Judas Priest
Explore the band's historical lineups, musicians, and studio albums.
Active9 formations19 studio albums
Formation chronology
Newest first
Formation 9 of 9
Apr 2011 – Present
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsFrom Apr 2011
- Richie FaulknerGuitarFrom Apr 2011
- Glenn TiptonGuitarFrom Apr 2011
- Ian HillBassFrom Apr 2011
- Scott TravisDrumsFrom Apr 2011
Formation facts
- Richie Faulkner almost missed the message that would change his career. When Judas Priest's management first emailed him, he deleted the messages because he did not recognize the sender and assumed they were spam. A phone call finally made clear that Priest was not looking for a guitar technician; it was considering him as K.K. Downing's replacement. Faulkner went to Glenn Tipton's home to play, joined the band in 2011, and made his public Priest debut on the American Idol finale, stepping directly into one of metal's most recognizable guitar positions.
- In February 2018, Judas Priest revealed that Glenn Tipton had been living with Parkinson's disease for years and could no longer commit to full-time touring. Tipton was emphatic about one point: he was not leaving the band. He personally asked producer Andy Sneap to cover his guitar parts on tour and continued writing and recording with Priest, later making selected stage appearances when able. His contributions continued through Invincible Shield, turning what might have been treated as another lineup change into a story about adapting the role of a founding musical voice around a progressive illness.
- During Judas Priest's September 2021 performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky, Richie Faulkner began experiencing severe symptoms while the band was playing "Painkiller." He later learned that his aorta had ruptured and that he had suffered a complete aortic dissection. Faulkner still finished the song before being rushed to a nearby heart center, where he underwent 10½ hours of emergency open-heart surgery and had multiple sections replaced with mechanical components. He survived an event his surgeon told him many patients never reach the hospital alive.
- Judas Priest received the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Musical Excellence Award in 2022. The honor recognized Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and Scott Travis along with former members K.K. Downing, Les Binks and the late Dave Holland. The ceremony then produced something fans had not seen in years: Downing and Binks returned to perform with the current band, putting Downing, Tipton and Richie Faulkner onstage together and bringing musicians from several Priest eras into the same performance. It was a rare public reunion inside a band whose history had included several long separations.
Studio albums
- Invincible Shield (Mar 2024)
- Firepower (Mar 2018)
- Redeemer of Souls (Jul 2014)
Formation 8 of 9
Jul 2003 – Apr 2011
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsJul 2003 – Apr 2011
- K. K. DowningGuitarJul 2003 – Apr 2011
- Glenn TiptonGuitarJul 2003 – Apr 2011
- Ian HillBassJul 2003 – Apr 2011
- Scott TravisDrumsJul 2003 – Apr 2011
Formation facts
- On July 11, 2003, Judas Priest formally announced that Rob Halford had reunited with the band after more than twelve years apart. The members said they had been gradually rebuilding their personal and professional relationships since 1999, while fan demand for a reunion kept growing. Tim Owens' departure was handled amicably, and the reunited Halford, Tipton, Downing, Hill and Travis immediately began planning both a world tour and new music. The comeback produced Angel of Retribution and restored the lineup many fans had assumed they would never see together again.
- Decades after helping define heavy metal, Judas Priest won its first Grammy in 2010. The award was for Best Metal Performance for a live version of "Dissident Aggressor" from A Touch of Evil: Live. The choice created a remarkable bridge across the band's history: "Dissident Aggressor" had originally appeared on 1977's Sin After Sin, but the award recognized a performance by the reunited Halford/Downing-era band more than thirty years later. Halford summed up the long wait in his acceptance speech by noting that the fifth nomination had finally done it.
Studio albums
- Nostradamus (Jun 2008)
- Angel of Retribution (Mar 2005)
Formation 7 of 9
Feb 1996 – Jul 2003
Members
- Tim "Ripper" OwensLead VocalsFeb 1996 – Jul 2003
- K. K. DowningGuitarFeb 1996 – Jul 2003
- Glenn TiptonGuitarFeb 1996 – Jul 2003
- Ian HillBassFeb 1996 – Jul 2003
- Scott TravisDrumsFeb 1996 – Jul 2003
Formation facts
- Tim "Ripper" Owens' path into Judas Priest sounds almost fictional. Friends videotaped him singing with the Priest tribute band British Steel and passed the tape to drummer Scott Travis. In February 1996, Priest flew Owens to Britain for an audition. Owens says he sang the opening of "Victim of Changes," hit the high note, and Glenn Tipton immediately told him he had the job before jokingly making him finish the song. The unknown singer from Akron had gone from performing Priest songs in a tribute act to replacing Rob Halford in Judas Priest itself.
- Owens' improbable rise soon attracted Hollywood. The story of a tribute-band singer joining the real band inspired the project that became the 2001 movie Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg. But Judas Priest withdrew from the production after becoming unhappy with the direction and lack of creative control, and the finished film became fictional rather than a Priest biography. Owens has said the basic "local tribute singer makes good" premise came from his life, while much of what surrounded it did not. His Judas Priest audition had become famous enough to inspire a major studio movie while he was still in the band.
Studio albums
- Demolition (Mar 2001)
- Jugulator (Oct 1997)
Formation 6 of 9
Nov 1989 – May 1992
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsNov 1989 – May 1992
- K. K. DowningGuitarNov 1989 – May 1992
- Glenn TiptonGuitarNov 1989 – May 1992
- Ian HillBassNov 1989 – May 1992
- Scott TravisDrumsNov 1989 – May 1992
Formation facts
- Scott Travis had been a Judas Priest fan long before he became its drummer. When Dave Holland left, Travis flew to Spain and auditioned in November 1989, then began recording Painkiller only a few months later. His arrival immediately expanded what Priest could do rhythmically; Ian Hill has said Travis opened an entirely new dimension for the band with his bass-drum technique. Priest introduced him to listeners in the most dramatic way possible: the new album begins with Travis alone, playing the now-iconic drum opening to "Painkiller."
- After the exhausting Painkiller touring cycle, Rob Halford wanted room to explore different music. A breakdown in communication and contractual complications turned that desire into a split from Judas Priest in 1992. Halford has since described the departure as something he deeply regretted rather than a carefully planned attempt to destroy the partnership. The separation ended the recording run of one of metal's most recognizable voices with Priest, but it did not end the band. The remaining members eventually began searching for someone willing to inherit one of heavy metal's hardest singing jobs.
Studio albums
- Painkiller (Sep 1990)
Formation 5 of 9
Aug 1979 – Oct 1989
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsAug 1979 – Oct 1989
- K. K. DowningGuitarAug 1979 – Oct 1989
- Glenn TiptonGuitarAug 1979 – Oct 1989
- Ian HillBassAug 1979 – Oct 1989
- Dave HollandDrumsAug 1979 – Oct 1989
Formation facts
- Judas Priest recorded British Steel at Tittenhurst Park, the former John Lennon estate then owned by Ringo Starr. Producer Tom Allom and the band used the property itself as part of the record because digital sampling did not yet exist. Cutlery and other metal objects helped create the marching sounds on "Metal Gods," while smashing milk bottles supplied effects for "Breaking the Law." Finished in roughly four weeks, the album combined that experimentation with unusually direct songs and became the commercial breakthrough that pushed Priest into metal's front rank.
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" was a late addition to Screaming for Vengeance, completed after Judas Priest already considered the album largely finished. It was placed deep in the running order rather than treated as the obvious centerpiece. American rock radio had other ideas. The song unexpectedly caught on, MTV helped amplify the momentum, and it became Priest's only entry on the Billboard Hot 100. What began as one more song added near the end of the sessions became the band's signature American hit and helped turn Priest into an arena-level attraction.
- Near the end of the 1980s, Judas Priest made one of the strangest detours in its catalog without ever releasing the results. The band spent several days in Paris recording with pop-production powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman, whose hits were then dominating the charts. Priest recorded a version of the Stylistics' "You Are Everything" plus newly written pop-metal material. Rob Halford says the sessions were great fun, but the band ultimately feared the backlash that releasing them might provoke. Pete Waterman still possesses the unreleased recordings.
Studio albums
- Ram It Down (Apr 1988)
- Turbo (Apr 1986)
- Defenders of the Faith (Jan 1984)
- Screaming for Vengeance (Jul 1982)
- Point of Entry (Feb 1981)
- British Steel (Apr 1980)
Formation 4 of 9
Mar 1977 – Jul 1979
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsMar 1977 – Jul 1979
- K. K. DowningGuitarMar 1977 – Jul 1979
- Glenn TiptonGuitarMar 1977 – Jul 1979
- Ian HillBassMar 1977 – Jul 1979
- Les BinksDrumsMar 1977 – Jul 1979
Formation facts
- As Judas Priest's music became heavier, K.K. Downing became increasingly convinced that the band's stage appearance no longer matched its sound. He began moving toward black clothing, leather and studs, then persuaded Rob Halford to visit a London leather shop with him. The look spread through the band during the late 1970s and became inseparable from Judas Priest's identity. What began as an attempt to make Priest look as powerful as it sounded ultimately helped establish leather and studs as a visual language for heavy metal itself.
- Drummer Les Binks supplied much more than the beat for Stained Class. Feeling the material needed some light and shade, he went home, picked up an acoustic guitar and made a demo of a song he believed would fill the gap. Binks later played the idea for Judas Priest and showed the group the chords himself; Rob Halford then wrote the lyrics and gave it its title. The result was "Beyond the Realms of Death," one of Priest's most enduring songs, originating with the drummer rather than one of the band's guitarists.
- In 1990, Stained Class became the center of an extraordinary court case after two families alleged that a hidden "do it" command in "Better by You, Better than Me" had contributed to two young men's suicide attempts. Judas Priest denied intentionally placing subliminal instructions on the record, and Rob Halford even demonstrated his vocals in court. After a 17-day trial, the judge found no proof that Priest had intentionally planted the alleged message or that it caused the tragedy. The case became an international debate over heavy metal, censorship and artistic responsibility.
Studio albums
- Killing Machine (Oct 1978)
- Stained Class (Feb 1978)
Formation 3 of 9
Jan 1977 – Jan 1977
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsJan 1977 – Jan 1977
- K. K. DowningGuitarJan 1977 – Jan 1977
- Glenn TiptonGuitarJan 1977 – Jan 1977
- Ian HillBassJan 1977 – Jan 1977
- Simon PhillipsDrumsJan 1977 – Jan 1977
Formation facts
- Sin After Sin nearly began very differently. Judas Priest initially tried producing the record itself, but the band became unhappy with the results and brought Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover back into the project. With Alan Moore gone, session drummer Simon Phillips was recruited for the album rather than as a touring member. Glover later described the situation as a salvage job, with Priest effectively starting again and completing the record at remarkable speed. The result became the band's first major-label studio album and Phillips' only Judas Priest recording.
Studio albums
- Sin After Sin (Apr 1977)
Formation 2 of 9
Oct 1975 – Jan 1977
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsOct 1975 – Jan 1977
- K. K. DowningGuitarOct 1975 – Jan 1977
- Glenn TiptonGuitarOct 1975 – Jan 1977
- Ian HillBassOct 1975 – Jan 1977
- Alan MooreDrumsOct 1975 – Jan 1977
Formation facts
- The circumstances surrounding Sad Wings of Destiny were far removed from rock-star luxury. Glenn Tipton recalls the band sleeping in a Transit van outside the London studio and surviving on meal tickets supplied by the label while making the album. Priest still had little money and limited support, even as its songwriting and sound were taking an enormous step forward. Tipton later said those conditions strengthened the musicians' bond, making one of the band's foundational albums during one of the leanest periods of its career.
- One of Judas Priest's signature songs had roots stretching back before Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton completed the classic songwriting team. Original singer Al Atkins had written "Whiskey Woman," while Halford brought material called "Red Light Lady." Priest combined and reworked the ideas into "Victim of Changes." K.K. Downing recalls that the earlier "Whiskey Woman" was deliberately left off Rocka Rolla, then rebuilt for Sad Wings of Destiny. Halford still cites "Victim of Changes" as his favorite Priest song and a defining example of the band's sound.
Studio albums
- Sad Wings of Destiny (Mar 1976)
Formation 1 of 9
Apr 1974 – Sep 1975
Members
- Rob HalfordLead VocalsApr 1974 – Sep 1975
- K. K. DowningGuitarApr 1974 – Sep 1975
- Glenn TiptonGuitarApr 1974 – Sep 1975
- Ian HillBassApr 1974 – Sep 1975
- John HinchDrumsApr 1974 – Sep 1975
Formation facts
- Glenn Tipton joined Judas Priest in April 1974 just as the band secured its first record deal. Tipton later recalled that Priest had been advised to add either a second guitarist or a keyboard player to strengthen the sound, and he was offered the job. The combination of Tipton, K.K. Downing and Rob Halford quickly became the band's core songwriting partnership, while the dual-guitar approach developed into one of the defining sounds of Judas Priest and, eventually, heavy metal itself.
- Judas Priest recorded Rocka Rolla on a shoestring budget, using cheaper nighttime studio hours in June and July 1974. The band was disappointed by the finished record, which it felt had lost much of the heaviness heard in the studio. Fifty years later, after control of the recordings changed hands, longtime Priest producer Tom Allom returned to the original multitracks and created an artist-approved remix. In 2024, the band's first album finally appeared in a form its members said better reflected what they had intended.
Studio albums
- Rocka Rolla (Sep 1974)