The Best Judas Priest Album

A 100% irrefutably flawless argument.

Judas Priest has had a long career, with the discography to prove it. And while there have certainly been derails along the way, the meaningful core of the band have been unified and together long enough to have created some two decades worth of incredible music. I speak, of course, of Rob Halford, K.K. Downing, Glen Tipton, and Ian Hill.

As to the albums those four have combined to deliver, they pretty much form the canonical blueprint for the genre we’ve come to call heavy metal.

Rocka Rolla Sad Wings of Destiny Sin After Sin Stained Class Hell Bent for Leather British Steel Point of Entry Screaming for Vengeance Defenders of the Faith Turbo Ram It Down Painkiller

Given this track record, how on earth does one choose one album, above all the rest?

Well, to get started, we can certainly trim some albums out right now; namely, the first two, and the last four, which leaves us with:

Sin After Sin Stained Class Hell Bent for Leather British Steel Point of Entry Screaming for Vengeance

We can do this, because with Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings of Destiny, the fully realized Judas Priest sound just isn’t there yet. And as to the final four, while they do have some high points, they also mark the beginning of an unfortunate slide into 80s excess and a certain degree of self-parody.

Which leaves six to choose from. Time to start trimming again. First to go, Sin After Sin. It’s a strong record, and at least three of the performances are genuine classics, including their outstanding cover of “Diamonds and Rust.” But pound for pound, it just doesn’t hold up to as much scrutiny as some of the other offerings on our shortlist.

Next to go? Point of Entry. It’s better than some people think, but the common criticisms are still valid—it’s just trying too hard to have hits. Frankly, some of it is just plain cheesy. Oddly enough, my favorite track on the album is one of the softer and more commercial offerings: “Desert Plains.”

My next excision is going to drag this article into controversial territory, but I’m voting to drop Hell Bent for Leather. I know, I know. It’s a remarkable album. Sonically, it may be as good as Priest has ever been. And the good tracks are incredible. In addition to the title track, other standouts include “Delivering the Goods” and another brilliant cover: “The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown).” But it just doesn’t have the songs across the full span.

So where does that leave us? Only three albums left:

Stained Class British Steel Screaming for Vengeance

At this point, I’m going to just skip ahead to the finish line. The best Judas Priest album is … Stained Class.

Here’s why:

The vocals. This is Rob Halford at his soaring, searing best. And while he uses every aspect of his enviable range to the full measure of its power, it’s the high notes that elevate these performances to the truly legendary. There has simply never been another voice that can command this much authority at those ranges.

The guitars. K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton hit the sweet spot on this album, no longer as clean and locked into 60's-era British-blues dryness as their earlier efforts, but not yet fuzzed out and lost to the compression-addled 80s. Their twin attack has never been more original, more evocative, or more rocking.

The drums. Les Binks always was and always will be the best Judas Priest drummer. He just had a certain touch and sophistication that no one else has ever quite matched. Like Bill Ward, Binks is defined by his imagination, and it can be heard to perfect effect on this masterpiece.

The production. The album is devoid of tricks. That’s it. It’s just fat, and clean, and rich, and it never gets in the way of the performances or the songs. It’s perfect.

The songs. Finally, and most importantly, it’s all about the songs. On Stained Class, there’s not a miss among all the tracks, and the best ones are as good as anything the genre has ever produced. “Exciter,” “Stained Class,” “Invader,” “Saints in Hell,” and “Savage” are 5 of the best heavy metal songs ever committed to record. Even the two slightly weaker tracks—”White Heat, Red Hot” and “Heroes End”—are still phenomenal. There’s a cover here as well, and it’s impeccable: “Better by You, Better than Me,” originally by Spooky Tooth. Now, if you’ve noticed that I’ve yet to mention one of the tracks, you’re right. I’ve saved it for last. “Beyond the Realms of Death." It’s entirely likely this is the best Judas Priest song ever—which makes it one of the best songs ever, period. The sophistication of the lyric, with its rotating perspectives, is unparalled. The juxtoposition of beauty and savagery as the song moves from acoustic to electric sections heightens the drama to heartbreaking levels. Halford’s voice positively scorches throughout, and the respective guitar solos are clinics on the ying-yang styles that Tipton and Downing bring to the table.

So there you have it. That’s my 100% irrefutably flawless argument for why Stained Class is the best Judas Priest album!