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
1. KISS: Destroyer
2. Queen: A Night at the Opera
3. Beatles: Sgt. Pepper
4. Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks
5. AC/DC: Let There Be Rock
6. Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell
7. Aerosmith: Rocks
8. Hanoi Rocks: All Those Wasted Years
9. Deep Purple: Machine Head
10. Iron Maiden: Killers
Oh OK why not?
Rolling Stones- Exile On Main Street
The Who- Quadrophenia
Led Zeppelin- Physical Graffiti
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies
Jimi Hendrix- Electric Ladyland
Black Sabbath- Master Of Reality
Blizzard Of Oz- Blizzard of Oz
Queen- 2
Humble Pie-Rockin The Fillmore
Deep Purple- Made In Japan
Bruce Dickenson said his list is significantly better that Rob Halford’s. He claims he can also beat Rob at arm wrestling and Jenga.
Bwahhh! Thanks T! LOL
Are you guys seriously comparing notes with an all-time great lead vocalist? WTF. HEY ROB YOU LEFT OFF MACHINE HEAD. EXCUSE ME MR. HALFORD, I THINK REVOLVER IS WAY BETTER THAN SGT. PEPPER. Holy cow, you guys are lunatics. HEY YOU METAL GOD, WHERE THE F@#K IS QUADROPHENIA? HOW IS DONOVAN NOT ON YOUR LIST? You guys have live albums and greatest hits. If Rob is reading this. Half of you left off PRIEST albums. Any of you guys heard of an album called APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION? but at least SABOTAGE (my #1) made a list. For God sakes, Halford is a cool guy. My top ten:
1) HELL BENT FOR LEATHER
2) SIN AFTER SIN
3) BRITISH STEEL
4) TURBO
5) DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH
6) REDEEMER OF SOULS
7) STAINED CLASS
8) SCREAMING FOR VENGENCE
9) SAD WINGS OF DESTINY
10) POINT OF ENTRY / PAINKILLER / ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION / ROCKA ROLLA / RAM IT DOWN and NOSTRADAMUS
and HALFORD RESURRECTION is damn fine work as well. JUDAS PRIEST is one of less than 10 bands that can actually say that they have 100 good songs.
IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA!
No order but here are some that did it for me
KIX – Midnight Dynamite
Molly Hatchet-Flirting with Disater
Ace Frehley-Solo
Van Halen -Women and Children First
Def Leppard-High and Dry
Judas Priest-British Steel
Riot- Restless Breed
Rush-Moving Pictures
KIX are one of the most underrated bands of all time and put on such a great show.