Number

Album

Artist

About

Song

Release

40

Hysteria

Def Leppard

As much as I would like to deny that I didn’t get into the big hair bands of the 80’s it would be a pointless denial on my behalf. There was once a upon a time I was very mainstream but you kinder of had no choice growing up in the 80’s especially after the way was paved in the late 70’s by bands such as Chicago, America, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, Steve Miller Band just to name a few. Clothes and hair were to take things to the next level and I have no doubt that the ozone layer suffered in the 80’s due to overzealous use of hairspray. Def Leppard grabbed me and when this album first came out my old tape deck nearly wore it out and I still find myself going back to it when I’m in the mood every now and then. When “Mutt Lange” was signed up to produce this record it was always going to be something big but notably it was actually Jim Steinman that produced it which is another story within itself. Still a great album that will hold the test of time and “Love bites is more than just a power ballad” it’s a reality within itself.

Animal

Love Bites

My Pick-Hysteria

1987

Number

Album

Artist

About

Song

Release

41

The Wall

Pink Floyd

Over the years I can’t help but think I have cheated Pink Floyd, especially these days as I must be really in the mood to listen to a full Floyd album. There was a time however I would lock myself in a room with 20 lite candles and throw on an album like Dark Side of the Moon, it was almost a Stoners right of passage. Whilst I have no problem listening to their more main stream stuff these days I do find it hard to listen to their more obscure stuff perhaps it was the grass that help me understand the almost psychedelic undertones especially on this album – in saying this there was no doubt their music had the ability of taking you somewhere. This is not to say I didn’t love Pink Floyd “straight”, Gilmore and Rodgers together were yet just another gift from the music gods, but I have to say I think there is no doubt that when Gilmore joined Pink Floyd he help mould them into the band I love as without him I don’t think I would have been drawn to them. Still there is no denying this album written mostly by Waters as a Rock Opera was more intelligent lyrically than most of their previous stuff, it took me a long time to fully understand it and appreciate it but when it does click it leaves you in awe of just how talented this band was. A lot of their music stood for something it rose against the establishment but with a sense of creditability and meaning not just a rock bands whim or push of self-centred beliefs. Comfortably Numb as a single is still one of my most favourite songs today as is Run like Hell.

Mother

Run like Hell

My Pick-Comfortably Numb

1979