Few heavy metal bands turn their back on the genre and continue to exist as a band, let alone record as one. The ones that do quickly become marked men, given the genre's reputation as a religion of sorts and its fans (fanatics) being akin to pious worshipers with little tolerance for apostasy. And it's not just bands either - some former band members go on to record music that bears little resemblance to that of their former respective groups. Michael Bolton, for example, was a member of a band called Blackjack. Admittedly, they recorded mostly songs with the word love in them, so we can probably disregard them anyhow, just like how most people under 45 disregard Michael Bolton himself.
80s Brit rockers Def Leppard released in 1987 what is arguably their greatest album ever, Hysteria. And it isn't heavy metal at all. More like "arena rock." And it is noted not just for being their magnum opus, but for being the album in which Rick Allen plays drums after losing his arm in an accident. Oh, and of course, the lengthy production time between its release and the release of its predecessor, Pyromania. Most of the songs were released as singles - seven, in fact, and each one has its own charms, even with that distinctive vocal climax we've come to expect (and love) from this band. From "Hysteria", "Animal" and "Armageddon It", the staple airplay promo tracks, to "Love and Affection", "Run Riot" and "Don't Shoot Shotgun", this album has well and truly earned its classic status and should therefore be in the record collection of every respectable hard rock fan. A