🤘 2026 Is a Celebration of Everything That Is Judas Priest
- Old Dogs Rock
- Jun 25
- 6 min read
2026 is shaping up to be a celebration of Judas Priest's incredible legacy. Along with the release of The Best of Judas Priest album on June 19, fans are also being treated to the band's first official documentary, The Ballad of Judas Priest. Celebrating one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time.
Think about this for a moment. Judas Priest has now sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and has been making music together for over 55 years. For more than half a century, Judas Priest has been forging the sound of heavy metal!
When they first formed, Led Zeppelin had only just begun, The Beatles were still together and heavy metal as we know it didn't even exist.
Judas Priest helped create it.
Not just play it...
They helped invent it.
Even the way they looked changed heavy metal forever. Before Judas Priest, many rock bands wore bell bottoms, colorful shirts and denim. Then Rob Halford walked onto the stage wearing black leather, studs, chains and motorcycle gear. That image would go on to define heavy metal for generations.
Without Judas Priest...
Metal probably wouldn't even look like metal.
Their story began in Birmingham, England, in 1969. This wasn't a glamorous city filled with bright lights and celebrities. Birmingham was built on factories, steel mills and hardworking neighborhoods. Many music historians believe that industrial environment helped give birth to heavy metal itself. The pounding machinery, grinding factories and harsh surroundings inspired an entirely new sound that produced bands like Black Sabbath and, of course, Judas Priest.
Very few bands ever earn an official nickname, but Judas Priest did.
Fans around the world know them simply as "The Metal Gods," a title inspired by their classic song Metal Gods. More than four decades later, the nickname still fits.
Musically, Judas Priest changed the rules, too. Instead of relying on one lead guitarist, they perfected the now-famous twin guitar attack, with Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing weaving harmonized guitar leads that would inspire countless metal bands. Then there was Rob Halford, who's incredible four-octave vocal range became one of the most recognizable voices in rock history.
One member who often flies under the radar is bassist Ian Hill. While lineup changes have come and gone over the decades, Hill is the only musician to appear on every Judas Priest studio album since the band's beginnings in 1969. Quietly holding down the low end for more than five decades, he's been a steady foundation behind one of heavy metal's greatest bands.
Like many legendary bands, Judas Priest has also faced its share of hardships.
In 2018, guitarist Glenn Tipton revealed he had been living with Parkinson's disease. Rather than stepping away completely, he has continued recording with the band and still makes occasional surprise appearances on stage, receiving thunderous ovations every time he walks out.
Then came one of the most unbelievable Rock moments.
While performing at the Louder Than Life Festival in 2021, guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered a ruptured aorta during the concert. Doctors later said he was only minutes from death. Amazingly, he finished the entire performance before collapsing backstage and undergoing emergency surgery.
If there was ever proof that "the show must go on" is more than just a saying, Richie Faulkner lived it.
Another fascinating earlier chapter came in 1992 when Rob Halford left Judas Priest. Many fans believed the band was finished. Instead, they hired Tim "Ripper" Owens, a singer who had been performing in a Judas Priest tribute band. Imagine going from singing their songs in clubs to becoming the actual lead singer of Judas Priest. His remarkable journey later inspired the film Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg.
When Halford returned in 2003, fans celebrated what many still consider one of heavy metal's greatest reunions.
Halford also fought a quiet battle. In 2020, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After treatment, he entered remission and has continued doing what he loves most—making music and performing for fans around the world. His experience also serves as an important reminder for men to talk with their doctors about prostate cancer screening and to stay on top of their regular health checkups.
Even after decades of triumphs and challenges, Judas Priest continued moving forward with the same determination that helped shape heavy metal itself. That enduring legacy would soon receive one of the highest honors in rock music.
In 2022, that recognition finally arrived when Judas Priest was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many fans believed the honor should have happened years earlier, considering the band's enormous influence on heavy metal and rock music. While the recognition may have taken longer than many thought it should, their induction finally acknowledged a legacy that had already been cemented for generations of fans.
Over the decades, Judas Priest has weathered lineup changes, health battles, media controversies and more, yet somehow they've never lost what made them special in the first place.
More than 55 years later, The Metal Gods are still standing. Surviving musical trends, lineup changes, serious illness, criticism and even near-death experiences.
The Metal Gods Today
Judas Priest continues to perform with an outstanding lineup that bridges every era of the band's history. Today, the band features Rob Halford on vocals, Ian Hill on bass, Glenn Tipton as guitarist and songwriter (who still records with the band and makes special onstage appearances), Richie Faulkner on guitar, Andy Sneap on guitar during live performances and Scott Travis on drums. Together, they continue carrying the Judas Priest legacy forward for longtime fans while introducing a new generation to the sound that helped define heavy metal.
🎶 The Songs That Defined Heavy Metal
One of the things we love most about this album The Best of Judas Priest, is that it isn't just another greatest-hits collection. It's a journey through more than five decades of heavy metal history—from the band's earliest recordings to songs from their most recent albums.
Whether you've been listening since the 1970s or you're discovering Judas Priest for the very first time, these are the songs that helped define the sound, attitude and legacy of one of rock's greatest bands.
The Best of Judas Priest Track List
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Lightning Strike
Breaking the Law
Beyond the Realms of Death
Painkiller
Hell Bent for Leather
Rocka Rolla
Turbo Lover
Electric Eye
Crown of Horns
Living After Midnight
Night Crawler
Heading Out to the Highway
Better By You, Better Than Me
The Sentinel
Diamonds and Rust
A Core Memory We'll Never Forget
One of our favorite memories involving Judas Priest goes all the way back to April 7, 1991. We had been invited by a friend to see them perform at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska—although anyone who grew up there simply called it "The Egan." Coming from a small town in Alaska, we didn't have the same opportunities to see major touring bands as many people in the Lower 48, so every concert felt like an event. We knew who Judas Priest was, but we had never experienced them live.
Then they played "Painkiller."
To this day, that performance is etched into our memory and our souls. The lights, the energy, Rob Halford's unmistakable look and absolute confidence on stage, his unbelievable vocal range, the twin guitars weaving together, the electricity we felt—it was one of those rare concert moments where you realize you're witnessing something truly special. It wasn't just loud. It wasn't just heavy. It was incredible and unforgettable.
Looking back now, it's even more meaningful to realize that many of the songs we heard that night have found their way onto this album "The Best of Judas Priest". Favorites like "Painkiller," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Breaking the Law," "Hell Bent for Leather," "Living After Midnight," "Electric Eye" and "Heading Out to the Highway" have been part of our lives ever since. More than three decades have passed since that unforgettable night at The Egan, and we're still lifelong Judas Priest fans. That's the kind of impact great music has—it becomes part of your story.
Love on your dog today and listen to some JUDAS PRIEST!
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