notice. YOU, my Prof, have brought me back to so many 'hits you missed' moments. Looking forward to 'discovering' these guys, now.

[@somebodysomething4242]

Great video, Adam! I love this band. They still sound great live too.

[@ProfessorofRock]

When is the last time you caught them?

[@DukesMusic84]

Don't know what it is about hair metal, just like Shady it keeps coming back and back and back again. People will always want that music in their lives, shout to the Leppard lads.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks.

[@IlovethisplaceRR]

It was the first album I ever heard on CD...blew my mind.

[@JanesDough855]

One of my favorite bands. Saw them in concert in '88, they played in the round. Was truly Awesome!

[@lkmiii5619]

Just got this on vinyl... it's minty.. great album!

[@Tat2dDude67]

What a great album. I remember coming home from work to catch the "World Premiere" of the video for "Animal".

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same!

[@billkeithchannel]

I remember that too.

[@StarBitt97]

This is one of my favorite groups and albums…saw them twice while they were on this tour. Rick Allen still amazes me! And it really was sad when Steve Clark died. They were just my favorite group! I had actually become a fan with ‘Bringing On the Heartbreak’ and my fave song on the next album was ‘Foolin’. On this one, ‘Hysteria was my fave but ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ was my second favorite. Just love hearing your stories!

[@petercena9497]

No one said it out loud but Def Leppard were subtlety marketed as teen idol metal, and it worked especially in the U.S where they are way bigger than in the UK. Only like their early stuff, but admire not only Allen, but the genuine friendship within the band. Rare for a huge band I think.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Good point.

[@stevenfunderburg1623]

🤣😅😅 I'll say it out loud and there was nothing subtle about it. Duran Duran of metal were words used openly in management meetings.

[@randytessman6750]

Not just a band but a group of true friends ! Personally High & Dry is their best album but I like them all.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Brothers!

[@randytessman6750]

@@ProfessorofRock for me Switch 625 really showed their style

[@NOBodYknoys111]

Loved each other so much that they fired the founder of the band as soon as they got some notoriety. High n dry was their best album to me. Got to give it to Rick though, much respect to him. More pop don't add up to more better to me

[@aaronrogers1971]

Hysteria is absolutely the best album (from start to finish) of that era (with INXS Kick falling in a close second). I personally went through at least four cassettes (eaten or stolen) and two CDs. I'm pretty sure I listened to the entire album every day, sometimes multiple times, for over four years. When Adrenalize came out, everyone agreed there was no way that album could beat Hysteria and it got panned hard by critics because of that predestined opinion, despite being a strong album. All the good music surrounding all the personal physical hurt seems to be a trend. Great video, Adam. 🤘🏼🤓🤘🏼

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching Aaron!

[@seanfattireguythomas2994]

This is the sound of the 1980s I like it well myself mutt was a hit maker

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@jstnxprsn]

Good morning Adam and music lovers. Man, my friends and I played Hysteria to death. Every day at lunch for weeks. Great album.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same here!

[@billkeithchannel]

Holy wow this video drop is perfect timing. Black Pegasus just did a reaction to Pour Some Sugar so this history lesson feeds more Def Leppard I needed.

[@danielbrannon9513]

During the "satanic panic" there was some controversy over "Love Bites". At the end of the song, on the fade-out someone says: "Jesus or Nazareth, go to hell" with a somewhat robotic effect on the vocal. I remember it being a big deal in the late '80s, but hasn't been mentioned since then.

[@georgeoosterhous414]

DL-my favorite all-time band. Hysteria is my all-time favorite album followed very closely by Pyromania. If Hysteria is a 100, then Pyromania is a 98. My top 3 songs from Hysteria are Gods of War, Hysteria, and Armageddon It. DL is still amazing live. They are the true model of what a rock band should be.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree!

[@ThrillingTwo]

Great episode! I love Def Leppard. Top 3 band for me ever since High'N Dry!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Rock on!

[@Joel-gh3qn]

I remember being on a 6 month deployment (Navy) and I saw & bought the cassette at the ships store. By the time we got back home the tape was worn out. I had to get another one. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

[@harrykP9]

I remember they played "Love Bites" a minimum of every 45 minutes on MTV. Everyday, I'd get off the bus, come and turn the TV on, only to see the beginning of "Love Bites".

[@ProfessorofRock]

SO true!

[@desertdweller4951]

Listened to them in 1980 in the back of a flatbed pickup head from Kansas to Nebraska for work. I was 20 and working east across America.

[@sariahut1]

U2; Joshua Tree, INXS; Kick, Depeche Mode; Some Great Reward, Erasure; The Innocence. Can you tell I’m a new wave fan? 😊

[@troygilliland9485]

I loved Pyromania, infact it was one of the first albums I ever received as a gift, and when Hysteria came out, I definitely enjoyed it, but constant exposure turned me off quickly. Rick Allen's story was the only reason I didn't wind up hating it. 25 years pass, and I'm able to enjoy it again. Thanks for this video

[@daviddavies3637]

One of them has something like 11 guitar parts and at any one time you could have 4 or 5. That's why they sound like they fill up the room and your brain at times. I absolutely love the pre-chorus to Love Bites. They could work their way through Hysteria quite easily since the main guitar parts are prominent. In Love Bites, though, I imagine they had to untangle all the parts to pick out the bits that would sound good without watering down the sound. Not an easy task. The song's also one I used to play to my wife on guitar when we met. I really know how to serenade. 😂

[@6stringfidgeter]

Bought the tape in 7th grade, then the cd later in the mid 90’s when I was switching to cds from tapes, still got that cd, seen them 2 different times in concert. What a band what a time to be alive

[@BadgerBoy5150]

I booked concerts in college in Reno and we booked Def Leppard opening for Blackfoot for Rocktoberfest in 1981. Since Def Leppard had an underage Rick Allen there was no beer Back Stage! Quick thinking 19 year old fake ID wielding me ran across the street and bought a case of beer and saved the day. I won tickets to see them in Sacramento for the Hysteria Tour and went Back Stage and they remembered me!

[@Kilroy72]

Hysteria was the first CD I bought.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome!

[@peterd.9978]

Saw them in concert recently and they're still rocking! 🎸🔥 Still sounding tight/on point. 👍🏼

[@ProfessorofRock]

Cool!

[@sanandaallsgood673]

I think Hysteria was D.L.'s best album and I'd always lose control when Pour Some Sugar on Me started! I also worked their concert for two nights in the Spokane, Washington area. Loved their energy!

[@Brad772006]

Love love the Hysteria album. Bought it the day after i first saw the video of Animal on MTV. Still listen to it currently. When i first heard it the thing that popped in my head was that the album sounded expensive to make. It sounded so huge. Of course i would find out much later that this was in fact true. Def Leppard had their own sound and stood out against Motley Crue and Poison and similar in the 80s.

[@invader440]

Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands along with .38 Special.

[@becky3023]

Yes, you are right...I did have that cassette tape! And I played it constantly!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome! Me too!

[@suemiller2522]

Hysteria was the first cassette tape I bought with my own money and I still love it

[@mikemurphy2764]

Saw them on the Hysteria tour. Great performance.

[@timfarney5165]

I was in the U.S.Army between 1982 - 1985, most of it spent @ Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. I saw them at what became their sort of infamous El Paso County Coliseum show ( referencing Joe Elliot's comments.) It was a phenomenal concert.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@karmab4391]

I am glad I was more the "know when a band I liked was dropping new music" kind of girl. By the time a single hit the Top 40, I had already worn out the cassette version.

[@ericbgordon1575]

I can't get over how (as I've commented before) Def Leppard went clear past me when I was growing up. I was a teen when I first heard them. If "Pour Some Sugar on Me" wasn't my first song of theirs, then "Love Bites" was. I probably heard it half a dozen times as I was exiting my teens. Concerning "Animal", I had this especially silly fantasy a few years ago about Joe Elliot swapping songs with Billy Ocean; the song I wanted to hear Joe sing was "When the Going Gets Tough" and Billy sing "Animal". Though Joe isn't a soul singer and Billy is no metalhead, I still like the idea. I can't underemphasize how Rick Allen is one of my heroes. I should think anyone who knows his timeline would agree. Instead of throwing in the towel, he used his head and came up with a new idea. Despite the liberties it took with the timeline, if I knew someone reeling from the kind of experience Rick had been through, I would want to sit them down to watch Hysteria: the Def Leppard Story which was Made-for-VH1 and based on their Behind the Music segment.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Eric!

[@willdyer3371]

I wore two cassette tapes out, listening to this album over and over.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same!

[@kah10161]

I’d received the Hysteria as a Christmas present in 1988 (thank you, Tommy!!!); Animal was the first track that I paid attention to. THANK YOU MTV!!!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome! Great memory!

[@creeds00]

I went on a double date to this concert in 1988 at the Dean Smith Center. It was just the three of us Me, Kelly and Renee...good times in college.

[@kerrylahay6791]

I’ve bought this album three times. Cassette, cd(which got scratched) and cd again.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

Def Leppard. And it's cousin, Blind Pussycat. 😂😂😂 Animal should have been the first song released from Hysteria. For as big as Hysteria was, I preferred Pyromania. Thanks Professor. Everybody stay safe. ( I spy ZZ Top in the back)

[@gojohngo106]

Women was the first single in North America. First in the UK.

[@ProfessorofRock]

THanks Roger!

[@heidichristensen7919]

Personally, the first time I listened to Love Bites and heard “when you make love, do you look in your mirror” I basically rolled my eyes and didn’t listen to it for a couple weeks. Thought it was stupid lol. But after listening to it all the way through realized it a beautiful song. Pyromania is still my favorite Leppard album though.

[@jonhammer7109]

In a time for huge pop hits. Def came through with rock

[@ProfessorofRock]

SO true!

[@firemessenger2283]

The live version with Vivian Campbell playing the solo is probably the best version of love bites.

[@khurram2970]

Def Leppard is one of the most underrated rock bands as very few bands had that kind of quality and a huge catalogue of brilliant songs with a lot of versatility. Hysteria and Pyromania are their most popular albums, but for me, my first 2 albums I heard from Def Leppard i.e. Retroactive and Slang were superb too. Both albums are so underrated it's just isn't right. Songs like Desert Song, Fractured Love, From the inside, Ring of Fire, All I want is everything, where does love go when it dies, etc are outstanding. Their music and Joe's vocals are hauntingly beautiful to listen to. I wish you can do some episode on these unpopular and heavily underrated songs like Desert Song, Fractured Love etc.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@ericingram7864]

After reading a few comments here...I'm not afraid to say, Def Lep is still my favorite band, Hysteria is my all time favorite Album, and song. I've seen them live 9 or 10 times. I have Hysteria in every physical format (The Japanese release of the CD is the best sounding, followed by the Ultradisc). I was 14 in 1987 and this album catapulted my love of 80 rock.

[@colmbolger2109]

I saw Lep play McGonagles a small club just off Grafton St. In Dublin. It was a warm up for Adrenalise tour. My parents met for the first time in the 60's when the same venue was called the Crystal ballroom.

[@crystalweible152]

I just went through my CD folder, the kind that looks like a trapper keeper, I still have that one! If I remember correctly it was a gift from my cousin. Welp I know what I'm listening to when I get to cleaning today😂!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome!

[@jerryoxley1827]

These guys got a lot of flak for being just another hair metal act. But Def Leppard were so much better than that. Pyromania and Hysteria were both outstanding and have stood the test of time. Photograph, Foolin, and even their older songs like Let It Rock were terrific signature songs of the 80's. And then came Hysteria. Animal was brilliant. It's a testament to the bands ability to overcome adversity and deliver some of the most quality rock anthems of their time. The title track and Love Bites were both tremendous power ballads. They continued on with great music, including one of my favorites of all time, Paper Sun. I'm so glad to see them get their due.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Great comment!

[@billkeithchannel]

Their drop dead gorgeous harmonies set them apart from everyone else and defined their style.

[@TerrickTerran]

Never owned anything Def Leppard but I do enjoy several of their songs regardless.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Which ones?

[@TerrickTerran]

@@ProfessorofRock Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar on Me and Women would likely be my top 3.

[@mournblade1066]

Twin Peaks! Great shirt, Professor!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@johnvannewhouse]

And I saw the show in SLC with you!!! AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

[@billkeithchannel]

The chicks at the local Putt-Putt arcade game room put a lot of quarters in that jukebox to play Love Bites all night long. It was the big hit before any of the others from what I recall. It was the song that made me buy the album. So I was totally familiar with all of the songs by the time they were slowly released as singles. _Gods Of War_ is still my favorite deep cut.

[@lieslwindjulie3230]

✨ Def Leppard!!✨ Love them 🖤 Love Bites is my favourite song from their album Hysteria 🎶

[@IRNHYD]

I’ve heard a LOT of flak being fired at Def Leppard through the years, accusing them of “going commercial” or selling out after High & Dry (still one of my favorite albums) but I see DL as an enduring and evolving band that has stood the test of time. Their 80’s albums don’t sound quite as dated a lot of the other bands that were popular in back in that era. I saw Def Leppard with Motley Crue in Los Angeles in 20’. Crue was a complete disappointment. I had seen them in 08 on the Saints of Los Angeles tour and they were a completely different band. Vince Neil sounded like a Furby at times. DL on the other hand, just CRUSHED IT!! Still kicking ass after all these years.

[@Bruce12867]

I had the cassette (and later the CD). It was great travelling music back in the day.

[@ProfessorofRock]

For sure!

[@celticc9580]

I was in grade 11 that fall. Many of us weren't aware there was a new album until PSSoM because the first two tracks were released during summer break. When the album did explode, a lot of us didn't really like the new overproduced sound. But it has certainly stood the test of time.

[@jimmyparris9892]

I can't even fathom how Pour Some Sugar On Me didn't make it to number one. It's my all time favorite song.

[@donwarrington4916]

I went on a one day pilgramage into A&B Sound , Vancouver the day this album was released .

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool!

[@kwilliams1958]

Def L just defined the Glam Rock era to me...those songs dominated the radio waves of the second half of the 80's. Great expose, Professor...

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@billkeithchannel]

But nobody in the band looked like a chick/trans so I would not call them glam.

[@MyName-pl7zn]

Wow what great stories behind the making of one the best albums of the 80s! How could record executives listen to this fantastic album and decide to make Women the first single?? Thank God Mutt had time to get this album right, every song is filled with great hooks and outstanding vocals. Great episode professor!!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Right?

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

I saw Def Leppard on their Pyromania tour. I remember Joe wearing his British flag muscle shirt and the about halfway through the concert, ripping it off to show an American flag shirt underneath. On a side note, there is an awesome, all female metal band from Japan called Lovebites. I saw them live a couple of weeks ago and they killed it.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mixinjed]

Phenomenal album by an Amazing Band .. Every song is great .. two of my favorites are Don't Shoot Shotgun and Love And Affection and they were not even singles .. Album Perfection

[@louisb5563]

I didn't realize Mutt was THAT busy...needed the rest YEAH?!?!?!!