36 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's HYSTERIA Album 4x Platinum In USA

Sunday, 9th June 2024

Def Leppard 1987

Def Leppard's classic Hysteria album was certified 4 times platinum in the USA on this day in 1988.

The album had been released on 3rd August 1987 and took just over three weeks to enter the Top 200 chart.

11 months later it would peak at Number One on 23rd July 1988 in its 48th week on the Billboard charts replacing Van Halen's 'OU812'.

'Hysteria' entered the Billboard Top 200 chart on 22nd August 1987. The first of 133 weeks on the chart.

On 9th June 1988 it had sold 4 million copies in the USA.

The album had dropped out of the Top 200 chart on 10th March 1990 after 132 weeks.

By January 1989 it had sold 9 million copies having gone 8 times platinum in late November 1988.

In August 1998 reached over 12 million sales there and an estimated 20 million worldwide.

The band were given a Diamond Award in March 1999 in recognition of it being one of the albums that had sold over 10 million copies in the USA.

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Hysteria 1987.

Hysteria Album - USA Certification

9th June 1988 - 4x Platinum - (4 Million Album Sales)

Phil Collen - 'Hysteria' Postcards from 'Work It Out' Single 1996

"Our most popular album to date."

"It was Mutt's idea to make a rock version of 'Thriller' - rock songs that were hit singles. We were fortunate enough to have seven strong singles from this record."

"Mutt Lange was very influential here. We seemed to be making a video every few weeks."

"We were in the top ten all over the world at one time or another."

Phil Collen - 27th July 2015 Interview Quote

"I do think Hysteria was a kind of a sparkling star on our career. You know, icing on the cake and all that. But I think this is the best thing we've done since then. It's called Def Leppard. It's really diverse."

Vivian Campbell - August 2014 Interview Quote

"I actually bought 'Hysteria' twice, I wore out the cassette I played it so often and then I bought one of those new fangled compact discs."