Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 3725
Date: 11/19/1988
Debut: 65
Peak: 3
Weeks: 18
Genre: Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Pop Bits: By this point in time, Def Leppard's Hysteria album had spend six non-consecutive weeks at #1, was just about to pass the 8 million mark in sales, and had spawned five charting singles including the #1 "Love Bites." It was a huge success, but it was not done yet. With "Love Bites" topping the chart, the label decided to go ahead and toss out a sixth single. This next track was selected and it ended up being the right choice. The song would reach #3 at Rock while becoming the fourth single from Hysteria to make the Pop Top 10. The hit would push more albums out record shop doors and in January of '89 it would reach the 9x platinum mark. This song would end up being the band's final Pop Top 10 hit.
ReduxReview: Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange said he wanted to create an album with Def Leppard that was chock full of single-worthy songs. Basically, he wanted the glam metal version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Lange and the band certainly achieved that goal. Here is the sixth single from the album and it was just as radio-ready and catchy as the previous hits. It was a perfect rebound single following the big #1 power ballad "Love Bites" and it easily made its way into the Top 10. The band seemed unstoppable, but as the decade turned a newer, edgier sound from Seattle that would get tagged as "grunge" would come in and nearly kill off 80s hair/glam metal. Luckily before that happened, Def Leppard got to rule the world with Hysteria.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Hysteria would be the last album to featured co-lead guitarist Steve Clark. Clark joined Def Leppard in 1978 when the band was looking for a second guitarist. The band's original guitarist Pete Willis had spotted Clark and after a couple of audition attempts, Clark finally showed up and secured a position in the band. As Def Leppard was recording their third album, 1983's Pyromania, Willis was let go from the band and he was replaced by Phil Collen. Clark and Collen hit it off both personally and professionally and created a new dual-guitar sound for the band. Clark and Collen spent a lot of time hanging out together drinking, which resulted in some rock 'n' roll bad behavior and that got them tagged as The Terror Twins. Unfortunately, Clark's drinking kept increasing and it wasn't long before he was a full-blown addict. During the sessions for Def Leppard's 1991 album Adrenalize, Clark's drinking was affecting progress so the band gave him a six-month leave along with a tour in rehab to help Clark's situation. Of course, he left rehab early and began heavily drinking again. On January 8, 1991, Clark was found dead at home. An excessive amount of alcohol was found in his system along with morphine that caused respiratory failure. Def Leppard would continue on and finish Adrenalize without replacing Clark. In 1992, the band would hire in Vivian Campbell as Clark's replacement.
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