'Hysteria' put Def Leppard back on top
The year 1987 proved pivotal for many acts, including U2 with its definitive release "The Joshua Tree" and Guns N' Roses with their groundbreaking debut "Appetite For Destruction."
However, no band was more on the bubble than Def Leppard with its comeback of sorts "Hysteria."
Just a few years prior, the darlings of hard rock and MTV seemed poised for heavy-metal greatness with their 1983 breakthrough disc "Pyromania."
Instead, fate paid a visit, leaving the British act on uncertain times after the band's drummer Rick Allen lost an arm in a tragic automobile accident. Eventually, Allen would come to use an electronically enhanced drum kit but upon its release, "Hysteria" was met with a tepid response. Seemingly, fans of Def Leppard had jumped ship and found safe harbor with New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi.