12 '80s Hard Rock Albums All Fans Should Own
8. British Steel - Judas Priest
'British Steel' was Judas Priest's most successful album, a record packed with great songs and a subtle shift to a more mainstream metal sound that paid off, as 'Steel' is the band's most influential record and spawned two huge hit singles, 'Living After Midnight' and 'Breaking The Law', which have remained an essential fixture in their live set to this day.
Prior to the release of 'Steel', Priest had been a very successful band with five great albums under their belt and the ability to pack concert halls in Europe. The higher profile of the band as a result of the success of the hit singles saw them conquer America, where 'British Steel' was a million seller. Acts such as Pantera cited the record as one of the influences on their own music.
There was a period when Halford left the band, and had been replaced by Ripper Owens, when it seemed that, whilst the music was still vital, their profile had peaked. The return of Halford and a subsequent series of top quality albums reversed that slide and they are now rightfully recognised as one of the premier legacy bands in the halls of metal.