Def Leppard’s Phil Collen reflects on Hysteria sessions

Def Leppard
Def Leppard (Image credit: Getty)

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has appeared in a new video where he talks about a selection of tracks that appeared on the band’s 1987 album Hysteria.

The record remains the Sheffield outfit’s biggest-selling release – shifting more than 25 million copies world-wide.

In the clip, premiered by UCR, Collen talks viewers through the ideas and riffs behind some of the record’s best-loved tracks: Armageddon It, Love Bites, Animal, Excitable and Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Collen says: “When we went into record Hysteria, producer Mutt Lange said, ‘Let’s do a rock version of Thriller, where you have seven singles and create a genre of our own.‘”

Last month, Def Leppard released the 30th anniversary edition of Hysteria in several editions, including a super-deluxe package and a double vinyl version.

Frontman Joe Elliott said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since the release of Hysteria. In some respects it really does seem like only yesterday.

“So, to mark this milestone, we wanted to do something very special for our fans and give them the definitive version of the album, one that incorporates all of the memories and milestones that we caught on tape and some of the madness that we got up to on the road. We hope it means as much to you as it does to us.”

The Hysteria 30th anniversary edition is available to purchase via the links below.

5-CD / 2-DVD Super Deluxe Edition: UK | US
3-CD Deluxe Edition: UK | US
1-CD Edition: UK |US
2-LP Black vinyl: UK | US
2-LP Coloured vinyl: UK

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Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.