The Greatest Judas Priest Album of All Time

2025-05-20

Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford

It’s a tall task to crown one Judas Priest album as the greatest of all time, but Audio Ink Radio is doing that. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo via Audio Ink Radio

Judas Priest is not-so arguably one of the greatest metal bands in the history of the genre. From the band’s early days in Birmingham in the late-1960s to their latest studio album, 2024’s “Invincible Shield,” Judas Priest have helped carry the torch of British heavy metal for decades. Without Judas Priest, it’s very possible that the British heavy metal movement would never have become as strong and influential as it did.

It also says a lot that Judas Priest is still making new music and touring more than 50 years after the band first started out. Judas Priest’s latest music is still garnering fantastic reviews, too, with outlets raving about the strength of Rob Halford and company so many years later. Of course, the band has gone through lineup changes, but that’s the case for any band that has been around for five decades.

Listening to Judas Priest’s lengthy discography, which packs 19 studio albums, it’s nearly impossible to single out one album as their best. But, we did our best with Audio Ink Radio’s pick for the greatest Judas Priest album of all time.

Judas Priest’s Best Album

It came down to three timeless albums to arrive at a decision on the greatest Judas Priest album of all time: 1980’s “British Steel,” 1982’s “Screaming for Vengeance” and 1984’s “Defenders of the Faith.”

While the two are so close in greatness and influence, we’re going with “Defenders of the Faith” as our No. 1 pick, because of everything that this album means to Judas Priest. Here, Halford’s vocals are as strong as ever, although his voice is mighty on every Judas Priest album. Halford’s vocals combined with the incredible skills of Downing and Tipton makes for a thrilling listen, from front to back.

Album highlights including high-octane album opener “Freewheel Burning,” hard rocker “Jawbreaker” and masterful “The Sentinel.” Another classic is “Love Bites.” While none of Judas Priest’s big hits are on this release, metal isn’t about hits, anyway. However, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a commercial-sounding album. It’s probably the most underrated of Priest’s commercia-era records and is pretty much a perfect metal album.

“British Steel” was a very close second for greatest Judas Priest album. This album features two of Judas Priest’s biggest chart-toppers: “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.” While “British Steel” wasn’t perhaps the hardcore, underground metal sound that many of the band’s followers wanted at the time, it presented a commercial sound that was simply contagious. “British Steel” was similar to “Killing Machine” with its pop-friendly choruses and melodies, coupled with dark, soaring metal music.

“Screaming for Vengeance” also came close. From the thrill of “Riding on the Wind” to the popular “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’,” “Screaming for Vengeance” has its place in metal lore. No matter which album we could have selected for No. 1, all of Judas Priest’s albums feature the kind of strong songwriting and dramatic storytelling that only Judas Priest can deliver.

Also check out Audio Ink Radio’s feature on the greatest Iron Maiden album of all time, as well as our interview with Halford.

Cat Badra
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Posted by Cat Badra | Features, Metal, Music

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