Judas Priest

Judas Priest Biography

Judas Priest

In 1969, Birmingham saw the formation of the English heavy metal group Judas Priest. One of the greatest metal bands of all time, they have sold more than 50 million copies of their albums. The band battled with subpar record quality and a lack of significant commercial success despite a body of innovative and groundbreaking work in the second part of the 1970s until 1980, when they found commercial success with the album British Steel.

Numerous members have left the group throughout the years, notably singer Rob Halford in 1992 and a rotating cast of drummers in the 1970s. Tim “Ripper” Owens, previously of Winter’s Bane, took over for Halford in 1996. Before Halford rejoined the group in 2003, Judas Priest completed two albums under Owens’ leadership. Halford is joined by drummer Scott Travis, bassist Ian Hill, and guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner in the current lineup. The group’s most commercially successful lineup had Hill, Halford, Tipton, guitarist K. K. Downing, and drummer Dave Holland on their best-selling album, Screaming for Vengeance from 1982. The only two band members who have appeared on each record are Tipton and Hill.

Heavy metal bands have been greatly influenced by Halford’s operatic vocal delivery and the dual guitar sound of Downing and Tipton. The 1980s glam metal era was heavily influenced by Judas Priest’s look of leather, spikes, and other unfashionable apparel. British Steel was described as the album that “defines heavy metal” by The Guardian. The band has experienced a comeback despite a drop in popularity in the middle of the 1990s. This has included international tours, being the first group to be inducted into the VH1 Rock Honors in 2006, winning the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and having their songs included in video games like Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series. Judas Priest received their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

In 2010, VH1 listed them as the 78th greatest musician of all time, and MTV ranked them the second-best metal band of all time (after Black Sabbath). Despite ranking among the top 5 fan-voted nominees, they were disregarded for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. The group has so far sold more than 50 million records and has 11 albums that peaked in the UK’s top 30.

Many metal bands, including Sinner, Exciter, Rage, Running Wild, Steeler, and Tyrant, have taken their names from songs and albums by Judas Priest from the classic era. Judas Priest is renowned for being innovative in heavy metal style in addition to their sound.

Early on, the band wore hippie-style 1970s clothes, but as the decade came to an end and punk rock took off, this looked obsolete, so starting with their 1978 tour, the group started dressing more simply. Halford adopted his now-iconic leather-and-studs costume for the 1979 tour, drawing inspiration from the punk style and leather culture. When the band’s 1978 album Killing Machine was released, the rest of the group adopted a similar style that quickly gained popularity.

Discography

TurboSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Defenders of the FaithSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Screaming for VengeanceSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Point of EntrySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
British SteelSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Killing MachineSpotifyYouTubeAmazon
Stained ClassSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Sin After SinSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Sad Wings of DestinySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Rocka RollaSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Was Judas Priest’S Best Selling Album?

Judas Priest’s best selling album was “British Steel,” which was released in 1980. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified 2x platinum by the RIAA.

How Many No 1 Has Judas Priest Had?

udas Priest has had 18 No 1 hits on the Billboard charts. They have also had numerous top 10 hits, including “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Freewheel Burning,” and “Painkiller.

What Is Judas Priest’S Most Famous Song?

udas Priest’s most famous song is “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”. The song was released in 1982 and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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