judas priest point of entry tour dates

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How Judas Priest Were Nearly Derailed by ‘Point of Entry’

Judas Priest ’s Point of Entry nearly slammed the brakes on one of heavy metal’s most unstoppable career arcs.

Leading up to this seventh studio effort, Priest had taken all of the career-building groundwork laid down throughout the '70s to unprecedented heights of commercial success, via to the impressive marriage of heavy metal authenticity and hard rock accessibility presented on 1980’s instant classic British Steel .

Despite that widespread acclaim, Judas Priest wasn't content to simply fast-track a quick carbon copy for their next effort. The problem was, they couldn't agree on their next step, according to frontman Rob Halford . “We were really scratching our heads with Point of Entry, " he told journalist Garry Sharpe-Young for the book Metal: The Definitive Guide . "The band wanted to do something different, but the record company had seen we could deliver hit singles and wanted more of the same. We were not so sure, so I think Point of Entry suffers from too many people pulling in too many directions.”

This atmosphere of uncertainty even affected the album’s cover art, as the U.S. office of CBS records rejected the vaguely futuristic design chosen overseas. They replaced it with an arguably more abstract interpretation of the title, featuring a continuous sheet of line printer paper stretching into the distance of a desert landscape.

Similarly, the project – released on Feb. 26, 1981 – began promisingly enough, as glorious staccato riffs powered Judas Priest's latest (and maybe greatest) motorcycle anthem, “Heading Out to the Highway,” but then confusing and conflicting musical agendas set in.

Listen to Judas Priest Perform 'Solar Angels'

On the one hand, cuts like “Don’t Go” and “On the Run” were so basic they were boring, doing little more than draping spare power chords around some catchy choruses. On the other hand, more thoughtful numbers like “Desert Plains” and “Solar Angels” merely hinted at the experimental side of Judas Priest, without the conviction to commit to doing anything truly groundbreaking.

Elsewhere, both “Hot Rockin’” and “Turning Circles” did a better job of replicating the simple but effective heavy rock template found on British Steel , but the key word was “replicate” because they also didn’t measure up. Finally, there was some out-and-out filler crammed onto side two, specifically “You Say Yes,” “All the Way” and “Troubleshooter” – each of them generally forgotten by all but the most dedicated Priest disciple.

The only consolation is that these mostly unsatisfying songs (and the disappointing sales and chart ranks that followed) could do little to dent Judas Priest’s building momentum on the road, as they embarked on their most ambitious tour to that point. The subsequent shows featured expensive hydraulic risers and light rigs, and were backed by openers like Whitesnake , Iron Maiden and the Joe Perry Project.

“The tour was our biggest yet, and when we played 'Solar Angels' and 'Desert Plains,' they were super heavy," Halford told Sharpe-Young. "I think we maybe went a bit more over the top to compensate, and it worked.” So did Point of Entry ’s major standout "Heading Out to the Highway," which hereafter entered Priest’s rarefied shortlist of nearly mandatory concert staples.

Of course, we now know that Judas Priest would bounce back to deliver a no-holds-barred metallic onslaught with their next LP, the heavy-metal benchmark Screaming for Vengeance . That likely only exacerbated the sense of disappointment surrounding Point of Entry , which had its occasional bright spots but was unfortunately sandwiched between two of Judas Priest's greatest achievements.

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Setlist + Video – Judas Priest + Sabaton Kick Off North American Tour

I n support of their new album Invincible Shield , Judas Priest kicked off their North American tour last night (April 18) in Wallingford, Ct. with special guest Sabaton .

The Metal Gods took the stage at the Oakdale Theatre and ripped through an 18-song set that heavily focused on the new record, British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance . Honoring a sizable chunk of the back catalog, Judas Priest played one song off six other albums and two from 1978’s Killing Machine (known to some as Hell Bent for Leather ).

The set mostly mirrored what most fans in Europe already saw the last few weeks, with some slight deviations. Priest also switched up the set on occasion during that run, so we’ll see if the band does the same as this next leg continues.

READ MORE: Ian Hill Names His Favorite Judas Priest Song – ‘It’s Just So Raw’

Meanwhile, Swedish power metal heroes Sabaton played a 12-song, 50-minute set to get Connecticut’s metal maniacs primed for Priest. They played material from seven albums, including their latest, 2022’s The War to End All Wars.

See both setlists and fan-filmed video of each band below.

The tour continues through May 22 and all the remaining dates can be viewed here .

Judas Priest Setlist — April 18, 2024

via setlist.fm

01. “Panic Attack”

02. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”

03. “Rapid Fire”

04. “Breaking the Law”

05. “Lightning Strike”

06. “Love Bites”

07. “Devil’s Child”

08. “Saints in Hell”

09. “Crown of Horns”

10. “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise”

11. “Turbo Lover”

12. “Invincible Shield”

13. “Victim of Changes”

14. “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” (Fleetwood Mac cover)

15. “Painkiller”

17. “The Hellion/Electric Eye”

18. “Hell Bent for Leather”

19. “Living After Midnight”

Judas Priest Live — April 18, 2024

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Judas Priest Encore — April 18, 2024

Sabaton setlist — april 18, 2024.

01. “Ghost Division”

02. “The Last Stand”

03. “Swedish Pagans”

04. “The Red Baron”

05. “Bismarck”

06. “Stormtroopers”

07. “Carolus Rex” (Swedish)

08. “Shiroyama”

09. “The Attack of the Dead Men”

10. “Primo Victoria”

11. “Soldier of Heaven”

12. “To Hell and Back”

Sabaton Live — April 18, 2024

Watch: JUDAS PRIEST Kicks Off U.S. Leg Of 2024 'Invincible Shield' Tour In Wallingford, Connecticut

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the U.S. leg of their "Invincible Shield" world tour last night (Thursday, April 18) at Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut.

PRIEST 's 18-song setlist included three songs from the band's latest album, "Invincible Shield" : the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Crown Of Horns" .

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Panic Attack 02. You've Got Another Thing Comin' 03. Rapid Fire 04. Breaking The Law 05. Lightning Strike 06. Love Bites 07. Devil's Child 08. Saints In Hell 09. Crown Of Horns 10. You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise 11. Turbo Lover 12. Invincible Shield 13. Victim Of Changes 14. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover) 15. Painkiller

16. The Hellion / Electric Eye 17. Hell Bent for Leather 18. Living After Midnight

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

In a recent appearance on The Break Down With Nath & Johnny podcast , JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked who in the band has the final say when it comes to picking a setlist for the PRIEST live shows. He responded: "Well, it is probably Rob [ Halford , PRIEST singer], really. But then again, we've got a whole spectrum now. You've got the younger element with Richie [ Faulkner , PRIEST guitarist]. He's the same age as my eldest son. And then comes Scott [ Travis , PRIEST drummer] and you've got Glenn [ Tipton , PRIEST guitarist], of course. He can't do it anymore [due to his battle with Parkinson's disease]. [But] he's still sharp as a pin between his ears. Then Andy [ Sneap , PRIEST touring guitarist] and Rob and myself. So you've got a full spectrum there of ages. So everybody has their own favorites and their own types of JUDAS PRIEST song. We all sort of [go], 'Yeah, like that. No, don't like that one.' And then we'll go. If someone's adamant that they really don't wanna do something, well, you don't wanna do something, and vice versa — if someone really wants to do a particular track, you do it. Like I say, you've got the ring-fence tracks there that you've gotta do — the 'Breaking The Law' s and the 'Living After Midnight' s and things like that, that you have to do. It's what brings people to the shows, basically. And then you've got your other sort of classic PRIEST songs, which is a little bit easier because you can swap and change those between — do a month maybe using one song, change it to another one of a similar kind. And then try to get some new stuff in there — three, maybe four maximum is about as much as you can get at any one time. I'm sure there'll be more than that, that we'll go through. And just swap and change as we go."

Asked if there are any songs that he can think of straight off the top of his head, in the PRIEST back catalog that he really loves to play live but never has, Ian said: "Ah, there's one that we have played live that we haven't played for a while and that's 'Dissident Aggressor' . I still say that's probably my all-time favorite song. It's just so raw — it's just pure rock, really. It's one of those songs that, even in the studio, I can remember it being — it's two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. And I think there might be one extra guitar on there through the lead break. Other than that, it's totally raw. It's exactly as it would be on stage. And I love that song, apart from it being a great song. And there's always other things. We've never really done 'Before The Dawn' — from the other point of view, the other end of the spectrum, if there's a quiet part in [the show]. These days people tend to prefer the more upbeat stuff rather than the quieter pieces. But that would be cool to do as well. It's only about two and a half, three minutes long anyway, so it wouldn't take much time. But there's loads in there — there's loads of them. 'Sinner' we haven't done, so it'd be great to do that again. We haven't done that for a while. But we'll see."

In a separate interview with Metal Pilgrim , Halford spoke about the setlist for the European leg of PRIEST 's tour with SAXON and URIAH HEEP . He said: "We've had this conversation before as far as trying to put the setlist together. And after 19 studio albums, it's, like, 'Oh my God. Where do we go?' If we didn't play 'Breaking The Law' , there'd be a riot. If we didn't play 'Painkiller' , there'd be a riot. There are certain songs that you are indebted to your fans to play, because they're part of the fabric of who you are as a band. Without naming names, there are certain bands where you know you wanna hear that song when you go to a show. So there's a portion of the setlist that already writes itself. Having said that, yeah, we are gonna go quite deep, and we found some songs from previous albums that we're gonna work with and we're gonna bring out. So there'll probably be at least two or three deep cuts on this setlist."

Rob continued: "At any given moment, we've got 60 to 70 songs we can play — at any given moment. And then we're gonna add more into the mix. It's fun to see the texts and the e-mails flying through: 'Well, I'll give you this one if you give me that one.' 'Cause you've gotta find a balance. When a band plays on stage, every single bandmember has to agree on the set list. There's no place for, 'Oh, dude, I've gotta play this one.' There's no place for that. You've all gotta be believing in that particular song as you go through the show. And it's gonna be fantastic. And this is gonna be a really eventful tour as we're about to kick off in Europe, with our friends SAXON and URIAH HEEP ."

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST , which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner .

"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande 's "Eternal Sunshine" .

Prior to "Invincible Shield" 's arrival, PRIEST 's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel" , which reached No. 4.

PRIEST 's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" is JUDAS PRIEST 's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower" , as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

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Judas Priest Announce Rescheduled 50th Anniversary Tour Dates

Judas Priest have announced their rescheduled tour dates for 2021. With Sabaton as their support act, Judas Priest will celebrate 50 heavy metal years this fall in North America.

“Defending the heavy metal faith for fifty years, the Priest is back!” Rob Halford says. “Time to don the leather and studs and roll out the Priest Machine, adds Glenn Tipton. "Celebrating our 50 Heavy Metal Years!!”

Ian Hill continues, “After the horrific year of restrictions we’ve all had to endure, what better place to break free, than the land of the free - the USA!”

Tickets for these dates will go on sale June 11 at 10AM local time.

Judas Priest 2021 North American Tour Dates:

9/08/2021 - Reading, PA                      Santander Arena* 9/09/2021 - Virginia Beach, VA             Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*+ 9/11/2021 - Orlando, FL                      Central Florida Fairgrounds^# 9/13/2021 - Charlotte, NC                   PNC Music Pavilion 9/14/2021 - Raleigh, NC                      Red Hat Amphitheater* 9/16/2021 - Grand Rapids, MI             Van Andel Arena* 9/17/2021 - Youngstown, OH              Covelli Centre^ 9/19/2021 - Detroit, MI                         Fox Theatre* 9/20/2021 - Rosemont, IL                    Rosemont Theatre* 9/22/2021 - Milwaukee, WI                  Miller High Life Theatre^ 9/23/2021 - Minneapolis, MN              The Armory* 9/25/2021 - Maryland Heights, MO     Saint Louis Music Park 9/26/2021 - Louisville, KY                    Louder Than Life Festival^# 9/29/2021 - Denver, CO                      The Mission Ballroom^ 9/30/2021 - West Valley City, UT         Maverik Center* 10/02/2021 - Everett, WA                       Angel Of The Winds Arena* 10/03/2021 - Portland, OR                     Moda Center* 10/05/2021 - Oakland, CA                      Fox Theater^ 10/06/2021 - Los Angeles, CA                Microsoft Theater^ 10/08/2021 - Las Vegas, NV                   Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood 10/09/2021 - Phoenix, AZ                       Arizona Federal Theatre 10/12/2021 - San Antonio, TX              Freeman Coliseum^ 10/13/2021 - Cedar Park, TX                HEB Center Cedar Park^ 10/15/2021 - Irving, TX                         The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 10/16/2021 - Oklahoma City, OK          The Zoo Amphitheatre^ 10/19/2021 - Independence, MO          Cable Dahmer Arena* 10/21/2021 - Nashville, TN                    Nashville Municipal Auditorium* 10/22/2021 - Alpharetta, GA                  Ameris Bank Amphitheatre* 10/24/2021 - Charleston, WV                Charleston Civic Center Coliseum* 10/25/2021 - Philadelphia, PA               The Met* 10/27/2021 - Newark, NJ                       Prudential Center* 10/28/2021 - Oxon Hill, MD                   The Theater at MGM National Harbor 10/30/2021 - Mashantucket, CT            Foxwoods Resort Casino - Grand Theater^ 10/31/2021 - Lowell, MA                       Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell* 11/02/2021 - Halifax, NS                         Scotiabank Centre* 11/04/2021 - Laval, QC                         Place Bell* 11/05/2021 - Hamilton, ONT                   First Ontario Centre*

* new show ^ not a Live Nation event # festival date + Sabaton not support on this date; support is TBD

2021 International Rock + Metal Festivals

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Judas Priest

• May 8, 1981 Setlist

Judas Priest Setlist at International Amphitheater, Chicago, IL, USA

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• Solar Angels
• Heading Out to the Highway
• Diamonds & Rust ( Joan Baez  cover)
• Troubleshooter
• Breaking the Law
• Beyond the Realms of Death
• Hot Rockin'
• You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
• Victim of Changes
• The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) ( Fleetwood Mac  cover)
• Hell Bent for Leather
• Living After Midnight

Edits and Comments

11 activities (last edit by jaysam71 , 10 Feb 2019, 20:50 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Diamonds & Rust by Joan Baez
• The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) by Fleetwood Mac

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Judas Priest Gig Timeline

• May 06 1981 Indiana Convention Center Indianapolis, IN, USA Add time Add time
• May 07 1981 Morris Civic Auditorium South Bend, IN, USA Add time Add time
• May 08 1981 International Amphitheater This Setlist Chicago, IL, USA Add time Add time
• May 09 1981 MetroCentre Rockford, IL, USA Add time Add time
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Tour Update

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Judas Priest

Invincible shield tour.

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Judas Priest is coming to Prudential Center on Friday, April 19 for their Invincible Shield Tour USA 2024 with special guest Sabaton!

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Judas Priest announce March 2024 UK & Ireland tour with Saxon and Uriah Heep

The Metal Masters Tour

Judas Priest have announced details of their first headline UK & Ireland tour in almost nine years.

Taking place in March 2024, the Metal Masters Tour will see Judas Priest play six arenas and they will be joined by very special guests Saxon and Uriah Heep at all shows.

Judas Priest’s tour opens at Glasgow OVO Hydro on Monday 11th March and visits Leeds First Direct Arena, Dublin 3Arena, Bournemouth International Centre and Birmingham Resorts World Arena before concluding at London OVO Arena Wembley on Thursday 24th March.

Part of a larger global trek, Judas Priest said: 'We are thrilled to start this world tour in the renowned traditional homes of heavy metal and can't wait to see our amazing family of Priest maniacs!'

Tickets go on sale from Planet Rock Tickets at 10am on Friday 5th May.

The tour marks the first time Judas Priest have played indoor UK concerts since their Redeemer of Souls Tour in November and December 2015.

Since then Judas Priest have headlined Bloodstock Open Air in 2018 and 2021 , however they were unable to tour the UK as they were locked into a contract as special guests on Ozzy Osbourne ’s No More Tours 2 tour.

Ozzy Osbourne announced his retirement from touring in January and the long-delayed UK tour was cancelled almost half a decade after it was first announced.

Following the cancellation, Rob Halford confirmed Judas Priest were working “frantically” behind the scenes to arrange a new UK tour.

Judas Priest are currently putting the finishing touches to their 19th studio album , which follows 2018’s critically acclaimed ‘Firepower.’

Saxon recently recruited legendary Diamond Head lynchpin Brian Tatler as their touring guitarist following the retirement of co-founder Paul Quinn .

Judas Priest, Saxon and Uriah Heep’s Metal Masters UK & Ireland tour dates:

Glasgow OVO Hydro – Mon 11th

Leeds First Direct Arena – Wed 13th

Dublin 3Arena – Fri 15th

Bournemouth International Centre – Sun 17th

Birmingham Resorts World Arena – Tue 19th

London OVO Arena Wembley – Thu 21st

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The greatest rock songs of all time:, 70) thin lizzy – ‘emerald’ (1976).

The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time

69) Rush - ‘2112’ (1976)

68) pink floyd - ‘wish you were here’ (1975), 67) pink floyd – ‘time’ (1973), 66) led zeppelin – ‘when the levee breaks’ (1971), 65) led zeppelin – ‘since i’ve been loving you’ (1970), 64) journey – ‘don’t stop believin’ (1981), 63) def leppard – ‘pour some sugar on me’ (1987), 62) van halen – ‘jump’ (1983), 61) ufo – ‘rock bottom’ (1974), 60) the cult – ‘she sells sanctuary’ (1985), 59) rush – ‘xanadu’ (1977), 58) jimi hendrix – ‘voodoo chile (slight return)’ (1968), 57) aerosmith – ‘dream on’ (1973), 56) ufo – ‘love to love’ (1977), 55) black sabbath – ‘black sabbath’ (1970), 54) ac/dc – ‘for those about to rock (we salute you)’ (1981), 53) thin lizzy – ‘the boys are back in town’ (1976), 52) ufo – ‘doctor doctor’ (1974), 51) iron maiden – ‘fear of the dark’ (1992), 50) boston – ‘more than a feeling’ (1976), 49) blue öyster cult – ‘(don’t fear) the reaper’ (1976), 48) ac/dc – ‘you shook me all night long’ (1980), 47) iron maiden – ‘run to the hills’ (1982), 46) gun n’ roses – ‘november rain’ (1991), 45) pink floyd – ‘shine on you crazy diamond’ (1975), 44) gun n’ roses – ‘welcome to the jungle’ (1987), 43) rush – ‘tom sawyer’ (1981), 42) metallica – ‘one’ (1988), 41) metallica – ‘master of puppets’ (1986), 40) jimi hendrix – ‘all along the watchtower’ (1968), 39) gun n’ roses – ‘paradise city’ (1987), 38) the rolling stones – ‘gimme shelter’ (1969), 37) deep purple – ‘burn’ (1974), 36) bruce springsteen – ‘born to run’ (1975), 35) foo fighters – ‘everlong’ (1997), 34) metallica – ‘nothing else matters’ (1991), 33) eagles – ‘hotel california’ (1976), 32) deep purple – ‘highway star’ (1972), 31) black sabbath – ‘heaven and hell’ (1980), 30) iron maiden – ‘the number of the beast’ (1982), 29) tenacious d – ‘tribute’ (2002), 28) rush – ‘the spirit of radio’ (1980), 27) bon jovi – ‘livin’ on a prayer’ (1986), 26) ac/dc – ‘let there be rock’ (1977), 25) free – ‘all right now’ (1970), 24) black sabbath – ‘war pigs’ (1970), 23) led zeppelin – ‘rock and roll’ (1971), 22) iron maiden – ‘the trooper’ (1983), 21) black sabbath – ‘paranoid’ (1970), 20) the who – ‘won’t get fooled again’ (1971).

A Top 10 hit upon its release in 1971 as a trimmed down three-minute single, to truly understand the brilliance of 'Won't Get Fooled Again' you have to listen to the sprawling eight-and-a-half-minute album version. Pete Townshend wrote 'Won't Get Fooled Again' as a critique about power and revolution, and the song is loosely broken down into three thematic parts – the uprising in the first verse, the overthrow of power in the middle, and the new regime being a replica of the old regime later in the song, hence lines like "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

19) Deep Purple – ‘Child in Time’ (1970)

Loosely inspired by the Cold War and themes of inhumanity, Deep Purple's progressive rock opus is a musical odyssey of the highest calibre. Embracing the quiet/loud dynamic, throughout the all-too-short 10 minutes each band member is at the top of the game - from Ritchie Blackmore's searing riffs to Ian Gillan's emotionally wrought (and oft screeching) vocals to Jon Lord's ominous organs to the pulsing rhythms of Roger Glover and Ian Paice. A monumental and magnificent rock epic.

18) Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’ (1991)

The opening track and lead single from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album (aka 'The Black Album'), 'Enter Sandman' opens with Kirk Hammett's plaintive guitar playing before crushing guitars and sonic fury are unleashed on the listener. True it's not as raw as some of Metallica's earlier songs, but 'Enter Sandman' is a heavy metal masterclass that fuses nightmarish lyrics with thunderous music and searing riffs.

17) Led Zeppelin – ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (1969)

Colossal sounding, dirty-as-hell, gloriously lewd and sonically experimental, 'Whole Lotta Love' needs very little introduction. Jimmy Page's iconic riff is one of the purest and most timeless riffs he ever created with Led Zeppelin, while John Paul Jones and John Bonham give the track poise, rhythm and muscle. However, it's Robert Plant who manages to grab the headlines with his sexually charged and highly lascivious lines like "Way down inside", "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love" and, of course, "I wanna be your backdoor man!"

16) Motörhead – ‘Ace of Spades’ (1980)

Motörhead purists might argue that there are better songs in the band's formidable musical arsenal, but 'Ace of Spades' is easily Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and "Fast" Eddie Clarke's most popular and enduring tracks. Pure musical alchemy, 'Ace of Spades' opens with Lemmy's pummelling bass intro before crashing drums and whirring guitars enter the fray and Mr Kilmeister spouts gambling themed lyrics in his idiosyncratic guttural growl. Exhilarating and electric.

15) AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’ (1979)

The second highest placing Bon Scott-era AC/DC song on our countdown, 'Highway to Hell' is three-and-a-half minutes of primal, powerful and perfect guitar-drive rock. Like so many riffs in AC/DC's legendary repertoire, Angus Young's riff is truly timeless, while Bon Scott is at his commanding best. With 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC once again proved that simplicity is often the key to rock n' roll brilliance.

14) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)

Powered by scintillating riffs from Angus and Malcolm Young, rabble-rousing chants, screeching vocals from Brian Johnson and muscular rhythms from Chris Slade and Cliff Williams, 'Thunderstruck' is the sound of AC/DC at their most electrifying and one of the standout moments of the post-Bon Scott era. Such is its popularity, 'Thunderstruck' was the first AC/DC track to surpass one billion views on YouTube.

13) Gun N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ (1987)

Of course, it wouldn't be a Greatest Rock Song poll without Gun N' Roses' signature song 'Sweet Child O' Mine' rearing its head. The 'Appetite for Destruction' anthem is so all-pervading and ubiquitous that even Slash says he "cringes" when he hears his iconic riff in public, however, ignoring the over-exposure, there's no doubt that 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is a rock classic.

12) Iron Maiden – ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (1982)

Iron Maiden's fifth song to appear on our countdown is 'The Number of the Beast' classic 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. Performed on every Iron Maiden tour – except the Maiden England World Tour and The Book of Souls World Tour – for the past four decades, the Steve Harris penned seven-minute epic details the macabre story of a prisoner about the be hanged. Not only is it one of Iron Maiden's greatest songs from their legendary back catalogue, it's also one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

11) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)

Ritchie Blackmore's instantly recognisable guitar riff on 'Smoke on the Water' was voted the Greatest Rock Riff of All Time by Planet Rock listeners five years ago, and the seminal song has duly been voted into the Top 20 on our new poll. Blackmore noted years later that he took inspiration from Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and he owes the deceased composer a lot of money. Thematically, 'Smoke on the Water' was inspired by the devastating fire at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland in December 1971 where the band had decamped to record what would become their sixth album, 'Machine Head.'

10) Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)

The opening track on Meat Loaf's debut album of the same name, as statements of intent go, they don't get much better than 'Bat Out of Hell.' The brilliantly bombastic track's lyrics were described as "a rock 'n roll sci-fi version of Peter Pan" by songwriter Jim Steinman, while musically it's gloriously overblown and the perfect vehicle for the late-great Meat Loaf's theatrical and impossibly powerful voice. An irrefutable rock magnum opus.

9) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1980)

Opening with one of the greatest riffs in rock history, AC/DC's title track from their blockbuster 'Back in Black' album was written in response to the death of Bon Scott. New frontman Brian Johnson was asking not to be morbid when penning the lyrics, and, duly, the track is a celebration of the rock legend. Johnson noted years later: "I just wrote what came into my head, which at the time seemed like mumbo, jumbo. 'Nine lives. Cats eyes. Abusing every one of them and running wild.' The boys got it though. They saw Bon's life in that lyric."

8) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)

The seventh AC/DC song to feature in our Top 70 is the band's riff-heavy hard rock anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie.' Written by Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young, 'Whole Lotta Rosie' details a mind-blowing one-night stand Scott had with a Tasmanian woman called Rosie. A mainstay of AC/DC's live shows since it was released (only 'The Jack' has been performed live more), more recent performances of 'Whole Lotta Rosie' have featured a giant inflatable Rosie on the stage's backdrop.

7) Alter Bridge - ‘Blackbird’ (2007)

The only song from the 21st Century to feature in our Top 20, 'Blackbird' is the crowning glory of Alter Bridge's second studio album and arguably the highpoint of their illustrious career so far. Lyrically poignant, Myles Kennedy wrote the lyrics for 'Blackbird' about the death of his close friend Mark Morse. Kennedy said: "It's really about seeing the suffering he was going through and hoping he would find his solace soon and be free from all of that." The eight-minute track also features a colossal guitar solo from both Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti that was voted the third greatest guitar solo ever by Planet Rock listeners in 2019.

6) Led Zeppelin – ‘Kashmir’ (1975)

The towering musical behemoth that is 'Kashmir' is Led Zeppelin's second-highest polling song from their fabled back catalogue. A track so good that it has you thumbing at the thesaurus looking for suitable superlatives, it's no surprise that the surviving members of Led Zeppelin regard 'Kashmir' as one of their career zeniths. Jimmy Page said of the track: "The intensity of 'Kashmir' was such that when we had it completed, we knew there was something really hypnotic to it, we couldn't even describe such a quality…. It sounded so frightening at first."

5) Pink Floyd - ‘Comfortably Numb’ (1979)

David Gilmour's transcendental playing on Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' was voted the Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time by Planet Rock listeners in 2019, and the song itself is rightfully in the upper echelons of our Greatest Rock Songs poll at Number 5. Penned by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, 'Comfortably Numb' is one of the defining moments of their songwriting partnership, yet such was the friction between the two during the recording process that Gilmour later noted it represents "the last embers of mine and Roger's ability to work collaboratively together." Poignantly, 'Comfortably Numb' was the last song Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and the late-great Richard Wright performed together at Live Aid in 2005.

4) Lynyrd Skynyrd – ‘Free Bird’ (1973)

The only Lynyrd Skynyrd to make our Top 70, the Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins penned 'Free Bird' is the band's signature song and truly one of the finest tracks in rock history. Delivered in Van Zant's trademark southern rock drawl, the track opens with him singing "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?", hinting at a man unable to settle down. Just past the midway point, 'Free Bird' morphs into a crescendo of glorious guitar solos and frenetic instrumentation – an life-affirming aural onslaught that still sounds as fresh now as it did almost half a century ago.

3) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)

The standout song from Rainbow's seminal 'Rising' album, 'Stargazer' sees the inimitable, late-great Ronnie James Dio narrate the ominous story of a wizard whose attempt to fly by constructing a tower to the stars leads to the enslavement of countless people. A musically complex, powerful and majestic heavy metal tour-de-force, 'Stargazer' flaunts the imperious talents of the respective Rainbow band members, from Dio's astonishing pipes to Cozy Powell's titanic drums to Ritchie Blackmore's mercurial guitar playing. Nothing short of a masterpiece.

2) Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (1971)

Number 2 on our Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs poll in September 2018 to mark the band's 50th anniversary, 'Stairway To Heaven' is also at No.2 in our Greatest Rock Song poll. Clocking in at just over eight minutes, every second of 'Stairway To Heaven' is iconic; from the opening, Renaissance-tinged finger-picked guitars and recorders to Jimmy Page's legendary solo and right through to Robert Plant's ultimate, plaintive "and she's buying the stairway to heaven" refrain. A true timeless classic that will be listened to in centuries to come.

1) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)

Having previously finished at No.2 in our previous Greatest Rock Song poll a decade ago , Queen's timeless and ubiquitous rock epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has climbed to Number 1 in 2022. Multi-layered and ambitious in musical scope, the Freddie Mercury penned 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has topped the charts twice in the UK and has been introduced to new generations of fans via 1992's Wayne's World and the 2018 Queen biopic of the same name, Bohemian Rhapsody.

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