The Back To The Beginning event on July 5th in England was a historic send-off for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. The show took place in Birmingham, Sabbath’s hometown. My write-up of the show can be found here.
While Birmingham is where Black Sabbath hail from, Sabbath aren’t the only heavy metal institution from the area. This city is also where Judas Priest were founded, giving Birmingham the “home of heavy metal” moniker.
It would have been a natural fit for Judas Priest to appear at Back To The Beginning, but scheduling conflicts sadly kept that from happening. Priest had already agreed to appear at another landmark show – the Scorpions held their 60th anniversary concert in Hannover, Germany on the same evening as the Black Sabbath gig, and Priest were opening for the Scorpions. Former guitarist K.K. Downing was on hand for the Ozzy event, and Judas Priest sent in a video message honoring Ozzy and Sabbath.
As an additional gift of sorts, Priest also surprise released a cover of Black Sabbath’s seminal War Pigs on July 2nd. War Pigs is one of Sabbath’s top songs, as evidenced by the song’s placement as the opener at the group’s final gig. It is also the song Judas Priest have used as stage “walk-on” music for several years now.
Not that there was any doubt, but Judas Priest execute War Pigs in massive fashion. This sounds spectacular – The band is tight and this has a huge and heavy feel to it. This sounds just as War Pigs should with no huge deviations or embellishments, but also has an extra kick in the ass from a Judas Priest group that has been insanely fresh and vital sounding in their later years.
It was a total bummer that Judas Priest were unable to make the gig honoring Ozzy and Sabbath. The bands have long had a close relationship, to the degree that Rob Halford is actually a former Black Sabbath singer. Rob filled in under emergency conditions twice for Sabbath – he did two shows in 1992 when then-Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio refused to perform, and then in 2004 Halford filled in when Ozzy was ill.
While Black Sabbath’s legacy is now likely sealed for good, Judas Priest are still kicking with no discernible end in sight. It is nice to have this memento that commemorates Sabbath’s metal immortality from another of heavy metal’s greatest practitioners.
All right, it’s time to continue on with my long-running series where I pick five of my favorite songs from a year. Not necessarily my five definitive favorites, but five of my favorites. As always.
This year is 1990. We have left the golden decade of the 1980’s in the dust and music was shaping up to be a hell of a lot different. Even though the symbolic marker of the change was 1991, there was plenty of evidence that things were getting really different just a year before. Music was moving into other territories and a lot of the 80’s standards were about to be left behind. I was entering my teenage years just as the decade kicked off so I was in prime position to take in these changes, even if I didn’t quite know what all was going on right off the bat.
That’s about enough of the lead-in, this isn’t a comprehensive analysis of what happened in the early ’90’s, this is just a list of five songs I really like from 1990. Let’s have at it.
Megadeth – Tornado Of Souls
By 1990 I was moving way more into heavy metal as a whole, it was becoming my favorite form of music and that hasn’t changed 35 years later. Megadeth released their magnum opus Rust In Peace this year and it is in my top five of favorite albums of all time. A lot of the album if full of nuclear war and the government sucks kind of stuff that Dave Mustaine is very fond of, but this song is more personal and involves past relationships and rebounding from them. And of course it’s chock full of guitars, the kind of stuff only Mustaine and Marty Friedman could get up to. One of metal’s greatest songs.
Kreator – People Of The Lie
We’ll stay with thrash and this time visit the German titans on their fifth album, the excellent Coma Of Souls. Here Kreator aimed their sights at Nazis, the scourge of their own country. The song is a powerful rant against the shallow stances of Nazi believers. Sadly the song has become much more relevant today, but this was an excellent thrasher with a great message back in the day.
The Black Crowes – She Talks To Angels
Rock was by no means dead in 1990, but it sure was changing. One face of that change was the sudden ascent of the Black Crowes, a blues-based/jam band sort of prospect armed with a cache of catchy, infectious and effective songs. My favorite of the bunch is this somber ballad about a gal who is caught up in a drug addiction. While the song is not based in much reality, it is a haunting and touching affair that rings true no matter what the calendar says.
AC/DC – Thunderstruck
Ok, so not everything changed in rock in 1990. The good old standard AC/DC arrived on the scene yet again, this time armed with the stellar Razor’s Edge album. The opening track and lead single became one of the band’s hallmark songs, yet another addition to their playlist on classic rock radio that is played to no end. It’s easy to hear why – this is one massive slab of rock badassery. It’s guitars upon guitars, pounding drums and screeching, which is just how I like it.
Judas Priest – Painkiller
So Priest didn’t have the best latter half of the ’80’s – Turbo and Ram It Down aren’t “bad” albums per se, but they aren’t highlights of the Priest catalog either. The band reconvened as the decade changed and HOLY SHIT did they find the heavy metal again. Painkiller is a blast of molten hot metal unlike that which the band had even done to this point, despite being one of the signposts of the genre. This song and whole album will rip your face off, and that’s exactly how we like it around here. And by we I mean me, as I’m the only one typing bullshit on this site.
That wraps up 1990. Suffice to say, next week’s post will be somewhat important, as 1991 will be upon us. It was such an important year to music as a whole and my own musical fandom that it might require something a bit special. We shall see next week.
I am still running through the years on this very long series. And here we are at 1984. Funny that, given that I spent a great deal of time last year discussing the music of ’84 on its 40th anniversary. Had I kept to my original posting schedule I would have gotten to this last year, but I was both busy and lazy so here we are.
Given that 1984 is special in my lexicon, I’m going to do something a bit different here. I’m going to offer up five songs today, and then I’m going to do five more tomorrow. This was always the plan on ’84 when I got to it. In a way it’s “cheating” since I’m only supposed to pick five a year, but it’s not like there are any real rules to this anyway. It’s just something I saw other people doing and stole from them.
At any rate, let’s do five songs from 1984, then do it all again tomorrow.
Queensrÿche – Take Hold Of The Flame
This ripper still stands as one of the band’s most immortal offerings over 40 years later. This was one hell of a debut full-length for a band who got signed to a record deal without playing a show. It’s a motivational tale, one lamenting those who did not, in fact, take hold of the flame.
Judas Priest – The Sentinel
My favorite Priest song of all time was bound to make this list. It’s a badass tale of some dark avenging force that wipes out all his enemies. Very dank guitar work here leads to a massive, heavy atmosphere and Rob Halford singing “sworn to avenge” in his unholy voice puts it all over the top.
Iron Maiden – Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
My favorite Maiden song came out in ’84 but I’ve spent enough time going over 2 Minutes To Midnight. This time I chose the monster epic based on the hit poem of the same name. This was the band’s longest song for 37 years and every second of it is massive and pounding. A true heavy metal masterpiece.
Van Halen – Hot For Teacher
1984 was Van Halen’s triumphant year (and album). This song was one last blast of fun party rock before the classic Van Halen era came to an end. Alex played a monster drum intro and the song celebrates the ages-old concept of being into a teacher. Fun all around.
Mercyful Fate – Gypsy
It’s time for some evil, as King Diamond and company romp through a dark visit with a mystical woman. It’s a great, catchy riff and replete with the signature King Diamond vocals. This one is a bit “simpler” than other MF tunes but it works extremely well.
That does it for this first installment of 1984. Tomorrow I’ll bring five more songs on a rare weekend post as a bit of bonus content.
It’s the last day of 2024, so I guess I ought to post my album list for the year.
There is one important thing to keep in mind – I honestly did not have time to check out a whole ton of stuff. I was very busy this year with house hunting that got put off, a job that was going off the rails and an eventual job change, and all of the assorted stress and turmoil along with stuff like that. Things are moving forward but even now I’m still adjusting to a different job, way different hours and stuff like that.
It’s the unfortunate part of this site – I’m a hobby blogger, I’m not a music journalist of any sort so I don’t have near as much time as I would really need to investigate new releases. Week after week went by with albums of interest to me, some of them I got to hear once and others not at all. Given that I spent a good chunk of the year on this site in remembrance of 1984, keeping up with today’s music wasn’t nearly as much on my radar as I would have liked it to be. Add in to that the issue that more new music is released than ever before, and it’s just impossible to keep up.
But even if my evaluation of this year’s music is woefully incomplete, I can still offer up a top ten list. Even if 2024 albums weren’t’ the focal point of my year, there are still ten out there I can nail down to compose the pretty well mandatory year-end list.
Blaze – Circle Of Stone
In a year when every Iron Maiden singer released a solo album of some sort, it’s Blaze that came out on top for me. This album is a great follow-up to his excellent prior album War Within Me. This one brings a few touches of power metal along. Blaze has had a great solo career and this is another wonderful release in the series.
Chat Pile – Cool World
The Oklahoma outfit generated a lot of buzz on their 2022 full-length debut God’s Country. The follow-up also delivers a woeful brand of noise and doom, with just a touch of nu-metal thrown in. This one shapeshifts in places to keep it from sounding like a clone of their prior work and keeps the band on everyone’s radar, much to the chagrin of some. I’m here for it.
illuminati hotties – POWER
In 2021 I happened on this indie/punk/alt act on kind of a whim and the album Let Me Do One More nearly ran off with my album of the year award. Sarah Tudzin has done production and engineering work to everyone from Logic and Slowdive to boygenius, and her own project rivals those. This album is overall pretty chill and satisfying and I look forward to much more to come.
Rotting Christ – Pro Xristou
I did not check out a ton of extreme metal this year, which is a shame as I’m led to believe there was a ton worth a listen. But I will always make time for the veteran Greek outfit and their blend of atmospheric black metal. This is their 14th album and they sound just as great as they did when I first heard them in the early ’90’s.
Waxahatchee – Tiger’s Blood
Katie Crutchfield’s project got notice in 2020 with the critically praised Saint Cloud album and this is the long-awaited follow-up. It’s a fantastic blend of indie rock and country that was pleasing on first listen and then made itself at home with subsequent plays. It’s nice to see Waxahatchee continue to gain notice, including with a Grammy nomination for this record.
Transylvania – Windrider
Up next is something a bit different – this is the debut full-length from an act local to Springfield. We’ve been waiting awhile for this release as it was done sometime a few years ago in the midst of the pandemic and took some time to come to light. Transylvania have been one of the mainstays of the local scene here for years and it’s great to finally have this album in hand. While there’s no doubt the band bears comparisons to Iron Maiden, they have definitely made their own stamp on things here.
I will cover this album in more detail in the coming weeks.
Grand Magus – Sunraven
It’s never a bad year when Grand Magus release an album. This is another fine blend of doom and traditional heavy metal. I’ve been following Grand Magus since pretty much the beginning and it’s hard to believe we’re now over 20 years and 10 albums in.
Saxon – Hell, Fire and Damnation
Saxon showed up right at the start of the year with their 24th album and yet another excellent entry in their catalog, which has been on fire for a few decades now. There’s a bit extra behind this one that lifts it up another level. It didn’t hurt that I got to see them on tour this year in one of the very few shows I was able to attend.
The heavy as hell noise merchants took over five years off, with founder Matt Pike dealing with some health issues and releasing a solo album in that time. But the band returned better than ever with this slab of metal that combines their trademark Motorhead meets stoner metal vibe with Middle Eastern music influences. As usual, High On Fire transcend all category labels and delivered a quality offering once again.
Album of the Year 2024
Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
Priest arrived earlier in the year with their 19th album and they mopped the floor with everyone from the word go. The band have been in fine form on their past few releases despite line-up turmoil and advanced age. Everyone else had most of the year to top this and were unable to do so. It’s amazing just how great Priest sound in 2024 – it isn’t just that they sound “better than they should for their age,” it’s that they were once again able to conquer the heavy metal realm.
That does it for 2024, at least the stuff I was able to give spins to. I’m sure there’s more great stuff out there that I missed, but sadly that’s how time works, I don’t have near enough of it. Let’s see what 2025 has in store.
As a quick note – next week I’ll have my top ten albums of 2024 list, as well as my write up of Prince’s Purple Rain to cap off my celebration of 1984.
But for today, it’s off to pick five songs from 1982. This one was kind of fun as there seemed to be a bit more variety, I wasn’t necessarily slammed by 10,000 heavy metal songs I love that I had to winnow down. Still plenty of great music but a pretty simple list here.
As always on these and especially for this decade – these are simply five of my favorite songs from the year, not a definitive list of my absolute five favorite songs. I ain’t got time for all that. Let’s have at it.
Iron Maiden – Hallowed Be Thy Name
Pickings are easy when your favorite band offers up what is widely considered the greatest song they ever recorded. This is a haunting tale of a condemned man who is in his final moments. Maiden were able to couple the dread of the story with their trademark harmonizing and rhythm and Bruce Dickinson delivers a performance for the ages. Things really don’t get much better than this heavy metal standard.
Judas Priest – Electric Eye
Choosing just one song from the seminal Screaming For Vengeance album is kind of tough but it’s pretty easy to go with this one. This is a heavy metal smorgasbord with all kinds of quiet and loud, mid-paced and fast stuff. It’s both heavy as hell and quite accessible. The dark theme of overbearing surveillance is on point, even more so now than 42 years ago. I can’t do anything about the hosed state of civilization but I can headbang along to its demise with this.
Michael Jackson – Thriller
This list is shooting fish in a barrel kind of easy. The title track of what is largely held as the best-selling album of all time is an absolute winner – a melodic romp through a zombie horror show. While the song itself is actually a fairly simple premise of picking up a girl by spooking her out with scary movies, the music video was an all-out zombie invasion that wowed audiences the world over. The song remains a Halloween staple to this day and of course Michael was the defining artist of the greatest decade in music.
Prince – 1999
But Michael did have a rival, he was not as alone atop the pop and rock mountain as some would like to believe. Prince would score his first widespread recognition with this apocalyptic hit. The thing to do when facing the end of the world is to party, which The Purple One summed up with a synth-funk track to boogie ’till the end to. It wound up being very fitting when 1999 actually came around, with the ultimately unfounded fears of Y2K. That was some weird shit to live through. But Prince provided the perfect soundtrack for it.
Scorpions – No One Like You
The Scorpions did rock as well as anyone ever. They also made their mark with a series of awesome ballads, but this song did not head into ballad territory – while proclaiming love, it’s a total rocker. It has been a live staple and one of the band’s signature songs since its release on their landmark Blackout album.
The song also holds significant personal meaning for me. I started dating a gal in 2009, still in the age of setting phone ringtones. I set this as her ringtone and it became our song. We were together for nearly 15 years and boyfriend and girlfriend before this past June when we did the deed and got married. And while she is not an ’80’s metal fan of any real sort, she has always appreciated this as our song. So it’s an easy add to close out this list.
That wraps up 1982, which will likely be the easiest by far of any of the ’80’s stuff to do. The next few are absolute hell, let me tell you.
This little series that I’ve half-assed for the past while is now in to 1980. The 1980’s were the most significant decade in my musical development so this whole decade is gonna be loaded with songs I love.
And, as this series has gone, I will only pick five per year. It is more important than ever to remember that this is simply a list of five songs I like a lot from a particular year, this not a definitive list of my five favorite songs from any given year. There are so many awesome songs left off these ’80’s lists that it’s honestly impossible to mess with much – I just go with the vibe and choose five I really like. This stuff does get a hell of a lot easier once I get to the late ’90’s and especially the 2000’s.
But we are in it to win it here, so let’s kick off this look at the best decade the world has ever seen.
Judas Priest – Living After Midnight
In 1980 Priest would finally gain a foothold in the US with their landmark British Steel album, featuring this cut among others. The song is a bit more simple and fun than other things which was a point of debate, but it’s a glorious party anthem and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
And now we’re on to the debut from my favorite band of all time. Pretty easy auto-include here with their self-named song from their self-titled album. This one is also fun, though much more murdery than the Priest track. Maiden have played this song live more than any other and by quite a margin. While they have a handful of signature songs, it’s pretty clear that this one is the real calling card.
Van Halen – And The Cradle Will Rock
Shocking stuff here, as the band who defined party rock offer up another party anthem. It’s also a rather simple offering, though Eddie makes quite a bit of noise as he often did. Rock on, indeed.
The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me
This one was huge business for Sting and company, a dark tale of a teacher wrapped up in lust for a student all set to the signature reggae-rock catchiness The Police had refined by this point. It’s moody and haunting at its core but a very infectious song on the surface, something the band would nail down again in a few years time.
Black Sabbath – Heaven And Hell
Sabbath had a bit of drug-fueled turmoil that saw the exit of singer Ozzy Osbourne. The band were able to regroup with Ronnie James Dio and offer up this massive slab of heavy metal. It features a grand battle between good and evil within a person, something that would be a calling card of Dio’s career. Although Sabbath wouldn’t enjoy the full fruits of the decade of metal, they were off to a very hot start.
And that wraps this one up, five songs of about five thousand great ones from the first year of the ’80’s. The tough sledding continues in the weeks after.
It’s time for 1979, though we’ll find no Billy Corgan here, only songs actually from the year. I turned two in ’79 so I obviously have deep and specific memories of all these songs. Next week the 1980’s will kick off and these lists will be batshit for awhile, no two ways about it. But this one was pretty simple to put together so let’s enjoy this pretty easy week.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Refugee
1979 saw Petty and his band break through to true mainstream success, and it’s no wonder with songs like this. This a powerful groove with the organ and guitar working together to blast this freedom anthem into your head. I’ve heard the song all my life and it still gets me going any time it’s on.
The Police – Walking On The Moon
The Police obviously incorporated reggae into their sound, but on this one they just totally went reggae. Very atmospheric stuff here with the guitars accenting things at certain points, but the song as a whole moving on its gravity free march in trippy rhythm.
AC/DC – Highway To Hell
AC/DC have a trove of awesome songs and many were from the Bon Scott era, but I feel like this one really puts it all over the top. This is a seamless blend of great riffing and on-theme delivery that stands as one of rock’s truly great songs. It would also sadly be the bookend of Bon Scott’s time with the band, though the group dusted themselves off and kept on in world-conquering fashion after his death. No matter how much rock radio plays AC/DC, this is one song I never get tired of hearing.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Powderfinger
Rust Never Sleeps is my favorite Neil Young album and this is my favorite song from that album so here we are, pretty simple pick. Tough tale of a young man who shot at a gunboat to defend his family’s property. The gunboat won the battle, if you are keeping score. It’s an anti-war song for sure but one that offers its message in a poignant story rather than being super obvious about it. Grand work from Neil and company.
Judas Priest – Exciter
Heavy metal was about to blow up big in its golden age during the 1980’s. It was Judas Priest who flew the flag for the genre during its relative down period of the late ’70’s, and here they continued to round into form as their own fortunes would explode in just a year’s time. Here Priest laid the groundwork for the entity known as speed metal, lending not only a musical blueprint but also a band name to one of the subgenre’s pioneering acts.
That wraps it up for 1979 and also for the decade of the ’70’s. Great music to be sure, some of the best, but things really get going in the next decade. The absolute explosion of music and the toughest series of picks I’ve had to make kick off next week.
Now I’m up to 1978 on my songs by year lists. I turned one that year so I don’t exactly have memories associated with the time, but these songs were pretty easy for me to pick and are timeless ones I’ll always enjoy.
Times were really changing this year I think – three very significant new acts showed up in ’78 that are on this list and would be central to the sounds to come, which was what shaped my musical fandom in my early years. Let’s head in and see what’s up.
Van Halen – Runnin’ With The Devil
Up first is a great cut from the debut album of one of rock music’s most important bands. Van Halen were central in what would happen in the 1980’s and their ’78 debut was red hot. The way Eddie Van Halen played his guitar here, it was almost talking alongside David Lee Roth’s vocals and insane ranting. It’s an ode to living hard and running free, and a massive song.
Heart – Straight On
Another hard rocker from Heart here, as they’d wrap up their first era before transitioning into the next decade. This one has some dance/disco elements to it but still shines through as a Heart classic. It’s an auto-include on any Heart greatest hits or setlist for sure.
Judas Priest – Delivering The Goods
Priest would get in two albums in ’78, and by this time they were truly rounding the corner as heavy metal’s premier act. They would be in prime shape for the total explosion of metal soon to come. Here Priest show their muscle with a song that was composed about how they feel on stage. This was a great way to truly launch the new era of metal.
The Police – Can’t Stand Losing You
Up next is band new to the scene and one that would light the world on fire for the next several years. This chippy, upbeat music stands in contrast to the dismal lyrics about someone ready to off himself over losing his gal pal. The Police were a rock/reggae/punk/new wave machine that would dance across the ears of millions in their time, and all of us who heard them were lucky to have done so.
The Cars – You’re All I’ve Got Tonight
Speaking of new wave, it turns out it blended nicely with hard rock, and The Cars put that into full effect on their debut album. Pretty heavy, very melodic and insanely catchy, this song wasn’t released as a single but wound up all over radio as The Cars became a popular act. Super fun song to bop to.
1978 is now done and dusted. Just one more post to go from the decade before this turns to the 1980’s and things just go totally insane.
Here is the latest in my songs series, on an unusual day. After the post I’ll have an update on this site over the next few weeks.
And now on this 50 year long musical journey we arrive at 1977. Seems like it was an interesting time in the world, a lot of weird world events and all that. It was a bit of a banner year in entertainment, as the first Star Wars movie hit theaters.
It was a mournful time in music. For one, I’m not sure this was the greatest year in music history. Kind of a whatever vibe with a lot of this stuff. I vaguely recall the 1977 Behind The Music and everyone was just like “fuck that year.” And the King himself Elvis Presley died on a hot August night.
And just three days after Elvis left the building, I was spat into existence. So no more “I wasn’t around for this year” on these posts. I was, in fact, around – though I can’t cop to having any memory of the year, obviously. I think I have one very small, vague memory from ’79 but that’s all I recall of the decade, I was busy filling diapers and crying.
But even if the year was kind of lame, I had no problem selecting five songs from it. Good music is always around.
Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
This single from one of the biggest albums of all time was one of my earliest musical memories. My mom had a carrying spindle thing that held a bunch of jukebox 45’s and this was one of the singles in that set. I used to play through those 45’s a lot, and I whittled it down to the ones I really liked, this being among those. Honestly a somewhat heavy song, by Fleetwood Mac standards anyway, and a great duet between Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie.
Judas Priest – Dissident Aggressor
A cut from the band’s third album Sin After Sin and another testament to Priest being the glue that held heavy metal together just before metal kicked off big time. This saw Priest really up the ante with the heaviness and include some real divebombing guitars. The song was a thought piece on the city of Berlin, at the time caught in a Cold War split that was stark and honestly insane.
Heart – Barracuda
This was another of the 45’s in my mom’s tote and this would be the one I’d play over and over and over and over again. This was an aggressive song and with good reason – it was written by Ann and Nancy Wilson after the press grossly speculated on them being involved with each other despite being sisters. And that main riff of Nancy’s offers a very short and straight line to the heavy metal I would get into several years later. Definitely one of my favorite songs of all time.
Rush – Closer To The Heart
This is an all-time Rush song for sure. Well written and arranged, it brings out a sentimental flair while still sounding totally Rush. The song really opened up the world to Rush in terms of radio play, landing them a top 40 UK hit and also getting their foot in the door in the US. Always a good time to hear this one.
Kiss – Love Gun
This last slot was a tough choice – it was between this and Aerosmith’s Kings And Queens. The latter is an awesome song but Love Gun won out in the end. The album was one of my first Kiss albums and also one of my earlier music memories overall, so it’s easy to pick this signature Kiss song. It’s easy to hear why it’s one of Paul Stanley’s favorite songs.
That does it for ’77. Inching closer to the 1980’s, where this whole thing gets insane as far as picking only five songs per year.
And with that, here is a brief update – I am starting my new job next week and I’ve had a hell of a time lately with leaving my old job and getting stuff together for the new one. I am going on a two-week hiatus from this blog in order to get adjusted to my new work. I will be working a lot of hours but I think after I get into the new rhythm I should be able to get back into the swing here. I don’t know what my post frequency will be but I should be able to figure something out. See you all then.
After a few weeks layoff due to super busy stuff, I’m getting back to this thing again. I’m also working well ahead on these now so the series won’t be interrupted again. It’s not like it takes any massive amount of time to put these posts together.
We’re now to 1976, which is the last time you’ll see me say I wasn’t around for the year. This is also where things start getting tough – this was probably the most difficult five songs I had to pick of all I’ve been through so far. Yes, the 1980’s get insanely crowded but it’s so absurd by that point that it’s actually easier to just grab five songs. This year I had to bump things left and right, and really go over the five I wanted. But I did eventually get a list together so let’s have at it.
The Runaways – Cherry Bomb
Up first is this fantastic cut from the revolutionary all-woman group. It was the start of the illustrious careers of Joan Jett and Lita Ford, but even beyond that it was a massive dose of grit and attitude. And it was seriously heavy – heavier music was about to really take off and The Runaways were definitely a part of that.
Judas Priest – The Ripper
Speaking of heavy, it’s time to welcome Judas Priest to these lists. If you’re thinking this is just the first of many appearances, you’d be right. Heavy metal was kind of in a down period as Black Sabbath were fading during this time, but Priest served as the bridge between Sabbath and the metal golden era of the ’80’s. Here they cut into the gruesome tale of Jack The Ripper, perhaps the most notorious criminal in history. The guitar work that truly set heavy metal apart is center stage here, and while Rob Halford is fairly restrained through most of the song, he lets loose at the end.
Boston – Foreplay/Long Time
Up next is a cut from the world famous Boston debut. This has one of the best instrumental sections around in the Foreplay intro. Then the song breaks into Long Time, a fantastic rocker about having to move on. The lyrics are philosophically heavy, but it’s just as easy to totally rock out to the music too. And in defiance of the “shorter is better” pop song format, this nearly 8 minute long cut still gets airplay 48 years on.
Kiss – God Of Thunder
Kiss had a banner year in 1976, releasing two of their best albums and truly becoming a force in the live market. But for all of their triumphs that year, it’s this plodding heavy metal track that Paul Stanley brought to the table that does it for me. Bob Ezrin slowed the song down and gave it to Gene Simmons to sing, and this is easily one of Gene’s biggest moments on record. Even the most die-hard of extreme metalheads get down to this song.
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Wrapping up with another list debut, AC/DC crack this one with one of their early signature songs. This snarling, tough tale of a killer for hire is both rocking and pretty funny. It’s easily one of the band’s most recognizable songs today, though it took years for it to get from Australia to the US. But the gritty rock and sing-along chorus are just too good to be passed up.
That does it for 1976. The next few weeks will close out the ’70’s as music really started changing dramatically, then the ’80’s come around and make these lists damn near impossible to do. ‘Till then.
The Crooked Wanderer 