The Most Underrated Judas Priest Album of All Time

2025-07-21

Rob Halford of Judas Priest.

What’s the most underrated Judas Priest album of all time? Audio Ink Radio names our pick for the album that needs more love. – Author: Anne Erickson, Photo from Larry Rostant

British heavy metal band Judas Priest got their around 1970, and by 1980, they had become one of the biggest forces in metal, especially in the movement of new wave British heavy metal. The band’s trademark sound, and the sound that made them such titans in the metal world, combined raging, duel guitars with Rob Halford’s powerful vocals and a cool, slick leather-wearing aesthetic that wasn’t hair metal, by any means, but was still very metal.

While Judas Priest hit the big time in 1980 with their celebrated commercial release “British Steel” and the album’s chart-topping hits, they have plenty of albums in their catalog that deserve just as much attention as that record. What’s exciting is that the band still releases music and remains active. In honor of this iconic band, Audio Ink Radio is naming the most underrated Judas Priest album of all time.

What’s the Most Underrated Judas Priest Album of All Time?

The tally of Judas Priest records that could get more love is long, but one that stands out is the band’s often overlooked debut album, 1974’s “Rocka Rolla.” The band has said over the years that they were a bit disappointed with this album, which is perhaps one reason that it’s often not recognized, and that this album didn’t really represent the sound that they were hoping to create. That’s why Judas Priest’s subsequent record, 1976’s “Sad Wings of Destiny,” is often raised up as not only one of the group’s best albums but also one of their favorites. By “Sad Wings of Destiny,” Judas Priest had developed the sound that they wanted to share with the world.

When asked by Audio Ink Radio in an interview to name his favorite classic Judas Priest album, singer Rob Halford named “Sad Wings of Destiny” and mentioned how it marked a big departure from “Rocka Rolla.”

“I always run to ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,'” he said in the interview, “because even though ‘Rocka Rolla’ is the launching pad, I think that by the time, the very short time, we went from ‘Rocka Rolla’ to ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ we grew up so quickly as musicians and as writers. So, a lot of what you’re hearing in ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ is the blueprint. It’s the anchor of where we went from ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ onwards. There’s a lot of roots in ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ so that album would always be my first choice.”

As for “Rocka Rolla,” it should really be more universally appreciated. It just has a raw energy, lo-fi presentation and diverse mix of metal sounds that you don’t hear from any other band. Even though it doesn’t represent Priest’s true style, it’s still a fantastic record.

Coming in at a close second for the more underrated Judas Priest album of all time is the band’s 1986 release, “Turbo.” At the time, this album was not as well received as some of the band’s others, partly because it leans a little towards the hair metal style that was popular in the 1980s but not representative of Judas Priest’s sound. But, there are some true gems on here, and songs such as “Turbo Lover” and “Locked In” are proving to be classics decades later.

For another underrated gem, find Audio Ink Radio’s feature on the most underrated Iron Maiden album of all time.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Metal, Music

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