What is the better Def Leppard album — Pyromania or Hysteria? We’ve got a little Def Leppard fever this week on the Loudwire Nights radio show, so we’ve pitted not only two of Def Leppard’s biggest albums, but the rock scene as a whole’s biggest albums against each other for our Chuck’s Fight Club matchup this week.
We kick off this matchup in 1983 when Def Leppard dropped their third studio album. Pyromania was the album that truly pushed them into commercial fame, due in part to the album’s three breakout singles — “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages” and “Foolin’.” But the album was much deeper in quality, as songs such as “Too Late for Love,” “Rock! Rock! Til You Drop,” “Stagefright” and “Billy’s Got a Gun” also became fan favorites. The album would peak at No. 2 en route to Diamond-certified sales status in the U.S.
Flash forward to 1987, after a few years of concern after drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in an auto accident. But despite the setback, Def Leppard returned stronger than ever with Hysteria, an album that yielded seven big singles including the standouts “Animal,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Love Bites” and “Hysteria.” The 12-track album was a no-skip smash that peaked at No. 1. And like its predecessor, it too reached Diamond-certified sales status in the U.S.
As with all Chuck’s Fight Club battles, Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong will introduce the matchup in the 8PM hour of Monday’s show. Individual arguments will be made for both albums on Tuesday and Wednesday while you continue to rank each. On Friday, the votes will be tallied and the higher ranked record will be featured in a Loudwire Nights rock block during the 8PM hour.
READ MORE: 10 Best God-Tier Rock Songs of the 1980s
Just this reminder, Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
The ’80s brought us a lot of innovation and you can see the rock world shifting through each year of the decade.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
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