Def Leppard’s Hysteria (rather prophetically) caused mass hysteria in the Rock/Metal/Pop world when it was released back in the 80’s and was a hugely influential album for the Cottage Country Mix series. Personally, Hysteria was one of the first cassettes I ever owned and I played it so often, that it eventually got stuck inside my radio’s tape deck and wouldn’t open (I know 80’s problems).
More Def Leppard on cottagemixtape.com:
• Rockwood Cinema Review: Hysteria -The Def Leppard Story (2001)
• Put it on, leave it on – Essential albums: Def Leppard – Hysteria
• 40 Years Later: Def Leppard’s Logo Still Inspiring Greek Restaurants Across the World
Hysteria stuck with me, as well, when I first started DJing. It was more dancefloor / DJ friendly than most rock records (even from that era). For all its big hair, rock guitars and vocals on the surface, underneath were keyboards and drum machines sequenced together. Something which the rock and roll world had not seen, in that way, before. So, I would find some electro, techno, house or even hip hop records to mix with it (really) and with it’s steady beat you could mix them with relative ease (if the party permitted). So, naturally when I started compiling the Cottage Country Mixes, which is all styles of rock mixed together, it would find its’ way onto the mix being a natural fit.
Def Leppard’s “Rock It” appears on Cottage Country Mix Vol. 20!
As an album it produced seven singles (out of twelve songs), so the album itself is still very listenable (all the way through) and was featured, as well, on our Put it on, leave it on – Essential albums. Of course, the songs in hindsight are a little silly which never totally occurred to me when I was 10 years old. “Pour Some Sugar On Muuuaaa‘” (“one lump or two” geez). Also, “and I want, and I need… animal”. What the hell are you talking about? But its all in good fun. Those arena style vocals, which everyone tries to “echo” as it where, when they to sing along with breathy incantations. However, its hookey-ness is undeniable, resist trying not to sing along in arena voice.
Read our next pick in our 10-Day Album challenge. Albums that influenced The Cottage Country Mixes.
And you want and you need “Animal“? Listen to it on Cottage Country Mix Vol. 15
Dougie Boom's Cottage Country Mix 
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