To mark Rob Halford’s 75th birthday, I wanted to choose five songs that celebrate one of the greatest voices in rock and heavy metal.
This is not intended to be a definitive Rob Halford Top Five. I am planning a more extensive video in which I will create one of my imaginary ten-track vinyl compilations. Instead, think of this as a virtual birthday EP: five performances that demonstrate different sides of Rob’s extraordinary voice and remind us of the music he has given us.
1. Victim of Changes
Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
My first choice has to be “Victim of Changes” from Sad Wings of Destiny.
I originally bought this album without hearing a single note. The artwork attracted me, as did the photographs of the band on the back. Looking at them, I thought it was highly unlikely that this was going to be a folk album. There is nothing wrong with folk music, of course—I listen to plenty of it now—but at that point I was searching for exciting new rock music, and this looked extremely promising.
I believe I may even have played the original album in the wrong order, because the first song I heard was “Victim of Changes.” What an introduction it was.
There was something of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin in those enormous riffs from Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, but then there was Rob Halford’s voice. The quieter passage towards the end creates this incredible sense of anticipation before the huge chords return and Rob unleashes that extraordinary scream.
It was immediately apparent that this was an exceptional vocalist.
“Victim of Changes” remains one of the great doorway songs into the world of Judas Priest. If somebody wanted to understand what makes the band—and Rob Halford in particular—so special, this would be one of the first tracks I would play them.
2. Last Rose of Summer
Judas Priest – Sin After Sin (1977)
My second choice shows a very different side of Rob Halford.
I saw Judas Priest at Birmingham Odeon during the Sin After Sin tour. I went on my own because none of my friends really knew the band at that stage, despite my attempts to introduce them to the music.
Sin After Sin remains one of my favourite Judas Priest albums because it contains so much light and shade. It demonstrates that the band could do far more than simply deliver powerful riffs and high-energy heavy metal.
“Last Rose of Summer” is effectively a Judas Priest ballad, and Rob’s performance is magnificent. As the song moves towards its conclusion, the repeated vocal passage gradually builds and gives him the opportunity to demonstrate the warmth and control within his voice.
We quite rightly celebrate Rob for those astonishing high notes, but performances such as this remind us what a sensitive and expressive singer he is as well.
3. Beyond the Realms of Death
Judas Priest – Stained Class (1978)
Next is “Beyond the Realms of Death” from Stained Class.
For some reason, Stained Class once appeared relatively low in my Judas Priest album ranking. Since then, however, it has climbed several places. Listening again to “Beyond the Realms of Death” played a significant part in that reassessment.
Like “Last Rose of Summer,” the song begins in a quieter and more reflective place, but it gradually develops into something truly epic. The contrast between its restrained passages and heavier sections gives Rob an enormous emotional landscape in which to work.
It is now rightly regarded as one of the finest songs in the Judas Priest canon. It possesses weight, drama and emotion, as well as one of Rob Halford’s greatest recorded performances.
4. Blood Red Skies
Judas Priest – Ram It Down (1988)
Ram It Down is not one of my favourite Judas Priest albums, but it contains one absolutely monumental track: “Blood Red Skies.”
It is also one of my eldest son Dan’s favourite Priest songs.
There is an almost mechanical, futuristic power to the rhythm, but it is the way the song builds that makes it so effective. Rob weaves his voice around the lyrics and the arrangement, gradually increasing the tension until the track becomes utterly unstoppable.
It is a huge performance and a perfect demonstration of Rob’s ability to inhabit this kind of dramatic heavy metal landscape. Even on an album that I do not play particularly often, “Blood Red Skies” remains an essential Judas Priest song.
I was delighted when the band brought it back for the Epitaph tour. It thoroughly deserved its moment in the spotlight.
5. Resurrection
Halford – Resurrection (2000)
My final choice comes from Rob Halford’s solo career.
After Fight and his other musical explorations away from Judas Priest, “Resurrection” felt like a declaration. Rob was back, proudly embracing the classic heavy metal sound that he had helped to create.
I may first have heard the song on one of the CDs given away with Classic Rock magazine. Its opening remains electrifying. Rob arrives with those layered screams before the guitars come crashing in, and you immediately know exactly who you are listening to.
Although this was Halford rather than Judas Priest, it possessed the spirit and power of classic Priest. The title could hardly have been more appropriate: this genuinely felt like a resurrection.
It is a thrilling performance and the perfect closing track for my imaginary Rob Halford birthday EP.
Thank You, Rob
Those are the five songs I am playing to celebrate Rob Halford’s 75th birthday:
- “Victim of Changes”
- “Last Rose of Summer”
- “Beyond the Realms of Death”
- “Blood Red Skies”
- “Resurrection”
Each captures something different: the power, sensitivity, drama, range and unmistakable personality of that remarkable voice.
Thank you, Rob, for all the music—and I am still hoping that one day we might welcome you onto the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast.
What five songs would you choose to celebrate Rob Halford? They do not all have to come from Judas Priest: you can choose from Fight, Halford, Two or any other part of his career. Please share your birthday selection in the comments.
Remember: music is the healer and the doctor.
