Judas Priest: British Steel 12"

There is no overstating Judas Priest's position at the very top of heavy metal's Mount Olympus. The long-term association (eight consecutive live and studio albums) between the band and producer Tom Allom includes the cornerstone 1980 classic British Steel, their second LP together. It was recorded in four weeks at Tittenhurst Park, previously owned by John Lennon, and the home of Ringo Starr at the time. It was British Steel that took Priest to the masses at the onset of the '80s with huge anthems like "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight," earning the band their first RIAA platinum Top 40 album in the U.S. and their first Top 10 in the U.K. in the process. Deeper album cuts like "Metal Gods" and "The Rage" would also prove to become beloved concert staples. Universally hailed as one of the most influential albums in heavy metal history, fellow musicians and disciples credit British Steel for unleashing metal from its blues origins.