They may be the greatest true metal band ever. (Though I don't know what happened on their recent Nostradamus album)

You can make a strong case that Judas Priest is the greatest true metal band ever. They have terrific vocals and great guitar riffs. I dropped them one star because their best work is ther 70's to mid 80's output. Turbo and Ram It Down were terrible albums and since that time their work has been spotty with the exception of the masterful Painkiller album.

This is the greatest true metal band ever. They have a ton of great albums, dual guitars, and searing vocals. Screaming For Vengeance is the best metal album ever.

Priest are legends that put on powerful shows. Their early albums are masterpieces, but they came apart around the Turbo era. Since that time, they have never really gotten it back together except for the Painkiller album. Five stars for everything up to Turbo, two stars since then, which equals 3.5 stars

Their new album sucks bad, but the Priest have put out a ton of great albums. Love them as a whole.

These guys are one of the five or ten best metal bands of alltime. Great riffs and soaring vocals.

the best

All of the Judas Priest 'hits' sound too similar and Rob Halford is an irritating vocalist. The most interesting thing going in JP was Tipton & Downing and they were not even close to being my favorite guitar tandem. I suspect JP's popularity was more a result of their uniqueness, at the time, than their ability.

They were a heavy metal machine in them days.

Judas Priest is the first Heavy Metal Band, not Sabbath, Zeppelin. Those two bands are rock bands. Priest was the heaviest band in the 70's by far, no one sounded like them in the 70's and they spawned 80's metal.

I was never their biggest fan (Black Sabbath does rate as one of my all-time favorite bands, but I never really followed Heavy Metal as a musical genre), but I had friends who were very much devotees. In 1979 or 1980, they talked me into seeing this band with them at the Capital Theatre in Passaic, NJ (since torn down, unfortunately...I saw a lot of good bands there way back when). Halford came driving out onto the stage on a motorcycle, dressed in leather clothes and cap that seemed more appropriate for the Ramrod across the Hudson River in Manhattan. I'm not, and never have been, a homophobe, but I had to ask one of my friends, "These guys are gay, right?" My friend, who evidently WAS a homophobe, became indignant, and said, over the thunderous music, "How can you say that, man? These guys are great! Halford use'ta be in porno movies, for God's sake!" I didn't think to ask whether they were porno movies involving men or women, but I wasn't all that interested one way or the other, so I took another toke off the joint I was smoking and let the matter slide. I never thought they were terrible as a musical group, and Halford certainly had a unique voice, but they were a little too cartoonish for my tastes, and the songs sounded too much alike. I have one of their albums- "Unleashed in the East"- that contains what I consider to be their best songs; namely, their re-make of "The Green Manalishi", "The Ripper", and "Victim of Changes". Ironically, my homophobic friend died as a result of a lifetime of overindulgence in alcohol and drugs around the time Halford publicly came out of the closet. Hopefully, he's not turning over in his grave. (Also ironically, and perhaps fittingly, since his death I've learned that my late friend engaged in some furtive homosexual activity of his own over the years...but then I've always said the biggest homophobes are invariably latent homosexuals.)

Although Black Sabbath invented Heavy Metal, Judas Priest were the band who made it mainstream. The studs, the leather, the bike have inspired many modern artists. They also make pretty good music, for example 'Breakin the Law', 'You've Got Another Thing Coming' and the legendary 'Victim of Changes'.

No nonsense hard driving rock and roll. Not my cup of tea really but a few songs are classic like Livin after midnight and breaking the law.

Rob Halford is what makes rgis band GREAT! He and Ian Gillan are gods!

Judas Priest IS 'metal'!!!! They helped define and perfect the genre. Indidentally, 'Nu-Metal' sucks hairy ballz.

I wont say bad things about any musicians, all deserve respect but ahead of AC/DC, number 2, do me a favour!!

just great the metal gods

Best metal band EVER.

By fay best REAL metal (although only REAL metal band ever) all are talented at what they didto contribute to their success.

HAHAHAHA!!!!!! These guys are a send up like Spinal Tap right?

best band ever no question so many hits like painkiller, you,ve got another thing comin', all guns blazing, blood red skies, the hellion and many more, these guys make metallica look like a 4 year old little kids band

Not bad at all, although not my favorite.

I've revised my rating downwards having listened to several of their post 'British Steel' albums several times recently. Admittedly there are several good tracks on 'Painkiller' and 'Screaming for Vengeance' plus one or 2 good'uns on the rest but generally I don't find the albums stand up well to regular listening all the way through. They need a bit more variety and a few surprises for that..and I dont mean synths!

WOW!!! Judas priest group FANTASTIC!!!! I even have there cassettes way back to the 1970's!!!! I rather listen to them and many other rock groups of my 1970's and 1980's anyday!!!!!! JUDAS PRIESTS ROCKS!!!!!!! I sure hope they come down to honolulu, Hawaii at the Pipeline Cafe!!!!!! ALOHA WITH LOVE!!! Marty...pps.. My FAVORITE SONG OF JUDAS PRIEST IS "DESERT PLAINS!!!!"

These guys are smoking! I am going to see them on 9-27 in Champaign, Illinois. Rob Halford sounded as good as ever on a VH1 Unplugged appearance. JP is as good as it gets!

no way

another really good band to see live

This is heavy meatal before it went main stream. If you like power cords and power vocals JP is the band to listen to.

The quintessential heavy metal band

I LOVE PRIEST. period.(other then you know halfords sexuality)

one time i was in seattle seeing the sights when these two guys started to make out in front of me and i try not to be a bigot about such matters but i threw up anyway. from there i saw this homeless crack head looking fellow screaming at me saying that if i didnt give him money for his delicious white rocks then my soul would burn in tuskanee for three days. so being the open minded person i am, i took out a small pocket knife and opened his jugular spraying everyone around with blood and then i ran like he!!

30+ years of brilliant music. Ground breakers of the metal community. Without Priest there would be NO metal music. THANK GOD these gentlemen exist. Talk about the soundtrack of your life...... AWESOME! No one deserves to be in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame more than this band! Fall to your knees and repent if you please!

great metal band. probably the greatest band to come from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Geriatic Metal rules, respect to the Priest!

JP made some great albums like 'British Steel', 'Stained class', 'Painkiller' and 'Screaming for vengeance'. They also made several middling albums and a couple of turkeys.

Judas Priest is Heavy Metal Period

lets see the category is HEAVY METAL/ HARD ROCK MUSICIANS and the lead singer is gay, it seems to me the only law he could be breaking is gay marriage.

one song wonders!

Classic metal band.

Painkiller album....what more can I say????

Well Halford is the Metal God: what more needs to be said?: his voice is mentally orgasmic.

Great, but not THAT great.

My favorite band ! Great vocals with Rob Halford and duo of guitars. TURBO Lover

One of the greatest metal bands ever.