Yeah, makes sense. For me, the biggest dropoff in quality is in between my 7 and 8. In a way, Adrenalize is almost Hysteria pt. 2. It was such a logical progression. But the main problem with it is just the dropoff in quality. And add to that the fact that there was just no need to do an album so similar because, after Hysteria, I just don't really want to listen to another album that sounds so similar, but isn't nearly as close in quality. It was automatically going to suffer in comparison. And while it's true that Euphoria also very closely followed the Hysteria formula, it brought back a bit of the edge that Adrenalize lacked, and it was simply a much better written album.
I will also say that if, hypothetically, Hysteria had been a double album that included the B-sides, it would unequivocally be my #1. But then again, I guess that would kind of such because I'm not sure we would have gotten Retroactive, and a lot of the other songs from it may not have ever seen the light of day.