When asked by MusicRadar which ten albums changed his life, his list included Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and the Beatles.
His top pick was Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Halford said, “Listening to this music at the time it was being made is something I’ll never forget. Simply because of the sheer audacity of this extraordinary guitar player and artist. He made the room light up so vividly. To listen to the sounds that he made with the electric guitar was unbelievably special.
Things were changing at this time. The music in general was getting louder. Marshall amps were being made, speaker cabinets were being used – everything was getting bigger, louder, more impactful. I think Jimi had something to do with that.”
He also praised Led Zeppelin II, describing it as the “roots of heavy metal.” Halford explained, “When I heard the riffs that Jimmy was doing, I got a real sense of where things were going. Even though Led Zeppelin never expressed, ‘We’ve got some heavy metal in us,’ it’s quite apparent that it was there all along.
The riffage and the way they played live – they were a bit like Cream on steroids. John Bonham smashed those drums, and along with the powerful musicianship of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, they made a sound that was simply incredible. And then you’ve got Robert Plant, screaming and wailing in a way we’d never heard before. Led Zeppelin were such an important band.”
He continued, “The music that touches you in your youth is magnified as you get older. Each record can be a virtual time machine – all you need is to hear a second or two and you go back to that place and time when you first heard it. It’s a brilliant feeling when music touches you so profoundly and stays with you through time.”
The 10 records that changed Rob Halford’s life:
1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland
2. Cream – Disraeli Gears
3. The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
5. David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
6. King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King
7. The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out
8. John Mayall – Blues From Laurel Canyon
9. Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies
10. Queen – Queen
Also, Happy Birthday to the Metal God who celebrates his 63rd year today (August 25th). Judas Priest’s Redeemer of Souls was released on July 8th through Epic Records.
additional source: classicrockmagazine.com
73 Responses
In no sequence, here are 10:
Savatage- Ghost in the Ruins
Metal Church- Metal Church
Blue Öyster Cult- ET Live
Black Sabbath- Sabotage
Megadeth- Rust in Peace
Queensryche- Operation Mindcrime
Ghost- Ghost
Black Sabbath- Live Evil
AC/DC- Back in Black
Metallica- Black Album
Here’s some that I like:
1. Eric Clapton – Journeyman
2. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
3. UFO – Strangers In The Night
4. Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour ’74
5. AC/DC – Let There Be Rock
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – Texas Flood
7. Elton John – Madman Across The Water
8. CCR – Bayou Country
9. Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle
10. Buddy Guy – Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues
Happy birthday Rob here’s my list:
1. Nirvana – Nevermind
2. Kiss – Destroyer
3. Metallica – Black album
4. Guns ‘n Roses – Appetite for Destruction
5. The Doors – The Doors
6. Aerosmith – Rocks
7. The Eagles – Hotel Cailfornia
8. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
9. Pearl Jam – Ten
10. The Ramones – Ramones
These are some solid lists. In the same spirit, I offer mine, too. Also, I premise mine on the affect it had on me the moment I realized what I was hearing was something special, possibly an addition to the soundtrack of my life, and certainly a gateway into other genres of rock and metal.
1. Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry
2. Van Halen – 5150
3. Poison – Open Up and Say… Ahhh
4. Queensryche – Rage for Order
5. Lynch Mob – Wicked Sensation
6. Metallica – Master of Puppets
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan – Greatest Hits
8. WASP – Headless Children/Crimson Idol
9. Korn – Untouchables
10. Godsmack – Faceless
Honorable Mention:
Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast
Ozzy/Randy Rhodes – Tribute
Motley Crue – Shout at the Devil
Skid Row – Self-Titled
Def Leppard – Hysteria
Bullet for My Valentine – The Poison
An eclectic mix for sure, but these were imporatant and resonated on their first spin.
This is my list with an early leaning on hard rock that evolved to metal and everything else in between. Totally incomplete though, as I could go on forever!
1) Montrose, Montrose
2) Robin Trower, Bridge of Sighs
3) Bad Company, Burning Sky
4) Pat Travers, Makin’ Magic
5) Lynyrd Skynyrd, One More From the Road
6) Thin Lizzy, Bad Reputation
7) Johnny Winter, Captured Live!
8) Black Sabbath, Never Say Die
9) UFO, Obsession
10) Judas Priest, British Steel