Judas Priest is one of the greatest bands in heavy metal â itâs hard to imagine the genre without them, and arguably theyâre the second most influential metal group after only Black Sabbath. So, weâre totally stoked that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is finally â FINALLY! – inducting them later this year (yeah, itâs the âMusical Excellenceâ award, but weâll take it). And as Screaming For Vengeance is about to turn 40, and the band is celebrating its 50th anniversary, we thought that this would be a perfect time to rank the bandâs 50 best songs.Â
50. âJawbreakerâ from âDefenders of the Faithâ (1984)
ShareâAll the pressure that's been building up/For all the years it bore the load/The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort/Ready to explode!â Lots of Judas Priest songs are open to interpretation; thatâs surely true of this one. But as Rob Halford wrote in his memoir âConfess,â the song âsaw me doing my party piece of smuggling gay lyrics onto our albums again.â But he noted, âI didnât tell the band this⌠I figured some things were best kept to myself.â
49. â(Take These) Chainsâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareA classic breakup jam with one of the bandâs catchiest choruses. The song was written for the band by Bob Halligan, Jr., who would later write âSome Heads Are Gonna Rollâ for the following album.
48. âAngelâ from âAngel of Retributionâ (2005)
ShareJudas Priestâs first album with Rob Halford back in the band had some brutal jams, but it also contained this ballad, which seems to reference the character on the âSad Wings Of Destinyâ album cover: âAngel⌠Put sad wings around me now/Protect me from this world of sin/So that we can rise again.â
47. âDragonaut (live)â from âBattle Cryâ
ShareItâs wild that Judas Priest has been so amazing for so long, and theyâve always been a powerful live band to boot. The live album âBattle Cryâ came out as they were touring for âRedeemer of Souls,â their first album with guitarist Richie Faulkner, and showed that they lost none of their power when K.K. Downing left the band. âDragonautâ is from âRedeemer of Souls,â an album that proved that theyâd be able to withstand the departure of their legendary founding guitarist.
46. âRevelationsâ from âNostradamusâ (2008)
ShareYouâd think that a so-called âlegacyâ group like Judas Priest would be comfortable just knocking out a few metal jams every few years to give them new material to tour behind. Happily, Priest is a lot more ambitious than that - âNostradamusâ is a double album *and* a concept album, about⌠well, Nostradamus. The album saw Priest experimenting sonically, using orchestras and keyboards.
45. âLast Rose Of Summerâ from âSin After Sinâ (1977)
ShareRob Halford loves his status as âthe Metal God,â but heâs always had his eye on more mainstream genres. âLast Rose Of Summerâ isnât a power-ballad⌠itâs just a ballad, period. And itâs one that wouldnât sound too out of place on a â70s soft-rock station next to songs by Jim Croce or Carly Simon. Thatâs not a diss, by the way: it shows how much range Judas Priest had when they stretched outside of their comfort zone.
44. âBloodstoneâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareOK, itâs not their deepest song, but it sticks in your head. Listening to âScreaming for Vengeanceâ again, 40 years after its initial release, you can understand why this launched the band to superstardom. And at the same time, itâs surprising that it wasnât even more popular. They combined brutal heaviness and catchy songs incredibly well.
43. âSword of Damoclesâ from âRedeemer of Soulsâ (2014)
ShareWith great power, comes great danger. Damocles was invited by 4th century B.C. tyrant Dionysius II to trade places with him. Damocles took the offer - who wouldnât? - but when he sat on the throne during a banquet and was surrounded by every imaginable luxury, he realized that a huge sword was suspended by a thin thread just above him. Any wrong movement could get him impaled. As Rob Halford said of the song, âYou need to live the life you have the best you can every day, as it is all you've got."
42. âEpitaphâ from âSad Wings Of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareA tragic piano ballad that probably made Freddie Mercury jealous. Itâs about an old man looking back on his life and lamenting that weâll all end up gone and forgotten. âA lonely grave, and soon forgot/Only wind and leaves lament his mournful song/Yet they shout his epitaph out clear/For anyone who's passing near/It names the person lying here as you/And you, and you, and youâŚâ
41. âThe Rageâ from âBritish Steelâ (1980)
ShareJudas Priest was not part of the late â70s/early â80s new wave scene, but they were definitely aware of it, and thatâs clear from the intro of âThe Rage,â which sounds almost like the Police. The lyrics, however, seem influenced by the Clash. As Rob Halford told Billboard, âWe've never been a social or political band, but lyrically I think there was some of that on this one. It's all about being denied things in life. They're very potent lyrics."
40. âGenocideâ from âSad Wings of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareA song about an unspecified genocide. The spoken interlude provided the bandâs next album, âSin After Sin,â with its title.
39. âGrinderâ from âBritish Steelâ (1980)
ShareIs it a commentary about how governments and corporations will treat people like meat, grinding them up and spitting them out, as Rob Halford has suggested? Sure, it might be. Weâre also wondering if the gay dating app, Grindr, named itself after the song. Halford confirmed in a recent interview that he joined Grindr, âfor about five minutes.â He noted, âIt was too much drama and I had to delete it right away, and it's been deleted ever since, by the way."
38. âTyrantâ from âSad Wings of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareOne of the many highlights of âSad Wings.â On âRocka Rolla,â Priest was still a hard rock band, but here, you can hear them turning into the metal band that influenced every single metal band that followed them.
37. âFreewheel Burningâ from âDefenders of the Faithâ (1984)
ShareThe opening song on âDefenders of the Faith,â it showed that the band wasnât letting up the intensity from âScreaming For Vengeance.â
36. âLet Us Prey/Call For The Priestâ from âSin After Sinâ (1977)
ShareRob Halford said in a recent interview, âItâs like a rallying cry or a battle cry, if you will. Itâs calling all the metal forces together and pulling them into focus.â Thereâs debate over whether or not this is the first speed-metal song. Whether or not it was âfirst,â itâs certainly one of the most influential.
35. âDreamer Deceiver/Deceiverâ from âSad Wings Of Destinyâ (1976)
SharePriest was still very much under the influence of fellow Brummies Black Sabbath here; âDreamer Deceiverâ is a mellow jam. Itâs another song that showed Priestâs range: both in the bandâs ability to play solo and bluesy, but also in Halfordâs ability to go from really low to shriekingly high notes. âDreamer Deceiverâ bleeds right into âDeceiver,â a song that previews the speed metal that theyâd develop further on subsequent albums.
34. âWinter/Deep Freeze/Winter Retreat/Cheaterâ from âRocka Rollaâ (1974)
ShareâRocka Rollaâ is fun to listen to; itâs almost like hearing a different band. As weâve mentioned, they were very much under the influence of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix during this era. They hadnât yet found their voice. But, damn, this is a solid psychedelic hard rock jam.
33. âIsland of Dominationâ from âSad Wings of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareTeetering back and forth between sludgy Sabbath stomp and something a bit faster, you can practically hear Priest finding their voice on the last song on âSad Wings of Destiny.â
32. âNo Surrenderâ from âFirepowerâ (2018)
ShareLetâs be honest: when our favorite bands are in their 50s and 60s, we worry a bit about their new albums. Itâs probably fair to ask: can their new music even hope to hold up to the classics? âFirepowerâ proved definitively that Priest was still a band to be taken seriously and âNo Surrenderâ was one of the highlights.
31. âRocka Rollaâ from âRocka Rollaâ (1974)
ShareAgain, Priest was in their early phase of breaking out of blues-rock here, but itâs fun to listen to Rob Halfordâs harmonica playing.
30. âJudas Risingâ from âAngel of Retributionâ (2005)
ShareThe first song on âAngel of Retribution,â Rob Halfordâs first album back with the band, had to hit hard. âJudas Risingâ fit the bill and sounded like a mission statement, although Rob said at the time that that was not his intent. He told Blabbermouth, âI just like that expression. But it could be taken in both contexts. To me it's about the angel coming out of that 'Sad Wings of Destiny' artwork environment, where it was a very despondent, very doomy type of oppressive world, and now suddenly it's back in its full majesty and glory and it's overcome the odds and it's full of optimism and energy." And that was a good metaphor for the band itself: with all due respect to âRipperâ Owens, the fans were glad to have Rob back, and there was a lot of great music to come in the following years after this album.
29. âEvening Starâ from âHell Bent For Leatherâ (1978)
ShareIt was a pretty commercial song, by Priestâs standards, and in fact, it got them a booking on Englandâs âTop of the Popsâ TV show, alongside Donna Summer, ABBA and Peaches & Herb.
28. âLightning Strikeâ from âFirepowerâ (2018)
ShareThe lead single from âFirepower,â frankly, blew fans away. Itâs a classic Priest anthem. As Halford said, "It's all about how you're able to react to confrontation. Don't let these things beat you down. Lightning is striking because it's the light that pulls you out of darkness."
27. âA Touch Of Evilâ from âPainkillerâ (1990)
ShareOne of the few songs on the album that uses synthesizers (courtesy of former Black Sabbath and future Deep Purple member Don Airey). This mid-tempo jam provided a bit of a breather in the brutally heavy âPainkillerâ album, and was commercial without feeling like a sellout.
26. âOut In The Coldâ from âTurboâ (1986)
ShareâTurboâ was easily their most controversial album: they embraced synthesizers, started dressing like pop metal bands of the era and their writing got lot more commercial. But even if the music on âTurboâ veered towards the mainstream more than the diehards would have liked, this song hit hard due to the lyrics, about Robâs ill-fated relationship.
25. âMetal Godsâ from âBritish Steelâ (1980)
ShareNo, they werenât referring to themselves⌠although Rob Halford would later trademark the title âMetal God.â It was a song about robots taking over (a la Black Sabbathâs âIron Manâ). Rob noted in the Classic Albums documentary series, âA lot of science fiction books and anything thatâs got a lot of fictional quality to it, that comes from good pieces of literature⌠I got inspired by things like âThe Kraken Wakesâ and âDay of the Triffidsâ (two books written by John Wyndham). And all those great black and white movies, made by those wonderful British movie studios. You can almost see and feel these robots, these metal robots, walking around, you know?â
24. âStarbreakerâ from âSin After Sinâ (1977)
ShareLyrically, itâs almost like a KISS song: âLook out, here's Starbreaker/Cruisin' into town/Set his mind to stealin'/Every little heart around/Step out on the sidewalks/If you're feeling game/He comes but once a lifetime/Never ever seen again.â But the music is classic proto-metal. On âSin After Sin,â Priest is narrowing their focus and you can hear the band finding their voice and their identity.
23. âStained Classâ from âStained Classâ (1978)
ShareJudas Priest continued to evolve here: they began to shed the denim and blues-based sound of many of their peers (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple) and really started defining their identity sonically and visually. This is the first album that used the angular logo (instead of the more gothic one from their earlier albums) and when the leather started replacing the denim.
22. âDelivering The Goodsâ from âHell Bent For Leatherâ (1979)
ShareâShake down, rock 'em boys, crack that whip strap mean/Pulse rave, air waves, battle lies in every place we've been/Stealing your hearts all across the land/Hot blood doing good, we're going to load you with our brand!â Weâre not sure exactly what Rob was singing about here, but by this point, Judas Priest was the definitive heavy metal band and they were surely âloadingâ millions of fans with ideas⌠and many of those fans would go on to form their own bands.
21. âThe Hellion/Electric Eyeâ from âScreaming for Vengeance (1982)
ShareâThe Hellionâ and âElectric Eyeâ is one of the best openings for any album, ever. âElectric Eye,â released four decades ago, was probably inspired by George Orwellâs â1984,â and seems rather prescient in an era where so much of what we do is recorded and filmed: âAlways in focus/You can't feel my stare/I zoom into you/But you don't know I'm there.â
20. âRunning Wild (live)â from âUnleashed in the Eastâ (1979)
ShareYeah, yeah, we know how fans often feel about âUnleashed in the East,â often referring to it as âUnleashed in the Studio.â In âConfess,â Halford admitted that he was in bad shape for the shows that were recorded for the live album, and that he, in fact, re-sang the entire album in the studio. But he also noted that âthe band were on point,â and he was right about that: their playing is brutally heavy and unbelievably exciting. So even as this version of âRunning Wildâ is a live/studio hybrid, the final product is still pretty great (and BTW, lots of live albums have some studio touch-ups, they just arenât as well-known).
19. âRiding On The Windâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareHow did they sound this furious while recording an album in beautiful Ibiza, Spain? Maybe they were just annoyed that they didnât love their prior album, âPoint Of Entry.â Now, they felt they had something to prove. At any rate, this is a great song to drive fast to. Pedal to the metal!
18. âNever Satisfiedâ from âRocka Rollaâ (1974)
ShareCo-written by the bandâs original singer, Al Atkins with K.K. Downing, it definitely has a late â60s/early â70s heavy metal sound, and as Halford wrote in âConfess,â âWe knew we were in the same club as Purple and Zeppelin and Sabbath, but we wanted our own identity. We were pushing hard toward the sound we had in our heads.â You can hear that on this track. He also noted that the band was unhappy with the albumâs cover (a takeoff on a Coca-Cola bottle) and the albumâs sound. But this song, in particular, holds up really well, nearly five decades after its release.
17. âThe Ripperâ from âSad Wings of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareA fearsome song inspired by the notorious murderer Jack The Ripper. The song inspired future Priest singer Tim Owens to come up with the nickname âRipperâ when he was singing in a Priest cover band called British Steel. Thereâs quite a bit of Queen influence here (both in the Brian May-like guitar tone, and of course in Robâs Freddie Mercury-like wailing). But you wouldnât confuse it for Queen, or anyone else: itâs unmistakably Judas Priest.
16. âFirepowerâ from âFirepowerâ (2018)
SharePriest kicked off their 18th album with one of their fastest songs ever and very aggressive lyrics: âWith weapons drawn we claim the future/Invincible through every storm/Bring in the foe to be defeated/To pulverize from dusk till dawn.â Clearly, they were not mellowing out as they were moving towards their 50th anniversary.
15. âSinnerâ from âSin After Sinâ (1977)
ShareIn âConfess,â Halford admitted that he wanted to improve as a lyricist on the âSin After Sinâ album, and he had taken to reading âRogetâs Thesaurusâ to broaden his vocabulary. He noted that he was quite pleased with âSinner,â saying it was a good example of how he honed his ânatural style of tackling psychological and philosophical traumas via dramatic, apocalyptic tales of gods, devils and warriors fighting epic battles, in which Good - and heavy metal! - always vanquishes Evil.â
14. âBeyond The Realms of Deathâ from âStained Classâ (1978)
ShareWritten by Rob Halford with drummer Les Binks, the song starts out as a ballad before erupting into a rocker. The lyrics are about depression, and some of them cut close to the bone to Halford, as he wrote in âConfess,â âIt had some very personal lines: âIâm safe here in my mind/Iâm free to speak with my own kind.â With my own kind. Because, in 1978, the idea of being able to talk to other gay men, openly, freely and without stigma, seemed as likely as pole-vautling to Mars. I just knew: It will never bloody happen.â Weâre glad that he was wrong about that. And even if that sentiment is no longer relevant, the song still is.
13. âFeverâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareJudas Priest knew that âScreaming For Vengeanceâ could be their breakthrough album in the U.S., and maybe thatâs why they put this incredibly catchy jam on it. Why they buried it on the end of the album and didnât release it as a single is a mystery to this writer, as it could have propelled the band to even greater commercial heights.
12. âHeading Out To The Highwayâ from âPoint of Entryâ (1981)
ShareRob Halford has often mentioned being disappointed by this album, but you canât deny âHeading Out To The Highwayâ (and Halford has said that he still likes this song). While most of Priestâs songs should be filed under âheavy metal,â we might split hairs here and call this one a âhard rockâ classic.
11. âPainkillerâ from âPainkillerâ (1990)
ShareThe early â90s were not a great time for legacy metal acts. As Halford wrote in âConfess,â âIt was a new decade and the music world was changing. A whole new generation, and genre, was coming out of Seattle⌠Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains had all emerged. Metal was shifting into a new cycle. It made us feel that this would be an important, pivotal album for Judas Priest. So, we decided to go for it and endeavor to make the strongest, most intent, and most powerful album of our career. We felt it was the record that would dictate the future of the band.â Well, it didnât quite do that â Halford quit the band after the tour. But it did show that Priest, at least with Halford in the band, was as powerful as any other band in the world, despite music trends. And the title track is an undisputed classic.
10. âThe Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)â from âHell Bent For Leatherâ (1979)
ShareJudas Priest doesnât do too many covers, but theyâve really made two of them count. Priestâs version of âThe Green Manalishiâ has pretty much overshadowed the original, which was by the original Fleetwood Mac⌠this was before Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie joined the group. Fleetwood Macâs original leader, guitarist/singer Peter Green apparently wrote it while he struggling with LSD⌠and it shows.
9. âDissident Aggressorâ from âSin After Sinâ (1977)
ShareIt kicks off with one of Rob Halfordâs most fearsome screams. Powered by the double-bass-drum rhythms of Simon Phillips (who later went on to join Toto), this is one of heavy metalâs essential tunes. But donât take our word for it: Slayer covered it on their classic 1988 album, âSouth of Heavenâ (Corrosion Of Conformity and Halestorm later covered it as well).
8. âExciterâ from âStained Classâ (1978)
ShareYou can hear the DNA of every â80s speed-metal band in this song. It even influenced a Canadian metal band so heavily that they named themselves Exciter.
7. âDiamonds and Rustâ from âRocka Rollaâ (1974)
ShareOne of the weirdest covers ever, but it really works. âDiamonds and Rustâ is a song originally by American folk singer Joan Baez, but Priest reimagined it as a metal classic. Years later, Priest and Joan Baez found themselves on the same lineup, at Live Aid in Philadelphia. Baez and Halford hung out, and the folkie complimented him on Priestâs version of the song, noting that it was her sonâs favorite version.
6. âLiving After Midnightâ from âBritish Steelâ (1980)
ShareLike âHeading Out To The Highway,â itâs a rare Judas Priest hard rock jam that fits in alongside party anthems by Van Halen, KISS and Aerosmith. But hey, itâs good to have a bit of fun sometimes! As Halford wrote in âConfess,â Glenn Tipton was working on some guitar riffs in the house they were staying in (they rented Ringo Starrâs former home, which had previously been owned by John Lennon). Tipton woke Halford up in the middle of the night, whilst jamming on some riffs. Halford complained, âYouâre living after midnight down here, you are!â âThat is a fâing great title for a song,â the guitarist replied, and a classic was soon born.
5. âVictim Of Changesâ from âSad Wings of Destinyâ (1976)
ShareA mashup of two early Judas Priest songs - âWhiskey Woman,â written by original singer Al Atkins and K.K. Downing, and âRed Light Lady,â which Halford was working on. The song is a warning about addiction: in the lyrics, Halford sings about a woman struggling with alcohol and how it was ruining her relationship. Obviously, it wasnât autobiographical, but Halford would soon have his own battles with addiction.
4. âScreaming For Vengeanceâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareAs Rob Halford wrote in âConfess,â the song âwas a howl of disgust at a venal, corrupted planet.â Which is probably why it still sounds so timely today! He also revealed that Glenn Tiptonâs wild guitar solo was recorded as he was trying to avoid a mosquito buzzing around the studio.
3. âBreaking The Lawâ from âBritish Steelâ (1980)
SharePriest is obviously not a punk rock band, but by 1980, even they were somewhat influenced by the punk rock scene. You can hear it in this song. The dark reality of England during that time also inspired Halford to write socially conscious lyrics. âJudas Priest has never been a political band â itâs not our bag,â Halford wrote in âConfess.â âBut this song was, without question, a slice of acute social commentaryâŚThe heavy industry and the car makers in the midlands and around the country were struggling, and there was already talk of factory closures. Unemployment was shooting up.â So Rob tried to imagine what it would be like to be âa jobless young bloke at his witsâ end.â
2. âYouâve Got Another Thing Comingâ from âScreaming For Vengeanceâ (1982)
ShareIn 1982, destiny was calling Judas Priest, and they answered. As Halford wrote in âConfess,â âOur record label had been emphasizing to us that we were on the cusp of getting very big indeed in the U.S. If we made an album that fans there could appreciate and relate to, America was a golden chalice that was there for the taking.â And Priest grabbed that chalice, largely on the strength of âYouâve Got Another Thing Coming,â which got a ton of support on the then-new MTV. In retrospect, itâs not nearly as commercial sounding at âLiving After Midnightâ or âHeading Out To The Highway,â but it *was* the exact right song for the right time.
1. âHell Bent For Leatherâ from âHell Bent For Leatherâ (1979)
ShareNot only did Judas Priest help to lead the way for how heavy metal would sound for decades to come, they also pioneered the look. And if youâre reading this, you already know that a lot of leather was involved. "The biggest myth about this new stage gear is that I had somehow masterminded the image as a cover and a vent for my homosexuality - that I was getting a thrill from dressing onstage as I'd like to dress in the street, or the bedroom," Halford wrote in âConfess.â "This is utter bollocks⌠I had no interest in S&M, domination, or the whole queer subculture of leather and chains. It just didnât do it for me⌠I was â and still am â pretty vanilla.â But it did give the band an image unlike anyone else at the time. Soon, every metal band was copying both Priestâs sound *and* their look. âHell Bent For Leatherâ became Priestâs anthem, and it was a highligh of every show, especially when Halford rode on stage on a Harley as the song began.
