EP · Judas Priest
Defenders of the Faith by Judas Priest
Defenders of the Faith is an EP by Judas Priest, released in 1984. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 13 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Love Bites”, on 7 lists with a best position of #114.
Defenders of the Faith, Judas Priest's ninth album, came out on Columbia in 1984, four years after British Steel had finally dragged the Birmingham metal lifers into the mainstream, and it finds them at full gallop. Tom Allom produced, and the lineup was the one the faithful swear by: Rob Halford up front, Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing on guitars, Ian Hill on bass and Dave Holland behind the kit.
The singles tell you what kind of record it is. "Freewheel Burning" hurtles along like it's lost its brakes, "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" stomps in with the threat right there in the title, and "Love Bites" drops the pace to a menacing prowl. It's heavy metal with every edge filed sharp, two guitars locked in tight and Halford hurling his voice at the rafters, and America bought in: the album went platinum there.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Defenders of the Faith on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Love Bites | 7 | #114 | – | 1990–2002 | |
| 2 | Some Heads Are Gonna Roll | 4 | #377 | – | 1990–2002 | |
| 3 | Rock Hard, Ride Free | 1 | #778 | – | 1990 | |
| 4 | Freewheel Burning | 1 | #830 | – | 1990 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.