10 Greatest Hard Rock Frontmen Of The '70s

After Black Sabbath laid the groundwork for metal, plenty of hopeful rockers were coming out with riffs of their own to ride their coattails. However, Sabbath never really maintained ownership of the metal label, instead comparing themselves to just a heavier version of the bluesy rock and roll they loved as kids. No, if you wanted to see what real metal was capable of, you went to Judas Priest.

Although he took his sweet time to settle into the groove, Rob Halford quickly became one of the most electrifying frontman to ever grace a stage. Compared to his other hard rock brethren, most of Halford's showmanship came from the power of his voice, which was brought out on cuts like Victim of Changes. Being mentioned in the same breath of Pavarotti, Halford practically made every note he hit an event unto itself, as he would physically wind up before letting each scream fly.

If there's anything that Halford should be remembered for though, it's for pioneering the stage attire that we all identify with metal today. While it may have been a tad over the top in its time, the embracing of denim and leather made for the unofficial heavy metal uniform, as Halford became the epitome of what a metalhead was supposed to look like in the public eye. There may have been many great acts that have come after Priest, but Rob Halford will always be the Metal God for a damn good reason.