10 Greatest Hair Metal Albums Of All Time

3. Hysteria - Def Leppard

From the start of the '80s onward, you couldn't script a better career trajectory than what Def Leppard had. even though they fit comfortably on the hard rock side of the spectrum on their first few releases, it wasn't until Pyromania that they became global superstars, almost giving people like Michael Jackson a run for his money. But that's the only price though...you can't top perfection, right?

Well, it turns out that Leppard were going to go for broke regardless, despite every single setback that could have come their way. After going through production hell and having drummer Rick Allen lose an arm in the process of recording the record, Hysteria was the most slick sounding record of the hair metal revolution. Having Mutt Lange in your corner certainly helps though, making every song shimmer, whether it was the drum loops of Rocket or the mammoth single Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Outside of the major highlights on the album, the deep cuts even have their fair share of brilliance as well, from the man on the street story of Gods of War or the reckless abandon of something like Don't Shoot Shotgun. Even though working for the better part of 3 years might sound torturous, it might be worth it when you practically write your own greatest hits album without trying.