You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ – Judas Priest | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#67) & Rock (#4); 1982

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Formed in Birmingham, England in 1969, leather-clad Judas Priest – with its stinging dual guitar attack and hard drivin’ drums – became one of the most successful and influential proponents of heavy metal swagger.

By 1974 the band included three members who wrote virtually all of JP’s songs: vocalist Rob Halford, guitarist Ken “K.K.” Downing, and rhythm guitarist Glenn Tipton.

In 1977 Sin After Sin finally landed them a #23 peak on Britain’s album chart and led to their first U.S. tour. Recorded in Japan where the band was hugely popular, Unleashed In The East‘s platinum sales finally broke them in America in 1979.

Despite this success, U.S. acceptance still lagged behind the continent’s until 1982 and Screaming For Vengeance. Moving Judas Priest into the Top 20 for the first time, Vengeance also spun off the group’s biggest (and only) mainstream pop hit, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

  • Tom Allom

Lyrics Written by:

  • Rob Halford
  • K. K. Downing
  • Glenn Tipton

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Ed Osborne

Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).