Top 5 Judas Priest Songs

When it comes to Heavy Metal bands, there are many that are quickly and easily picked out as amongst the greatest ever. Names that quickly float to the surface include Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. But one band who are especially influential are Judas Priest!

Formed in Birmingham in 1969 by Al Atkins and Brian “Bruno” Stapenhill; Judas Priest are frequently cited as pioneers of the genre. They were one of the first metal bands to feature not one, but two guitars, a musical style choice that was copied, and has since become the standard formula for virtually every heavy metal band since. But it’s not just their choice of musicianship that they inspired. From Halford‘s operatic vocal style, to even how they dressed on stage with spikes, and leather.

To date they have sold over 50 million albums worldwide, and are considered pioneering acts of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (or NWOBHM), as well as very influential for several subgenres of Heavy metal, including (but not limited to): Power, Glam, Speed, and Thrash Metal. Throughout it’s history the band has seen a frequent fluctuation of it’s members, with Hill, and Tipton being the only two members to feature on every single album. The core members though, (or classic line-up) are:

• Rob Halford – Vocals,
• Ian Hill – Bass Guitars,
• Glenn Tipton – Guitars,
• K. K. Downing – Guitars,
• and Dave Holland – Drums.

I had my first taste of the band back in 2010, whilst watching the BBC documentary Heavy Metal Britannia (which is also where I had my first glimpse of that iconic music video for Breaking The Law). Growing up in a Christian family, I did find it difficult early on to say that I liked Judas Priest, or even listen to them, given their name, but eventually I realized, that it’s just a band, and from there grew to like Judas Priest at an exceptional rate. In more recent years I have acquired some of their classic albums, including their first big hit in British Steel. But which is my favourite song?

Well, I thought it would be a great time to post my Top 5 Judas Priest songs. But as is always the case, there are so many songs to choose from, and not enough room for them all. So here are the unlucky, but still decently magnificent few to check out:

Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Killing Machine, and Night Crawler.

And so, without further ado; here are My Top 5 Favourite Judas Priest Songs; Enjoy!

5. United – I am so glad that this song has not been adopted by football fans. You can imagine them singing it at games with it’s simple march like beat, but it must not happen! Whilst Judas Priest are known for fast and power driven tracks, it doesn’t stop them from producing much slower, and potentially more meaningful songs. In the case of United, it’s a slower, more drum driven song, but one with a very catchy chorus that you can easily join in with, and feel like part of the show (especially if Painkiller is too fast for you)!

4. Hell Bent For Leather – From something at a slow pace, to something much faster, but also very catchy. Hell Bent for Leather doesn’t waste any time. In less than a minute that chorus hits, and you just want to join in, bang your head, stamp your feet, and more. But best of all, it doesn’t end quickly. If it were a slower paced song, it would be epic in length, but at Priest speeds, an epic piece is shortened to less than 3 minutes, but it also means that killer solo comes in much quicker, than some bands would choose to do!

3. Red White & Blue – Hidden within British Steel, is this rather patriotic piece. Slower than United, but sung with a higher level of pride. Its almost like the band were trying to bring in a new national anthem for the UK, with this song, featuring an almost Celtic like rhythm. And I sort of wish this was the national anthem for the UK, as it feels like a perfect fit. And if not for the UK, why not for the Heavy metal nation (Which the UK sort of is given that it’s the birthplace of Heavy Metal Music)?

2. Breaking The Law – Quite possibly, the band’s most iconic piece, with a terrific music video featuring bank robbers using guitars, instead of guns. The term ‘Short and Sweet‘ was made for this song. Much like Hell Bent for Leather, it’s a pretty short song, but it features an epic level of content and detail. It tells a simple story, with an unforgettable chorus, but backed with a monumental guitar driven tune, all leading to that purely fantastic solo. It is truly short but sweet, but on an heroic level!

1. The Hellion/Electric Eye – Could be considered cheating here, choosing two songs for the number one spot, but you couldn’t have one without the other. The Hellion is the opening riff. It’s a slow build, but one that increases in tension, as it builds to it’s cimax, at which point; Electric Eye kicks in! Again, a slow build to get the crowd going, but once it hits it’s fast riff, it, and you yourself, don’t want to stop. It’s a song packed with adrenaline, that just keeps going, whilst continuously building with magnitude, and ferocity. And then, before the final chapter, it slows down, but at a grand level, just to allow you to catch your breath, before then jumping into the final encore!