History Music / JudasPriest

** From 1979-1989, the band had a Type 1, consisting of Rob Halford, K.K. Downing, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, and Dave Holland.
** The band's next lineup was a Type 5; after Holland was replaced by current drummer Scott Travis in 1989, Rob Halford left the band in 1992 when they went on hiatus, and then rejoined 11 years later to replace Tim "Ripper" Owens, amassing 10 years in total.
** Finally, the band's current lineup (as of the writing of this in 2023), consisting of Halford, Tipton, Hill, Travis, and new guitarist Richie Faulkner, has been together since 2011. The only new member added was touring replacement Andy Sneap.

* Al Atkins - lead vocals (1970-1973)

* WhipItGood: "Love You to Death", from ''Ram It Down'', kicks off with a whipcrack. Outro has Halford screaming in ecstasy as he's supposedly being whipped.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Rob's homosexuality even seeps into the lyrics of songs, but while they certainly have a lot of songs about ''sex'', [[GenderNeutralWriting they don't generally specify gender]].

* GenderNeutralWriting: Their IntercourseWithYou songs use "me" and "you" as their preferred pronouns and don't make any references to gender-specific anatomy. The closest they've come to a mention of gender-specific anatomy is a reference to a "rod of steel" in "Eat Me Alive".

In the 1980s, America's MoralGuardians accused JP of SubliminalSeduction in the 1985 suicide and suicide attempt (the latter eventually died of his attempt in 1988, three years later) of one teenager and one then newly ex-teenager. After Judas Priest was acquitted of this in 1990, Rob Halford responded by stating that the alleged message to "do it" didn't say what to do, and that subliminally provoking his audience to commit suicide would be counter-productive; the ideal subliminal message would have been "Buy more of our records." (And it's not as if it was even possible for it to be their fault anyway since Spooky Tooth had written the song nearly ''10 years earlier''.) The case was predictably laughed out of court.

Halford left in 1992, and JP brought on Tim "Ripper" Owens in 1996 for ''Jugulator'' and ''Demolition''. Halford returned in 2003; in the interim, he had publicly come out of the closet in 1998 after five years of rumours. The rest of the band had known the whole time.

In the 1980s, America's MoralGuardians accused JP of SubliminalSeduction in the 1985 suicide and suicide attempt (latter eventually died of his attempt in 1988, three years later) of one teenager and one then newly ex-teenager. After Judas Priest was acquitted of this in 1990, Rob Halford responded by stating that the alleged message to "do it" didn't say what to do, and that subliminally provoking his audience to commit suicide would be counter-productive; the ideal subliminal message would have been "Buy more of our records." (And it's not as if it was even possible for it to be their fault anyway, since Spooky Tooth had written the song nearly ''10 years earlier''.) The case was predictably laughed out of court.

On the 20th of April 2011 the band announced K. K. Downing had left. The band went ahead with the tour and started working with new guitarist Ritchie Faulkner, who has previously worked with Lauren Harris, daughter of [[Music/IronMaiden Steve Harris]].

Priest released their 17th studio album, ''Redeemer Of Souls'' on July 8, 2014 to positive reception. On March 9, 2018, Priest released the album's followup, ''Firepower'' which also received positive reception. In February 2018, Glenn Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, leading the band to hire Andy Sneap to take his place in live shows.

** "Grinder" from British Steel is a perfect example of this, if you think about it enough:
---> ''Off the straight and narrow''
---> ''I won't keep in time''
---> ''Tend to bend the arrow out of line''

----> ''Grinder''
----> ''Looking for meat''
----> ''Grinder''
----> ''Wants you to eat!''

** The band seem to try and sweep the Owens era under the rug, if their post-reunion setlists are any indication. That said, in his memoir K.K. Downing is very complimentary of Owens' singing ability and quality as a bandmate. All but confirmed with a box set containing all of their albums (including their first two, which were never officially released on CD by the band) except for the ones with Owens.

** The version of "Tyrant" the band performs live is much faster, heavier and more aggressive than on the album, updating the 1976 song to sound more like something from their heavier 1990s era.

** Their first album ''Rocka Rolla'' was standard 1970's blues rock with only faint nods to heavy metal, not to mention the band itself, wearing floral pattern shirts and ''bell-bottoms'' instead of the metal fashion they became famous for. ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' and ''Sin After Sin'', while sporting a heavier sound than their debut, are still not quite as hard as the sound they would become known for.
** Not weird enough? Try listening to demos with original singer Al Atkins. A good singer, but far more of a gravelly blues rock singer than a screamer like Rob Halford. By Atkins' own admission the band would have probably gone in a more Music/{{AC/DC}}-type direction had he stuck around.

** "Revelations", (7:05) "Death", (7:33) "Alone", (7:50) and "Future of Mankind" (8:29) from ''Nostradamus''.

* HellBentForLeather: TropeNamers, TropeCodifier and the source of leather's prominence in heavy metal fashion.
* HorsemenOfTheApocalypse: ''Nostradamus'' has songs for Death, Conquest and War. Pestilence and Plague share a song as well.

** "All Guns Blazing" opens with Rob singing the first two line a capella before the instruments kick in.

* MotorMouth: Not as extreme as later speed-metal bands, but still impressive. The best example is probably 1979's "Delivering the Goods": "Well, we don't pull no punches. We aim where the crunches are bound to do most damage to your brain. If you're looking for it mellow, you're nothing more than yellow. Gonna do it again and again." That's 37 words spewed out in a mere 12 seconds, or over 3 words per second!

* SerialKiller: "The Ripper" (the song, that is) is about UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper, the notorious 19th century serial killer.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Like many bands that were popular in the 1980's, Judas Priest had a reputation for drug and alcohol-fueled debauchery that went on backstage at their shows. Rob Halford called it quits in 1986 after an addiction-fueled suicide attempt, and has remained sober since then.
* SigilSpam: ''Judas Priest'' are among the few bands to actually ''have'' a sigil of sorts -- i.e. a simple, recognisable logo that is not a stylized version of their name. The "Judas Priest cross" or "Devil's Tuning Fork" dates back to their second album, 1976's ''Sad Wings of Destiny,'' and has appeared on cover art, merchandise, outfits, and stage decorations ever since. The band attempted to redesign the sigil during the Tim 'Ripper' Owens era. It was changed to more resemble a stylized plus sign with asymmetrical prongs jutting out of the middle. Ultimately, it failed to catch on, and was replaced with the original symbol when Rob Halford rejoined the band.

** Richie has been considered by some to be this for K.K Downing, including by Downing himself, mostly due to the fact that he's blond, plays Downing's parts and uses the exact same type guitars (Flying V's).
* TakeThat: "Parental Guidance" was written as an insult to Tipper Gore and the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) who had put the song "Eat Me Alive" on the list of offensive songs for being alledgedly obscene.
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Shows up in "Cheater". In fact, it's the ''only'' time one of their songs use the word.

* IAmTheBand: Ian Hill is the only remaining founding member.

* FilkSong: "Blood Red Skies" is quite obviously inspired by ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}''.

* PowerMetal: ''Painkiller'' and ''Firepower'' both at least border on this, if not actually qualifying, and along with Music/IronMaiden, Music/{{Accept}}, and the various works of Music/RonnieJamesDio, they were one of the single biggest influences on the whole genre.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Countless examples, as they never stopped reinventing themselves throughout their career.
** ''Point of Entry'' is practically a pop album, with very few truly heavy songs.
** "Worth Fighting For" from ''Angel of Retribution'' almost sounds like a really Gothic cowboy / western song, complete with a Buck Owens-inspired riff.
** "Lochness" almost sounds like a GenreThrowback to the very earliest metal of Music/IronButterfly or Music/DeepPurple.
** "Lone Wolf" from ''Firepower'' is basically a Music/BlackSabbath song.

** "Breaking the Law" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" are both songs in which Halford has the audience sing the chorus for him. Often, "Breaking the Law" is sung ENTIRELY by the public. Case in point, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVeJmQVUzAw this video]].

* ContemptibleCover: Rob Halford has expressed a considerable degree of hatred for "that fucking bottle cap" on the ''Rocka Rolla'' cover.

* KnifeNut: "The Sentinel" is about a guy who wears throwing knives strapped across his chest, and uses them to rapidly dispatch multiple armed enemies. "The Ripper" is about UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper.

As the rod of steel injects''

** Yet another classic example can be found in "Eat Me Alive", which for one stanza sounds ''very'' specifically about sex between two men.
--->''Bound to deliver\\
As you give and I collect\\
Squealing impassioned\\

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Band members]]

%%* EightiesHair: Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.
* HellBentForLeather: TropeNamers, TropeCodifier and the source of leather's prominence in heavy metal fashion.
* IAmTheBand: Ian Hill is the only remaining founding member.
%%* LargeHam: Rob Halford.
* LeadBassist: Ian, since he is the most senior member.
%%* LeatherMan: Rob Halford.
* MadeOfIron: During a 1991 Judas Priest concert, Rob Halford collided with a drum riser while riding his motorcycle onstage, falling off the bike and breaking his nose. After regaining consciousness he performed the remainder of the concert despite the fact that he would have been in excruciating pain at the time. He did not go to the hospital until after the band had completed its setlist.
%%* MetalScream: Rob Halford is a master of it. [[CoolOldGuy Even today]].
* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Despite the trope listed above, Ian Hill isn't very well known, inside or outside metal circles, mostly stemming from the fact that he appears content to stay in the background, and that he hasn't had any stand-out moments in their catalogue.
* RealMenLoveJesus: Halford has said his beliefs have been one of the main things helping him keep his sobriety.
* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Like many bands that were popular in the 1980's, Judas Priest had a reputation for drug and alcohol-fueled debauchery that went on backstage at their shows. Rob Halford called it quits in 1986 after an addiction-fueled suicide attempt, and has remained sober since then.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
** Owens was thought to be using a backing track of Rob's voice by members of the band when they heard his demo tape.
** Richie has been considered by some to be this for K.K Downing, including by Downing himself, mostly due to the fact that he's blond, plays Downing's parts and uses the exact same type guitars (Flying V's).
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Music Tropes]]
* AmbiguouslyGay: Rob's homosexuality even seeps into the lyrics of songs, but while they certainly have a lot of songs about ''sex'', [[GenderNeutralWriting they don't generally specify gender]].
** "Raw Deal" which has rather blatant gay rights themes in the lyrics. (In 1977!)
** "Grinder" from British Steel is a perfect example of this, if you think about it enough:
---> ''Off the straight and narrow''
---> ''I won't keep in time''
---> ''Tend to bend the arrow out of line''
*** And of course the chorus...
----> ''Grinder''
----> ''Looking for meat''
----> ''Grinder''
----> ''Wants you to eat!''
** Then there's "Delivering the Goods," a pretty clearly male-on-male ObligatoryBondageSong. ("We're gonna load you with our brand!")
--->''[[UsefulNotes/{{BDSM}} Wavin' your hands, crushed out on the floor! Beggin'! For mercy! Be careful or we'll do it some more!]]''
%%** "Turbo Lover" could be thus interpreted, though it isn't so specific.

* AndIMustScream: "Brain Dead" is sung from the perspective of a man suffering from locked-in syndrome who wants badly to be taken off life support.
* AudienceParticipationSong: "Breaking the Law" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" are both songs in which Halford has the audience sing the chorus for him. Often, "Breaking the Law" is sung ENTIRELY by the public. Case in point, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVeJmQVUzAw this video]].
** Several tracks, including "Take on the World", "United" and "Red White and Blue" were written with this purpose in mind. In the case of "Take on the World", the chorus even has overdubbed backing vocals to create the illusion that a crowd is singing along to it.
* BilingualBonus: A couple of examples of this appear in ''Nostradamus''. "Pestilence and Plague" has its chorus in Italian, and "Future of Mankind" features some [[OminousLatinChanting ominous-sounding]] French chanting toward the end.
* CallBack:
** "Sad wings that Heaven sent wipes out in rage!" (a reference to their second album, ''Sad Wings of Destiny'')
** "Forged in the black country, under blood-red skies... Took on all the world; it had no choice!" ("Monsters of Rock," "Blood Red Skies," and "Take on the World," respectively).
** From "Parental Guidance": "One life, and I'm gonna live it up" - an obvious callback to "You've Got Another Thing Comin".
** ''Angel of Retribution'' contains quite a few callbacks to past albums and songs. Namely:
*** "Demonizer" references both "The Hellion" from ''Screaming for Vengeance'', as well as "Painkiller" from ''Painkiller''.
*** "Hellrider" mentions the title track of ''Ram It Down'', and "Tyrant" from ''Sad Wings of Destiny''.
*** "Eulogy" references "Stained Class" and "The Sentinel" from the albums ''Stained Class'' and ''Defenders of the Faith'', respectively.
*** "Worth Fighting For" acts as a companion piece to "Desert Plains" from ''Point of Entry''.
*** "Deal With the Devil" mentions the song "Blood Red Skies" from ''Ram It Down'', "Take on the World" from ''Killing Machine'', as well as "Beyond the Realms of Death" from ''Stained Class''.
*** "Angel" has the titular angel being said to have ''Sad Wings''.
** "Rock Forever" (from 1979's ''Killing Machine'') has a middle section that almost sounds like a tribute to classic 1950's rock 'n' roll, particularly Danny & The Juniors' "At the Hop."
*** Similarly, their music video for "Headin' Out to the Highway" is obviously a tribute to the "drag race" scenes in classic 1950s "hot rod" flicks. (Rob, of course, plays the role of the girl who starts the race.)
* CarefulWithThatAxe: Rob Halford does this ''a lot'', to the point of divisive territory. Case in point: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_mpt8xyZVI Dissident Aggressor]].
* ConceptAlbum: ''Nostradamus''.
* ContemptibleCover: Rob Halford has expressed a considerable degree of hatred for "that fucking bottle cap" on the ''Rocka Rolla'' cover.
* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: "Parental Guidance," with a dash of CallingTheOldManOut thrown in for good measure, with the narrator pointing out that "you went through the same thing too."
-->Don't you remember what it's like to lose control
-->Put on my jacket before you get too old
-->Let's rock and roll!

* EvilIsSexy: "Devil's Child" and "Touch of Evil," among others. [[invoked]]

* GenderNeutralWriting: Their IntercourseWithYou songs use "me" and "you" as their preferred pronouns and don't make any references to gender-specific anatomy.
** The closest they've come to a mention of gender-specific anatomy is a reference to a "rod of steel" in "Eat Me Alive".

* IntercourseWithYou: Many, including "Burnin' Up", "Eat Me Alive", "Turbo Lover" and "A Touch of Evil".

* MetalScream: They are known for these.
* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: A 6 or 7, usually, with some of ''Painkiller'' crossing into 8 territory, and ''Jugulator'' earning a 9. ''Point of Entry'' and ''Turbo'' would both be 4 or 5. That said, it should be noted that albums like "Sin After Sin" and "British Steel" might seem fairly average today, but were ''a very hard 11'' when released.

* SerialKiller: "The Ripper" (the song, that is).

** ''Turbo'', of course.

* TakeThat: "Parental Guidance" was written as an insult to Tipper Gore and the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) who had put the song "Eat Me Alive" on the list of offensive songs for being alledgedly obscene.

%%* WordSaladLyrics: Occasionally; taken UpToEleven on "All Guns Blazing."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Misc Tropes]]
%%* AnimatedMusicVideo: "War".
* AppropriatedAppellation: Priest were the first band to self-describe as HeavyMetal back in the late seventies, the term having previously only been used disparagingly by music journalists.
* BandOfRelatives: A fairly unknown example. Bassist Ian Hill was formerly married to Rob Halford's sister Sue, and as such, Halford was both Hill's brother-in-law and is the uncle to Ian's son.
* CanonDiscontinuity: The band seem to try and sweep the Owens era under the rug, if their post-reunion setlists are any indication. That said, in his memoir K.K. Downing is very complimentary of Owens' singing ability and quality as a bandmate.
** All but confirmed with a recent box set containing all of their albums (including their first two, which were never officially released on CD by the band) except for the ones with Owens.
*** Likewise with the period with Al Atkins (and other early members). Not many know that they recorded several demo tapes with him, including tracks that didn't make it to albums. These have never leaked and only tracklists are known. It should be noted, however, that in both cases the splits were without the usual theatrics and upset, and the revision of the band's catalogue was likely a marketing decision rather than grudge-bearing.
%%* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The video for "Painkiller."
* DownerEnding: The music video for "Freewheel Burning" ends with a little boy dying after playing a particularly intense video game with a Judas Priest soundtrack. [[TheNewRockAndRoll ("Heavy metal can be hazardous to your health.")]]
%%* EarthShatteringPoster: The cover of ''Ram It Down.''
* FallenAngel: On the cover of ''Sad Wings of Destiny.''
%%* FiveManBand:
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: One of their stage props used for their Electric Eye performance.
* {{Guyliner}}: Rob wears it in the "Painkiller" video, and occasionally in live performances.
* KnifeNut: "The Sentinel" is about a guy who wears throwing knives strapped across his chest, and uses them to rapidly dispatch multiple armed enemies. "The Ripper" is about UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper.
* MarketBasedTitle: ''Killing Machine'' was issued in UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates under the title ''Hell Bent for Leather'' -- the U.S. branch of their label thought the original title sounded too violent, so a different song became the TitleTrack.
* SigilSpam: ''Judas Priest'' are among the few bands to actually ''have'' a sigil of sorts -- i.e. a simple, recognisable logo that is not a stylized version of their name. The "Judas Priest cross" or "Devil's Tuning Fork" dates back to their second album, 1976's ''Sad Wings of Destiny,'' and has appeared on cover art, merchandise, outfits, and stage decorations ever since.
** The band attempted to redesign the sigil during the Tim 'Ripper' Owens era. It was changed to more resemble a stylized plus sign with asymmetrical prongs jutting out of the middle. Ultimately, it failed to catch on, and was replaced with the original symbol when Rob Halford rejoined the band.
%%* StrawFeminist: The video for "Locked In" features a tribe of evil (but sexy) warrior women who imprison and torture men. (The song is about a {{Tsundere}}.)
* WingedHumanoid: The cover art for ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' and ''Painkiller.''
[[/folder]]

%%* BaldOfAwesome: Rob Halford.

* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Rob Halford didn't officially come of out of the closet until 1998. But looking back on some old Judas Priest concert footage and music videos, many younger fans have reactions along the lines of "How could you ''not'' know that he was gay?!" Even more amusing is that many female metal fans viewed Rob Halford as a sex symbol (one famous example come from the short documentary ''Heavy Metal Parking Lot'' where a female fan comments "I'd jump his bones!" in reference to Rob Halford).
** Then again, while promoting the ''Screaming for Vengeance'' album, Rob Halford appeared in several publicity stills along with Penthouse Pet of the Year Cheryl Rixon (causing some people to speculate that the two were dating). This may have contributed to many people viewing him as a heterosexual sex symbol.

* MetalScream: Rob Halford is a master of it. [[CoolOldGuy Even today]].
* MrFanservice:
** Richie could be considered this, given his penchant for wearing leather vests in concert as well as being the youngest member of the band.
** In the 1980's both Downing and (ironically) Halford were considered sex symbols by many female metal fans.

* RealMenLoveJesus: Halford again. He's said his beliefs have been one of the main things helping him keep his sobriety.

* TakeThat: "Parental Guidance" is one to Tipper Gore and the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center), who had put the song "Eat Me Alive" on the list of offensive songs for being alledgedly obscene.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Like many bands that were popular in the 1980's, Judas Priest had a reputation for drug and alcohol-fueled debauchery that went on backstage at their shows.

%%* BadassMoustache: Ian Hill.
* BaldOfAwesome: Rob Halford used to have blonde hair but has been rocking the bald look since the early nineties, adding a [[BadassBeard nifty goatee for good measure.]] and even having his head tattooed.

* TheBigGuy: Scott Travis, who stands at 6'4. Notice how he's the only one not standing up in the page image? He's that much taller than the rest of the band that he wouldn't fit in the frame.
* CoolOldGuy: Halford certainly qualifies as one of these. The man is in his 60's and he can ''still'' deliver a peerless MetalScream.

* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Rob Halford didn't officially come of out of the closet until 1998. But looking back on some old Judas Priest concert footage and music videos, many younger fans have reactions along the lines of "How could you ''not'' know that he was gay?!" Even more amusing is that many female metal fans viewed Rob Halford as a sex symbol (one famous example come from the short documentary ''Film/HeavyMetalParkingLot'' where a female fan comments "I'd jump his bones!" in reference to Rob Halford).

** Then there's "Delivering the Goods," which practically sounds like it's about (male-on-male) gang rape. ("We're gonna load you with our brand!")

* PowerMetal: ''Painkiller'' and ''Firepower'' both at least border on this, if not actually qualifying, and outside of Music/IronMaiden, Music/{{Accept}}, and the various works of Music/RonnieJamesDio, they were probably ''the'' single biggest influence on the genre.

* StrawFeminist: The video for "Locked In" features a tribe of evil (but sexy) warrior women who imprison and torture men. (The song is about a {{Tsundere}}.)

* TakeThat: "Parental Guidance" is one to Tipper Gore and the PMRC.

%%* BaldOfAwesome: Rob Halford since the early nineties.

* TheAlcoholic: Rob Halford has struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction but stayed sober since 1986.

* BaldOfAwesome: Rob Halford since the early nineties.

* TheBigGuy: Scott Travis. Notice how he's the only one not standing up in the page image? He's that much taller than the rest of the band that he wouldn't fit in the frame.

%%* RealMenLoveJesus: Halford again.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Or [[TransparentCloset not so ambiguous]]. Rob Halford's sexuality was sort of an open secret for years until he came out in 1998.
* BadassMoustache: Ian Hill.

* BaldOfAwesome: Rob Halford.

* EightiesHair: Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.

* ManlyGay: Halford.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Owens was thought to be using a backing track of Rob's voice by members of the band when they heard his demo tape.

** "Turbo Lover" could be thus interpreted, though it isn't so specific.

* CallBack / ShoutOut:

* LargeHam: Rob Halford.

* LeatherMan: Rob Halford.
* MadeOfIron[=/=]TheShowMustGoOn: During a 1991 Judas Priest concert, Rob Halford collided with a drum riser while riding his motorcycle onstage, falling off the bike and breaking his nose. After regaining consciousness he performed the remainder of the concert despite the fact that he would have been in excruciating pain at the time. He did not go to the hospital until after the band had completed its setlist.

* MrFanservice: Richie could be considered this, given his penchant for wearing leather vests in concert as well as being the youngest member of the band.

* RealMenLoveJesus: Halford again.

* DarkIsNotEvil / GoodIsNotNice: "The Sentinel."

* HeavyMeta: Lots of it, beginning with ''Rock Forever''. ''Metal Gods'' subverts this, since it's actually about a RobotWar.
* HeavyMithril: From ''Sinner'' to ''Loch Ness''.

* HumansAreBastards: "Stained Class".
* IncrediblyLongNote: In "Painkiller", "Tyrant" and a good few others.

* VampiresAreSexGods: "Love Bites".

* WordSaladLyrics: Occasionally; taken UpToEleven on "All Guns Blazing."

* AnimatedMusicVideo: "War".

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The video for "Painkiller."

* EarthShatteringPoster: The cover of ''Ram It Down.''

** TheLeader: Ian
** TheLancer: Rob
** TheSmartGuy: Glenn
** TheBigGuy: Scott
** [[SixthRanger Fifth Ranger]]: Richie