Judas Priest Albums Ranked From Worst to Best 

Glad to see you guys to some metal. Also glad you’re doing different videos, since if I didnt like the band of the week I only had side three to look forward to. Now I’m always looking forward to to your new videos 18. Nostradamus (haven’t bought it yet) 17. Demolition (3.5/10) 16. Ram it Down (5/10) 15. Redeemer of Souls (6.5/10) 14. Turbo (7.5/10) 13. Point of Entry (7.5/10) 12. Rocka Rolla (7.5/10) 11. British Steel (7.5/10) 10. Killing Machine (8/10) 09. Jugulator (8/10) 08. Angel of Retribution (8/10) 07. Defenders of the Faith (8/10) 06. Sad Wings of Destiny (8.5/10) 05. Sin After Sin (9.5/10) 04. Screaming for Vengeance (10/10) 03. Firepower (10/10) 02. Stained Class (10/10) 01. Painkiller (10/10)

1. Stained Class 2. Screaming For Vengeance 3. Hell Bent for Leather 4. Painkiller 5. Defenders of the Faith 6. Point of Entry 7. British Steel 8. Firepower 9. Sad Wings of Destiny 10. Turbo 11. Angels of Retribution 12. Sin After Sin 13. Redeemer of Souls 14. Jugulator 15. Rocka Rolla 16. Ram It Down 17. Nostradamus 18. Demolition

Excellent! It’s been a while since you chaps dug into some metal. Another amazing episode!

Judas Priest is one of the bands that got me into music, easily in my top 10 bands ever. Here's my rankings : 1 - Painkiller 2 - Stained Class 3 - Defenders Of The Faith 4 - Sad Wings Of Destiny 5 - Screaming For Vengeance 6 - Hellbent For Leather 7 - Sin After Sin 8 - Firepower 9 - British Steel 10 - Point Of Entry 11 - Angel Of Retribution 12 - Redeemer Of Souls 13 - Rocka Rolla 14 - Turbo 15 - Ram It Down 16 - Nostradamus 17 - Jugulator 18 - Demolition

I was really eager to see this, as Priest are one of my favourite bands and I was not disappointed. You all had picks I disagreed with, but that's what's so entertaining about this channel. I agree with Joe 100% about British Steel. It is an album I love, it would be in my top 10 Priest albums, but United and Living After Midnight always bring it down for me a bit. It's an unusual situation where I always favour the 30th anniversary live version of British Steel to the studio version. Glad to see Turbo so high on all of your lists. One of the most over-hated albums of all time. My ranking and #1 placement always change depending on my mood. Fantastic video!!!

Great vid as always, gentlemen! I haven’t really gotten into Priest before, so it was nice to hear some takes and dip my toes. Early impressions of their tentpole releases… I think I prefer the sound of Stained Class over Vengeance, Painkiller, or British Steel. Cool band. Looking forward to checking out more.

Excellent job gentlemen! Loved your commentary. And the averaged list is pretty wild this time. Never would have guessed Sin After Sin would be on top.

My JP top 10: 1) Sad Wings of Destiny 2) Screaming for Vengeance 3) Stained Class 4) Defenders of the Faith 5) Sin after Sin 6) Killing Machine 7) British Steel 8) Painkiller 9) Point of Entry 10) Rocka Rolla

This was a great video and a great week to prepare for. I really enjoyed listening along even to the albums I didn't enjoy. It didn't seem like 18 albums. I did know a few ahead of this but a lot were new to me too. Lots of variety in your lists and a few wild takes but it all made sense with your tastes and was a great discussion even if I didn't always agree. 18. Demolition - 1 (1.8) 17. Jugulator - 2.5 (4.8) 16. Ram It Down - 2.5 (5.3) 15. Nostradamus - 3 (5.7) 14. Rock A Rolla - 3 (6.2) 13. Point of Entry - 3.5 (7.0) 12. Angel of Retribution - 3.5 (7.1) 11. Firepower - 3.5 (7.1) 10. Redeemer of Souls - 3.5 (7.2) 9. Turbo - 3.5 (7.3) 8. Sad Wings of Destiny - 4 (7.8) 7. Stained Class - 4 (8.0) 6. Sin After Sin - 4 (8.3) 5. Killing Machine - 4.5 (8.7) 4. Screaming For Vengeance - 4.5 (9.3) 3. Defenders of the Faith - 4.5 (9.4) 2. British Steel - 5 (9.5) 1. Painkiller - 5 (9.7)

Happy to see this episode! Love Priest, and they have a great variety of albums that are perfect for what you do. My top 5: 1. Stained Class 2. Sin After Sin 3. British Steel 4. Painkiller 5. Defenders of the Faith I think my top 4 are basically perfect albums in distinct styles that still all manage to be distinctly Judas Priest. Defenders falls off a little bit in the second half for me but the first half is incredible.

Love me some Priest, they’re easily in my top 20 bands love their discography! I really don’t dislike any of their albums and love over half of their records. Album ranking below: ALBUM RANKING: 1. Painkiller (1990) - 5/5 2. Stained Class (1978) - 5/5 3. Defenders of the Faith (1984) - 5/5 4. Screaming for Vengeance (1982) - 5/5 5. Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) - 5/5 6. Sin After Sin (1977) - 5/5 7. Firepower (2018) - 5/5 8. Killing Machine (1978) - 5/5 9. British Steel (1980) - 4.5/5 10. Angel of Retribution (2005) - 4.5/5 11. Redeemer of Souls (2014) - 4.5/5 12. Ram It Down (1988) - 4.5/5 13. Point of Entry (1981) - 4/5 14. Turbo (1986) - 4/5 15. Rocka Rolla (1974) - 4/5 16. Jugulator (1997) - 3.5/5 17. Nostradamus (2008) - 3.5/5 18. Demolition (2001) - 3/5 RATING SCALE: 5.0: Excellent (Really Love It) 4.5: Great (Love It) 4.0: Very Good (Really Like It) 3.5: Good (Like It) 3.0: Decent (Slightly Like It) 2.5: Mediocre (Indifferent) 2.0: Subpar (Slightly Dislike It) 1.5: Bad (Dislike It) 1.0: Very Bad (Really Dislike It) 0.5: Awful (Hate It) Note that my 5 star albums range from excellent albums with only a few minor problems to near perfect masterpieces. Lower 5 star albums are likely a 4.5 star album on Joe and Jason’s scale and a 4.0 star on Kram’s. They are certainly less generous than me.

My favorite band ever!! My top 13 alone is essential stuff for me, so hard to rank for sure. 1. Stained Class 5/5 2. Screaming For Vengeance 5/5 3. Sin After Sin 5/5 4. Turbo 4.5/5 5. Defenders Of The Faith 4.5/5 6. Point Of Entry 4.5/5 7. Sad Wings Of Destiny 4.5/5 8. British Steel 4.5/5 9. Painkiller 4.5/5 10. Ram It Down 4/5 11. Killing Machine 4/5 12. Rocka Rolla 3.5/5 13. Firepower 3.5/5 14. Angel Of Retribution 3.5/5 15. Jugulator 3/5 16. Redeemer Of Souls 3/5 17. Nostradamus 2/5 18. Demolition 2/5

Seeing Painkiller at #12 was…PAINFUL 😱🤯😭 Regardless, I really enjoyed the episode. Painkiller, Defenders and Screaming are my top 3 🔥⚡️

Great all hail the Priest !!!! I'll give it a go. 1. Stained Class 5/5 top 10 of my all time for me, very important album in the progression of heavy metal. 2. Painkiller 5/5 3. Defenders Of The Faith 4.5/5 4. Sad Wings Of Destiny 4.5/5 5. Screaming For Vengeance 4.5/5 6. Firepower 4.5/5 7. Hell Bent For Leather 4/5 8. Sin After Sin 3.5/5 9. British Steel 3.5/5 10. Angel Of Retribution 3/5 11. Redeemer of Souls 3/5 12. Turbo 3/5 13. Ram It Down 3/5 14. Jugulator 3/5 15. Point Of Entry 3/5 16. Rock O Rolla 3/5 17. Nostradamus 2.5/5 18. Demolition 2/5

Oh, here’s my list of anything I’m familiar with. And it’s all 3,5 and up! 13. Angel Of Retribution 12. Turbo 11. Rocka Rolla 10. Defenders Of The Faith 9. Point Of Entry 8. Screaming For Vengeance 7. Painkiller 6. Ram It Down 5. Hell Bent For Leather/Killing Machine 4. British Steel 3. Sin After Sin 2. Sad Wings Of Destiny 1. Stained Class

Excellent video as always. Enjoying the fortnightly reviews..

I wonder where you guys would rank the new one? It’s really good

Great to see more Metal on this channel! And it's actually really cool to hear opinions from people who are not pure 'Metalheads' but are instead broader fans of music generally who enjoy some Metal. That's actually pretty rare, and refreshing. I think an Opeth ranking would be a cool journey for you guys!

So glad you guys finally got around to ranking the mighty Judas Priest, I've been waiting for this one for a LONG time! Great point about how Glen and KK adopted their guitar playing style to the times and never stopped learning new techniques, that's one of the things that made them such amazing guitarists!

Seen Priest live over 50 times since 1986. "Unleashed in the East" is my favourite album, sums up 70`s Priest and sees, peers the future of metal to come. Relevant album by any means

I really enjoyed this episode.It has been a long time since I have listened to Judas Priest but when they first came out I was a full blown Metal head at 18.I was first turned on to Priest with the release of Stained Class. This hit me between the eyes.I loved it.The next year in 1979 I went to a little place in Los Angles called the Santa Monica civic and saw them live.Never in my life have I ever heard a band that was that loud yet so fantastic.I know you guys didn`t review this album because it was live but my favorite Priest will always be Unleashed in the East.This is all the early great songs they put out turned up to 10.Hope you guys get a chance to listen to it.With that being said my top 5 studio are,1.Stained class,2.British Steel,3.Sin After Sin.4Sreaming for Vengeance,5.Point of Entry.I have seen Judas Priest twice in concert,both great shows.Thank you for this fine review.

November 24th, 1982. My first concert. Judas Priest, Screaming for Vengeance One of my all-time favorite bands. I definitely don't agree with all the picks, but as a whole, you guys really did them justice. 3. Painkiller 2. Screaming for Vengeance 1. British Steel Thank you gentlemen!

Nice rundown - enjoyed that one a lot. Point of Entry is the one Priest album that I always rate much higher than most - it's a lot of fun and sounds great.

A top 10 list by 3 gentlemen that haven't listened to a Judas Priest album all the way through. The perfect choice for a show like this. This is how real opinions come about, and how ordinary people actually hear the music

So glad you guys are doing Priest I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Nice commentary about Turbo. I was in 9th grade when it came out. It was no big deal. It was expected for the veteran bands to try to move forward and shake things up at that time. It was the time to try. What else are you going to do?

1. Stained Class (1978) 5/5 2. Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) 4.5/5 3. Screaming for Vengeance (1982) 4.5/5 4. British Steel (1980) 4.5/5 5. Sin After Sin (1977) 4/5 6. Defenders of the Faith (1984) 4/5 7. Firepower (2018) 4/5 8. Rocka Rolla (1974) 3.5/5 9. Killing Machine (1978) 3.5/5 10. Painkiller (1990) 3.5/5 11. Point of Entry (1981) 3/5 12. Angel of Retribution (2005) 3/5 13. Redeemer of Souls (2014) 3/5 14. Turbo (1986) 2.5/5 15. Ram It Down (1988) 2/5 16. Jugulator (1997) 2/5 17. Nostradamus (2008) 1.5/5 18. Demolition (2001) 1.5/5 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 3.5 Rocka Rolla (1974) 4.5 Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) 4.0 Sin After Sin (1977) 5.0 Stained Class (1978) 3.5 Killing Machine (1978) 4.5 British Steel (1980) 3.0 Point of Entry (1981) 4.5 Screaming for Vengeance (1982) 4.0 Defenders of the Faith (1984) 2.5 Turbo (1986) 2.0 Ram It Down (1988) 3.5 Painkiller (1990) 2.0 Jugulator (1997) 1.5 Demolition (2001) 3.0 Angel of Retribution (2005) 1.5 Nostradamus (2008) 3.0 Redeemer of Souls (2014) 4.0 Firepower (2018) They didn't invent metal, but Judas Priest captured its core aesthetic better than anyone. 1974's Rocka Rolla draws heavily upon Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull, but songs like "Run of the Mill " and "Cheater" are good enough to make you forget it. For their sophomore effort, Sad Wings of Destiny, Rob Halford puts on a singing clinic. A vocal chameleon, Halford morphs his voice to fit anything the band comes up with, be it moody ("Epitaph") or maniacal ("The Ripper.") "Dreamer Deceiver" (also from Sad Wings) shows they had a knack for the power ballad from early on. 1977's Sin After Sin further sharpens their sound- "Dissident Aggressor" leads a faster, more aggressive attack that portended thrash metal. "Beyond the Realms of Death" is the main attraction on 1978's Stained Class, but that whole LP stands up so well to repeated listens I'm tempted to call it perfect. It's where Judas Priest truly come into their own and stop sounding like their influences. Also from 1978, Killing Machine (known in America as Hell Bent For Leather) cemented their leather-and-chains image and saw their music become less cryptic/more accessible. Released in April 1980 (and spearheaded by the hits "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight") British Steel was the commercial breakthrough Judas Priest had been working towards for the better part of a decade. Its follow-up, 1981's Point of Entry, tries to be an even more populist version of British Steel but, apart from a couple-three tracks, falls short. 1982's Screaming for Vengeance revives their hard-driving approach, aided by appropriately over-the-top production. That album (along with its successor, 1984's Defenders of the Faith) pushed Priest to the peak of their popularity in North America. On 1986's Turbo they take a stab at being campy, without much success. Ram It Down (1988) feels like a lost Def Leppard album (emphasis on "lost.") Things pick back up again with 1990's Painkiller, an album influenced by speed metal. Instrumentally, it's a fun LP, but the songs themselves aren't as memorable as some of Priest's previous releases. The two albums they made after Rob Halford's departure (1997's Jugulator, 2001's Demolition) are forgettable affairs. They sound more like Slayer and Pantera than they sound like Judas Priest. When Halford finally returned to the band (starting with 2005's Angel of Retribution) so did some semblance of consistency (with the exception of 2008's Nostradamus, an overlong and ponderous album.) 2018's Firepower contains some of their tightest and catchiest music in 3 decades. While I only gave Judas Priest one 5-star studio album, they'll probably slip into my "top 100 artists" list anyway based on lifetime achievement, and their reputation as a great live act. They're one of those bands whose live stuff is even better than the studio stuff. MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's an essential record for this artist/style) 3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting) 2.5 = decent (competent but uninspired - not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) ▪︎"Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that either feature iconic songs or have a highly influential sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing iconic songs or being highly influential.) ▪︎I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore. ▪︎Anything I rate 3.5 stars or higher is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.

Ripper Owens did not write the lyrics on Demolition. Glenn Tipton did. As he also did so for Jugulator.

Where does it land 18. Demolition 2 stars 17. Jugulator 2 stars 16. Nostradamus 2.5 stars 15. Ram It Down 2.5 stars 14. Rocka Rolla 3 stars 13. Reedemer of Souls 3 stars 12. Killing Machine 3.5 stars 11. Point of Entry 3.5 stars 10. Turbo 3.5 stars 9. Angel of Retribution 3.5 stars 8. British Steel 4 stars 7. Firepower 4 stars 6. Sin After Sin 4 stars 5. Stained Class 4.5 stars 4. Screaming for Vengance 4.5 stars 3. Defenders of the Faith 4.5 stars 2. Sad Wings of Destiny 5 stars 1. Painkiller 5 stars Great video

Judas Priest from 78 to 81 was the music we listened To at parties and driving . Classic metal . And Halford still had a full range from low to high

Great episode - and with such a large discography, there is bound to be some differences in the rankings but I think that over all, the lists were pretty much on point. "Sin After Sin" is not my number one but in fairness it's been a long while since I listened to it, so will have to give it a listen again. I think that Joe's ranking of British Steel is too low, as I really like that album, but I do get his reasoning behind it, so can't argue too much against it even if I don't quite agree.

Jason, I like your production input into reviews overall on TLM.

Perhaps my favorite artist ever with no albums that are 5 stars (best 225 albums or so of all time) for me. They sit in the lower reaches of my top 25 artists. 18. Demolition - Embarrassing coming from these guys. 2.5 stars 17. Jugulator - On one hand, if I want to hear this kind of groove metal, I’ll listen to Pantera, or, better yet, the last two Sepultura albums with max. On the other, I have to give Tipton and Downing kudos for being willing to get this heavy. 3 stars 16. Rocka Rolla - I respect the diversity in their sound, but they hadn’t achieved metal liftoff yet. 3 stars 15. Nostradamus- I rather like metal with symphonic elements, but they just drag this out a lot longer than they have to. 3.5 stars 14. Turbo - I hear the glam, and I don’t much like the glam coming from these guys. 3.5 stars 13. Ram It Down - Better than its reputation. Still needs an analgesic. 12. Redeemer of Souls - Reasonably heavy, some good material, but they definitely have albums that are in this wheelhouse but better. 4 stars 11. Ángel of Retribution- Like this one, if on the strength of “Judas Rising” if nothing else. 4 stars 10. Point of Entry - I would say I like this one quite a bit better than most do. I think it’s one of their few albums with no weak tracks, but “Desert Plains” is the only gem, which puts it below the other nine for me. 4 stars 9. Killing Machine - I think this is the most overrated of their albums among their fans, with a handful of tracks I don’t care for - cheesy - but “Delivering the Goods” and “Hell Bent for Leather” do a great job of paving the way for their next phase, and there’s enough quality here to bring it up to 4.5 stars. 8. Defenders of the Faith - I find this to be their hardest album to rank. Side one is, to me, their best side, hands down, through the entirety of their commercial phase (Killing Machine through Ram It Down), but side two is a slab of depressingly enervating cheese that I would pay good money never to hear again - embarrassment after embarrassment. But all four of the songs on side one have a shot at my songs list tomorrow. 4.5 stars 7. Firepower. All three of you underrate this one. It’s as heavy as Painkiller at times, with their best songwriting by a pretty huge margin since that album, and good variety among the tracks. 4.5 stars. 6. British Steel - This was my biggest grower in the preparations for this week. A substantial step up from Killing Machine, with “United” being the only major dud. 5. Screaming for Vengeance - Joe details how they stepped up their metal game on this one quite well. Its highs aren’t as great as side one of DOTF for me, but the only songs I don’t much care for are “Pain and Pleasure” and “Fever.” The other tracks are rock solid. 4.5 stars 4. Sad Wings of Destiny - Very hard to overstate how important this album is, and that probably bumps it up a couple of slots here. But while “Victim of Changes” is a masterpiece, I don’t think they had found their full-fledged groove yet. 4.5 stars 3. Painkiller - The most amazing reinvigoration of a band perhaps in rock history. The comments about Tipton and Downing’s improvement are spot on. However, great as it is, I find the final three tracks weaker than what came before. 4.5 stars 2. Sin After Sin - The combination of consistent quality, variety, and ground-breaking heaviness put this very close to the top of the pile. Certainly their best opener/closer combo. 4.5 stars 1. Stained Class - Even more consistently great, and rocks throughout. The blueprint for NWOBHM. 4.5 stars I take it back - Judas Priest does have a five star album for me - Unleashed in the East. Fantastic track selection, and the older the song, the more they improve it here. 2.

Rewatching this after a few drinks. Joe and Kramzers reaction to where Jason placed Painkiller is priceless.

Judas Priest is probably the only band I strictly only listen to their live albums. That mostly being “Unleashed in the East” (1979)and “Priest…Live” (1987). I just think there’s something great about them that they don’t really capture in the studio. Obviously there are exceptions in their discography, but for me it’s mostly the live stuff.

I’ve enjoyed listening to this and thinking about which albums I like more than others. Here’s my ranking: 1 Painkiller 2 Sin After Sin 3. Stained Class 4. Hell Bent (killing machine) 5 Screaing for Vengeance 6 Turbo 7 British Steel 8 Defenders of the faith

Good stuff! I like this ranking series you guys do a lot, but just curious if you've ever considered going through the albums chronologically and have each of you give the ranking that way? I feel like the videos might flow a bit better with each person giving their thoughts on the album in a row instead of kinda rehashing things as each album gets brought up 3 times Just a thought, cheers!

The Les Binks on drums era is the artistic peak of the band. Just my opinion.

Thanks much guys! Haven't heard all albums. Wouldn't have guessed Human League covered JP. 13 Turbo 2.5 (it IS close to a Gary Numan album!) 12. Rocka Rolla 3 11. Ram it Down 3 10. Firepower 3.5 9. Painkiller 3.5 8. Point of Entry 3.5 7. Defenders of the Faith 4 6. Sin After Sin 4 5. Stained Class 4.5 4. Killing Machine (Hell Bent for Leather) 4.5 3. Sad Wings of Destiny 4.5 2. Screaming for Vengeance 4.5 1. British Steel 4.5

I've never listened to Judas Priest (or Iron Maiden) so this was a great episode to watch. I have always listened to other music and other forms of metal but I'll listen to the top picks from each and do some catching up.

18. Jugulator (1997) 1/5 17. Demolition (2001) 1.5/5 16. Nostradamus (2008) 2/5 15. Rocka Rolla (1974) 2.5/5 14. Turbo (1986) 2.5/5 13. Point Of Entry (1981) 3/5 12. Redeemer Souls (2014) 3/5 11. Ram It Down (1988) 3/5 10. Firepower (2018) 3.5/5 9. British Steel (1980) 3.5/5 8. Painkiller (1990) 3.5/5 7. Angel Of Retribution (2005) 4/5 6. Screaming For Vengeance (1982) 4/5 5. Defenders Of The Faith (1984) 4/5 4. Killing Machine (1978) 4.5/5 3. Sin After Sin (1977) 4.5/5 2. Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976) 5/5 1. Stained Class (1978) 5/5

Great episode guys. 🤘

My Ranking 1. Turbo (10/10) 2. Screaming for Vengance (10/10) 3. Painkiller (10/10) 4. Defenders of The Faith (10/10) 5. Sad Wings of Destiny (9'5/10) 6. Stained Class (9'5/10) 7. British Steel (9'5/10) 8. Sin After Sin (9/10) 9. Ram It Dawn (8'5/10) 10. Killing Machine (8/10) 11. Firepower (8/10) 12. Point of Entry (7'5/10) 13. Angel of Retribution (7/10) 14. Rocka Rolla (6'5/10) 15. Nostradamus (6/10) 16. Redeemer of Souls (6/10) 17. Jugulator (4/10) 18. Demolition (0'5/10) Greetings from Canary Islands (From a Big Judas Priest fan)

Thank you guys. Love your lists.

I feel like people don't even know Priest when they continue to rank Painkiller so highly. It seems to me that its mostly a younger generation that do so. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and to me that was their best sound, their best music. I never cared much for the Painkiller album. Too big of a shift away from their best music. Tough to say for certain what their best album is for me, since they have so much great music spread out over so many albums. But i would have to say that Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel, Sad Wings of Destiny and Sin After Sin are their best albums. Maybe Defenders of the Faith to round out their top 5 albums.

Great video. I've definitely come to enjoy the 70's Priest more than any other era of the band. I just love the sonic variety of the material - which after Point of Entry really disappears. I'll never understand the retroactive appreciation for Turbo. We hated it when it came out and hate it now :) The synth guitars and cheesy Twisted Sister vibe just kill any hope that record had.

I'm on my way to Jason's house with a copy of Painkiller and Defenders of the Faith, and we are just gonna listen to them repeatedly until he realizes how wrong he is.

As a lifelong JP fan I find your collective reviews harsh, however I appreciate the honesty of young guys who are not die hard fans. I struggle to rank every album, but I can list my top 5 and bottom 5 based solely on what albums I actually listen to 20 years later: TOP 5 - Angel (dark, clean, balanced, amazing guitar work) - Screaming (Break through) - Defenders (Dark, dramatic) - point of entry (Great album to drive to) - Demolition (Awesome heavy riffs. A remaster would change MANY people’s opinions. Old heads hate it primarily for the programming, but JP has used programming going back to 80s) BOTTOM 5 - Redeemer (Complete MESS) - Nostradamus (Boring) - Jugulator (Cool heavy ideas but collectively worse lyrics than Demolition, some songs reuse riffs and hooks with the notes and words changed) - rocka rolla (meh) - Invincible Shield (Weirdly religious, primitive repetitive forgettable riffs, desperately chasing the prog-rock fad)

Jason putting Painkiller at 12 = OUCH. But I also get it. I would rate it higher, but not as high as some Priest fans do. It *is* a bit of a bummer that they kind of struggle around trying to match up to this sound from 1990 ever since. Kram putting Stained Class so low was a bit of an OUCH surprise too. haha...i figured at least one of you would have it up at the top, and Kram is usually "my guy" when it comes to these these lists and sharing opinions, but I'm very much with Jason this week I think, aside from the Painkiller thing. Joe definitely has the "right idea", too. Screaming... is their best album of the 80s I'm usually pretty interested in the bottom picks from these lists as there tends to be diversity of opinion and it also is often stuff from discographies I haven't heard. i used to own Jugulator but never bothered with Demolition when it came out, and now I think it's pretty rare (though obviously can be found online). The Priest albums belonging at the bottom seem almost unanimous across not only you guys but the entire fanbase and beyond. My favourite is the S trilogy from the 70s. I kind of want to put it all together at the top three, but I suppose Screaming for Vengeance and Painkiller might interrupt them and altogether they would make up my top 5. Stained Class is, without a single doubt in my mind, their very best album. I don't just consider it a precursor to thrash or something: It's a monumental achievement of 70s rock and metal, full of character, personalitya nd passion. Also Les was incredible on drums. even though I'm not a guitarist I know both solo sections of "Beyond the Realms of Death" by heart. Title track is amazing. "Saints in hell" is monstrously heavy. "Savage" is great with some really smart lyrics. 'White Heat Red Hot" grooves like nobody's business. It's their real 5* album if you ask me. Strangely, I think jason is sort of right about Sad Wings' production, but it doesn't hold it back from being near the top. Actually, after Painkiller and some 2CD compilation, Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings were my earliest Priest purchases. everything you all said about Rocka Rolla being a bit of an "also ran" 70s rock album is true, but I still think it's a good album, and would probably go somewhere around my number 7 spot. "One for the Road" is a great opener with its catchy riff and odd 5/4 timing, but the album actually seems to get better as it goes on. BTW I trust Kram saying it was "run of the mill" was no accident. Very cool song though. How come they could write smart lyrics early on but just gave it up by Painkiller? Oh well.

Damn, I just got my computer fixed and I'm loading all my cd's onto it and I just ripped Unleashed in the East and I see this. Love Priest so much, thanks for doing this guys!

18. Jugulator (1997) 17. Demolition (2001) 16. Nostradamus (2008) 15. Rocka Rolla (1974) 14. Angel Of Retribution (2005) 13. Redeemer Of Souls (2014) 12.Ram It Down (1988) 11. Turbo (1986) 10. British Steel (1980) 9. Point Of Entry (1981) 8. Killing Machine (1978) 7. Firepower (2018) 6. Defenders Of The Faith (1984) 5. Painkiller (1990) 4. Sin After Sin (1977) 3. Stained Class (1978) 2..Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976) 1. Screaming For Vengeance (1982) Awesome band but hard to rank as I would consider many of these top 10 albums around 4-4.5 stars..

From the perspective of a metalhead (though priest has never been a big favorite of mine, I prefer a bunch of more modern stuff): 1. Screaming for vengeance 2. Defenders of the faith 3. Stained class 4. Painkiller 5. Sin after sin 6. British still 7. Killing machine 8. Sad wings of destiny 9. Firepower 10. Turbo 11. Angel of retribution 12. Point of entry 13. Redeemer of souls 14. Jagulator 15. Nostradamus 16. Ram it down 17. Rocka Rolla 18. Demolition

Unleash the Beast in the East, with Priest! Priest! The name itself conjures up images of metal history, metal Gods, faith defenders, sentinels & jugulators! That run of albums from Sad Wings to Defenders is their legend really, classic albums. I saw them only once, Dublin 2009 with Testament and Megadeth. Deep into Nostradamus era.They were quite Spinal Tap in a way, but the definition of heavy metal in another. All hail the Priest!

Yes Jason, Sad Wings #1 !

Joe I agree with you completely on your British Steel take. Me and you pretty much line up perfectly on that album.

1. British Steel 2. Screaming for Vengeance 3. Sad Wings of Destiny 4. Painkiller 5. Stained Class 6. Killing Machine 7. Sin After Sin 8. Turbo 9. Point of Entry 10. Rocka Rolla

Going in- 18: Nostradomus (The only Priest Album I Hate) 17: Point of Entry 16: Demolition 15: Jugulator 14: Firepower 13: Redeemer of Souls 12: Angel of Retribution 11: Ram it down 10: Turbo 9: Defenders of the Faith 8: Rocka Rolla 7: Screaming for Vengeance 6: Painkiller 5: Sin after Sin 4: British Steel 3: Sad Wings of Destiny 2: Killing Machine 1: Stained Class Always loved Priest, got to see them with Sabaton last year.

3.0 Rocka Rolla (1974) 4.5 Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) 4.5 Sin After Sin (1977) 5.0 Stained Class (1978) 4.0 Killing Machine (1978) 4.5 British Steel (1980) 2.5 Point of Entry (1981) 4.5 Screaming for Vengeance (1982) 4.5 Defenders of the Faith (1984) 3.5 Turbo (1986) 4.0 Ram It Down (1988) 5.0 Painkiller (1990) 4.5 Jugulator (1997) 2.0 Demolition (2001) 4.0 Angel of Retribution (2005) 4.0 Nostradamus (2008) 2.5 Redeemer of Souls (2014) 4.0 Firepower (2018)

Joe ma man! You hit the nail on the head about British Steel! The Priest, although a monumentally geat band, have a boatload of compromise (sellout?) in their catalog, and this was the beginning of it all. And Les Binks was their best drummer!

Not even the biggest Priest fan … but Halford one of rock’s greatest musicians during their heyday. Incredibly special talent. And watch that live footage from the early 80s …. His intensity. Performing like his life was on the line. ❤

1. Painkiller (1990) 2. Stained Class (1978) 3. Defenders of The Faith (1984) 4. Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) 5. Firepower (2018) 6. Screaming for Vengeance (1982) 7. Hell Bent for Leather (1979) 8. Sin After Sin (1977) 9. British Steel (1980) 10. Angel of Retribution (2005) 11. Redeemer of Souls (2014) 12. Rocka Rolla (1974) 13. Point of Entry (1981) 14. Nostradamus (2008) 15. Ram It Down (1988) 16. Turbo (1986) 17. Jugulator (1997) 18. Demolition (2001)

My top 10: 1. Stained Class 2. Sad Wings of Destiny 3. Sin After Sin 4. Screaming for Vengeance 5. Killing Machine (Hell Bent for Leather) 6. Point of Entry 7. British Steel 8. Defenders of the Faith 9. Painkiller 10. Firepower

1. Screaming for Vengeance (5 stars) 2. Sin After Sin (5 stars) 3. Sad Wings of Destiny (4.5 stars) 4. British Steel (4.5 stats) 5. Painkiller (4 stars) 6. Stained Class (4 stars) 7. Defenders of the Faith (4 stars) 8. Hell Bent for Leather (4 stars) 9. Redeemer of Souls (3.5 stars) 10. Point of Entry (3.5 stars) 11. Angels of Retribution (3.5 stars) 12. Turbo (3 stars) 13. Firepower (3 stars) 14. Rocka Rolla (2.5 stars) 15. Ram It Down (2.5 stars) 16. Nostradamus (2 stars) 17. Jugulator (1.5 stars) 18. Demolition ( 1 star)

🤠 PRIEST!!!!!!!!!! That is all.

18. Jugulator 17. Demolition (last 2 are interchangeably horrible) 16. Ram it down 15. Nostradamus 14. Redeemer of souls 13. Turbo 12. Rocka Rolla 11. Firepower 10. Hell bent for leather 09. Angel of retribution 08. Screaming for vengeance 07. Painkiller 06. Point of entry 05. Sad wings of destiny 04. Sin after sin 03. British steel 02. Defenders of the faith 01. Stained class

Stained Class-Redefined what “metal” was at the time and influenced an entirely new generation of metal heads/bands with a flawless representation of an album. This album is their “Kill em’ All” equivalent. Painkiller-Redefined metal yet again over a decade later influencing yet another generation of metal heads with what is possibly the bands greatest achievement. This album is their “Master of Puppets” equivalent.

Enjoyed this, even though I'm not really a fan but their Painkiller album is amazing, so I'll be buying my first album of theirs very soon.

5. Killing Machine 4. British Steel 3. Screaming for Vengeance 2. Stained Class 1. Sad Wings of Destiny

Fantastic show, really well done 👍

Looking forward to the video, gotta wait, at the WASP/Armored Saint 40th Anniversary show in Atlanta at the moment,,,,

Kramzer...rainbow sucks...what?...yikes....I agree with Jason that sad wings, and sin after sin are my favourites...although hellion/electric eye might be my favourite track...diamonds and rust a close second...thanks for delivering the goods guys...cheers

Would you do a remaster of a listography where there was 2 of you? For example, Joe wasn't there for Genesis, I know he's a big fan.

My Top 3 JUDAS PRIEST Albums : 3. Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976) 2. Stained Class (1978) 1. Screaming For Vengeance (1982)

here we go 18 jugulator 3 .0 stars 17 nostradamus 3.0 16 angel of retribution 3.0 15 turbo 3.0+ 14 painkiller 3.0+ 13 ram it down 3.0+ 12 point of entry 3.0+ 11 rocka rolla 3.5- 10 demolition 3.5 - 9 firepower 3.5 8 redemmer of souls 3.5 + 7 defenders of the faith 3.5 + 6 stained class 4.0 5 hell bent for leather [killing machine] 4.0 4 sin after sin 4.0+ 3 british steel 5.0 stars 2 screaming for vengance 5.0 1 sad wings of destiny 5.0 those top 3 swap all the time and will again im sure fun listen !!! lots of songs to rank Cheers!! WHO DEY !! WHO DEY!!!🐯🐯 PS usa -england tie , sorry to my matey ⚽⚽kinda!! TEE HEE

All hear my warning Never turn your back On the ranker

🎉 two more albums and I’ll have full ranking

Jason this is one of your best performances. The correct number one, and you corrected Kram on dreamer deceiver. If Halford had sounded that good on later albums i'd be a bigger fan.

My all time favorite Metal band and the true definition of Heavy Metal encapsulated in an outfit. Also Firepower is far better than Jason & Kram give it credit for. The tune ‘Lone Wolf’ is one of the best Priest tunes in many years. The fact that Jason says that the last twenty minutes of the record is tired shows that he just doesn’t get it, especially ranking ‘Angel of Retribution’ higher than ‘Firepower’ is completely off the mark…also the three greatest Priest Lp’s IMHO are ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’, ‘Stained Class’ and ‘Hell Bent for Leather(Killing Machine)’ in that order with ‘Sin After Sun’ coming in a close 4th, Dissident Aggressor is one of their greatest ever, saw them play it live when they added it to their set in 2008 for the Metal Masters Tour they did with Heaven & Hell, Motörhead and Testament …Honestly one of my favorite Priest Lp’s is the live ‘Unleashed In The East’ for sheer powerful performances of the greatest tunes of their 70’s era…and props to Joe on giving Les Binks props as one of the most underrated drummers of all time, also his reverence of ‘The Rage’ which is a really great album cut, probably my favorite tune on ‘British Steel’

I thought it was interesting that Kramzer cringed when Joey said "British Steel" #9 when he had just nominated "Sad Wings" for his #9 which is a much crazier opinion lol.. Specially when you consider he has Turbo above it. And then of course, Joey goes and make Sad Wings his #8, also below Turbo. What a troupe! Incredibly enough the only list that made a little bit of sense to me (with a few exceptions) was Jason's

Yes Jason!! RAINBOW RISING ROCKS!!!

Since none of you were alive to see the birth of Priest and heavy metal, I will tell you that I witnessed it first hand and in a live setting over 40 times. There was never a band like Judas Priest before and there hasn't been one since. The GOAT!!!

Killing Machine is the best Judas Priest album, it has the best of everything and Evening Star is also great. At least Martin Popoff agrees with me about that album though Joe placing it at 5 was reassuring. Worst Jugulator. Most overrated is Firepower. Most underrated is Ram It Down. Jason has lost his marbles too though I like where he put Point Of Entry. Nothing wrong with it. Not that I always agree with him but Kramzer was great here.

I'm a big priest fan.... 5. Firepower 4. Defenders of the Faith 3. Turbo 2. Screaming for Vengeance 1. Painkiller

Funny, as I listen to the different lists, I find myself vehemently agreeing and disagreeing with all 3 guys at different points. My list doesn't really fall in lockstep with diehard fans. Really do like a lot of the individual songs as we'll see in the songs episode. 18. Jugulator 17. Ram It Down 16. Demolition 15. Nostradamus 14. Turbo 13. Painkiller 12. Rocka Rolla 11. Point Of Entry 10. Redeemer Of Souls 9. Firepower 8. Sad Wings Of Destiny 7. Stained Class 6. Angel Of Retribution 5. Defenders Of The Faith 4. Sin After Sin 3. Hell Bent For Leather 2. Screaming For Vengeance 1. British Steel

Just found the channel. My list would be: 1 - Sad Wings of Destiny 2 - Point of Entry 3 - Stained Class 4 - Sin After Sin 5 - Turbo 6 - Screaming for Vengeance 7 - British Steel 8 - Defenders of the Faith 9 - Invincible Shield 10 - Firepower 11 - Ram It Down 12 - Painkiller 13 - Nostradamus 14 - Hell Bent for Leather 15 - Rocka Rolla 16 - Angel of Retribution 17 - Redeemer of Souls 18 - Demolition 19 - Jugulator I really like Tim Owens' voice, but the songs on those two albums just weren't great. I started listening to Priest back in 86 when Turbo came out and now they're one of my favorite bands.

The reaction Jason gets on his opinion of Painkiller is a channel highlight for me. ‘The double bass keeps coming atcha…’ 😂 I think out of the three Joe obviously is the metal guy 👍

The "coolest band name ever" can thank Bob Dylan for that("ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"). Would go thru his discography,but I'm just too pissed the lost to Blue Oyster Cult. I had the live album and British Steel in high school,but they faded for me pretty quick. Will list a top 10 songs tomorrow

1. Sad Wings... 2. Rocka Rolla 3. Screaming for... 4. Sin after Sin 5. Defenders...

For once I have to agree with Jason. Never cared for Painkiller and it definitely marks the end of 'fun' Priest.

Stand by for EXCITEEEEEEEEEERRR!!!! Here’s probably the Listography Of The Year!! BRING IT ON FOR THE METAL GODS!!! (…and cut Ram It Down some slack, please. I love it!!!…)

Turbo next to sad wings, love them both but I never thought they’d ever be so close in a ranking. Rock on lads.

Fair, insightful reviews of a band you clearly don't rank amongst your faves. Firepower has some bangers (eg Evil Never Dies) that push it into my top 10. Neil Young is to me what JP is to Kram - Young's "Best Of" would not garner 4 stars from me.

1. Screaming for Vengeance 5 2. Stained Class 5 3. Hell Bent for Leather 5 4. Defenders of the Faith 5 5. British Steel 4.5 6. Painkiller 4.5 7. Sin After Sin 4.5 8. Sad Wings of Destiny 4 9. Angel of Retribution 4 10. Turbo 3.5 11. Point of Entry 3 12. Rocka Rolla 3 13. Ram it Down 3 14. Redeemer of Souls 3 15. Firepower 3 16. Nostradamus 1.5 17. Jugulator 1.5 18. Demolition 1

I’ve got to be honest that I was 18 when British Steel was released and a local radio station played the album one night. This might have been before we’d even heard Living After Midnight on the radio. As the album opened my brother Doug and I laughed at some of the lyrics. Which is fun. Rapid Fire is killer and cheesy, at least I assumed that’s what they were aiming for. I’ve got to admit that Point of Entry is the only album of theirs I’ve ever seriously listened to because they as a band are not my cup of tea. However, Point of Entry has a lot of killer pop hooks and still works as a rock record. Screaming For Vengeance did nothing for me at all. So that was the end of my dalliance with JP. BTW, in 1979, Judas Priest was the first band I’d ever heard in concert. They were an opening act for another act. I was very surprised to hear Diamonds And Rust by Joan Baez being played, but hey, at least I recognized something they played. I was never really a committed metal head.

So Kramzer complained a lot about same-yness with Judas Priest, that they kept doing the same old thing. But elsewhere you guys describe them trying a lot of different things and changing their sound. So what is the final verdict? Were they too same-y or did they change it up enough to keep things interesting?

18. Turbo 17. Ram it Down 16. Rocka Rolla 15. Demolition 14. Jugulator 13. Redeemer of Souls 12. Nostradamus 11. Angel of Retribution 10. Point of Entry 9. Fire Power 8. British Steel 7. Hell Bent for Leather 6. Screaming for Vengeance 5. Defenders of the Faith 4. Painkiller 3. Sin After Sin 2. Stained Class 1. Sad Wings of Destiny

I saw priest with Ripper Owens on the demolition tour. I was like 17-18. It was awesome. He's not Halford, but they were metal gods that night.

I agree with lots of the points made here from everyone. Kramzér said something about why make so many records (later years) when there is so little change? Like AC/DC, Motörhead and similar acts. He does have a point with it. How many fans listens to all Judas Priest records? I would guess most have different favorites but keep to about half their catalog. Is there a need for 18 albums? Does anyone listen on a more regular basis to all 18 records or even 14 of them? I never really cared to dig into the Tim Ripper Owens albums but otherwise I think all records have some merit. Most have songs I enjoy even though as albums they aren't always that interesting. Redeemer of Souls is a prime example. Cut down the album with a few songs and make some songs a bit shorter and it be a much better album. While I think Painkiller is a great workout album.. I sort of agree with Jason. The assault is cool but few songs stand out. Besides if I want to work out.. I never listen to it. Many hail it as their best and I get it. I just don't agree. The fun was sort of over. I think there is enough heavy and angry metal bands so Judas Priest doesn't need to be one of them. I think I hold the Sad Wings of Destiny - Killing Machine era the highest but the era right after comes close. More a matter of state of mind than anything else. First part is more progressive and dark. The other more melodic and fun. Ranking is hard for me. Many albums goes up and down for me. I might prefer Judas Priest to Black Sabbath. There I wrote it. Love both bands but I think Judas Priest at their peak captures a spirit than I prefer over the one Black Sabbath brings.

I discovered Judas Priest on Screaming For Vengeance. So, this is the era of Priest I prefer. I would say my top 5 is pretty solid as are my bottom 4 or 5. The middle bit can change depending on my mood. Also, my real #3 Priest album is Unleashed in the East. Worst to best: Demolition Jugulator Nostradamus Angel of Retribution Redeemer of Souls Ram It Down Point of Entry Rocka Rolla Firepower Turbo Defenders of The Faith Painkiller Sin After Sin Stained Class Killing Machine (aka Hell Bent For Leather) Sad Wings of Destiny Screaming For Vengeance British Steel

I'm a defender of "Redeemer of souls ". It's not fantastic, or my favorite...but it's nutz, and it's them finding their voice again. "Halls of Valhalla" is a top 10 Judas track for me!