Top 10: Saxon Songs

Happy 74th birthday to our good pal Biff Byford! Over the years, we’ve been honored to sit down with the legendary singer for a chat or two, where he’s graciously confided in us all things Saxon, past, present, and future. As Biff and the boys look ahead to another year of “Heavy Metal Thunder”, we figured we’d attempt the impossible and present to you our Top 10 Saxon Songs. Now this is a rare case of a band whose catalog is so iconic that if you came up with a list of 10 completely different Saxon songs and presented it as their “best”, it’d be hard to disagree. So feel free to leave your Top 10s in the comments! Here’s ours…

10. “Heavy Metal Thunder”

The year is 1980 and the NWOBHM is in full swing. Leading the charge is Saxon, who’s already released one of the best albums of the year in Wheels of Steel. Eager to outdo the competition and themselves, they decide, “Why not make it a double header?”, and release ANOTHER stone cold classic in 1980, Strong Arm of the Law. Leading off that platter of English metal badassery is “Heavy Metal Thunder”, which was more than just a song: It was a declaration. Move over punks and discoers! The NWOBHM was here to stay, at least for a few more years, that is. To this day, “Heavy Metal Thunder” resonates with headbangers of all ages, never failing to get the blood pumping.

9. “Battalions of Steel”

The only people who might find the inclusion of “Battalions of Steel” on this list appalling are those who have never actually listened to Saxon’s 21st century output. If you’re one of those unfortunate few who think these veterans’ best days are behind them, think again. As the opening track on the painfully underrated Into the Labyrinth (2009), “Battalions of Steel” sees Saxon once again channeling the euro power metal style they helped innovate (more on that later). It’s epic, melodic, and gloriously over the top, complete with dueling guitar solos and symphonic keys. It’d be awesome if they dusted it off the next time they came stateside.

8. “20,000 Feet”

Although Saxon was never a speed metal band proper, when they did tap the vein, they did it just as well as any other breakneck purveyors of the day (i.e. Raven, Venom, Tank, etc.). Look no further than “20,000 Feet”. The rampaging drums, high speed riffing, and overall aggression isn’t far removed from what we’d hear a few years later with the advent of thrash. Make no mistake, a young Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield were listening to Strong Arm of the Law vigilantly, pen and paper in hand. 45 years on and “20,000 Feet” continues to give us the adrenaline rush of flying above the land at, you guessed it, 20,000 feet.

7. “Wheels of Steel”

If you made a playlist of the coolest songs ever recorded, “Wheels of Steel” would have to be on there. It doesn’t matter your age, race, gender, or so forth. The minute this song kicks in, you’re instantly behind the wheel of a ’68 Chevy, aviators on and wind flowing through your hair. Why classic rock radio doesn’t play this song daily amongst the usual helpings of AC/DC and Bob Seger is beyond me. That riff, simple as it is, always hits the spot. It’s so hooky and memorable, with an undeniable swagger, and while I’ve heard that chorus a million times, I’ll never not sing, “She’s got wheeeeelllllsss, wheels of steel!” at the top of my lungs.

6. “747 (Strangers in the Night)”

While Saxon is usually and rightfully regarded as a key influence on the thrash metal movement, they also influenced more melodically-inclined acts like Mötley Crüe and Dokken, largely thanks to songs like “747 (Strangers in the Night)”. Balancing subtle metallic bite with haunting earworm melodies, “747” is a melodic metal masterclass that carries itself as if it were from another dimension. The second song on this list about airplanes (see “20,000 Feet”), “747” is much more tragic in nature when one examines its lyrical content, chronicling a plane about to crash. And yet that sweet as syrup chorus would trick you into believing otherwise!

5. “And the Bands Played On”

Before the endless crop of metal fests that arose all over the globe, there was only one, and that was Monsters of Rock. Held at Castle Donington in England, the inaugural 1980 edition boasted a lineup of Rainbow, Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Riot, Touch, and of course, Saxon. Biff and the gang were so moved by their experience that day that they wrote a song about it, resulting in one of the greatest metal anthems of all time. “And the Bands Played On” should be required listening at every metal festival. If a band doesn’t volunteer to cover it, it should at least be played over the PA. Remember its hallowed words the next time you find yourself blackout drunk at Hell’s Heroes or Maryland Deathfest!

4. “Princess of the Night”

An alternate name for this list could be planes, trains and automobiles! We’ve already covered the planes (“20,000 Feet”, “747 (Strangers in the Night)”) and automobiles (“Wheels of Steel”). Now it’s time for the trains portion of the list. Who knew a song about a train carrying mail could be so kickass? Only Saxon! What can I say about “Princess” that hasn’t been said already? It’s a flawless NWOBHM headbanger from start to finish, complete with an air guitar-friendly riff and a solo arrangement that HAD to have been lifted by Metallica for “Seek and Destroy”. Am I the only one who hears it? Let me know in the comments.

3. “Fire in the Sky”

By the time 1981’s Denim and Leather rolled around, metallists were well versed in Saxon’s speed metal outbursts. They always managed to fit no less than three per album (a practice that still stands today). Yet it’s “Fire in the Sky” that rules the breakneck roost. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but there’s a frenetic energy to this one that’s simply untouchable. Whether it be Byford’s doomsday cries, those bulldozing drums, or that utterly gnarly lead riff, it touches a primal part of my soul that’s forever young, dumb, and ready to rage, adult responsibilities be damned.

2. “Lionheart”

Spoiler alert: When we eventually do our Top 10 Euro Power Metal Albums list, Saxon’s Lionheart will be on it. It is an extremely rare example of an album in which a metal band who influenced a certain subgenre sticks around to watch said subgenre come to fruition, then make an album based off of the genre they helped spawn to begin with. The scariest part? Not only did Saxon make a flat out euro power metal album 25 years into their career, but they recorded one of the best euro power metal albums of all time. Seriously, put this next to the best works of Blind Guardian and Grave Digger and tell me otherwise. On an album loaded with epics, it’s the title track that makes its way all the way to #2 on our list, only to be topped by…

1. “Power and the Glory”

“Raise your glasses high!” The next time you hear someone dismiss Power & the Glory, feel free to send them my way for a good walloping. I will not stand any slander for this masterpiece, which IS as strong a record as the three before it. That’s right, I said it. Not only that, but it boasts the greatest song in the Saxon catalog, its title track. I could analyze how the structure, riffing, and lyrical content influenced the very euro power metal Saxon explored on “Lionheart”, but I digress. This is just a perfect metal song if there ever was one, maybe THEE perfect metal song.

It’s epic and larger than life, yet straightforward and compact. From the moment that opening riff kicks in, coupled with newcomer Nigel Glockler’s steamroller drumbeat, we’re taken on a metallic adventure beyond our wildest dreams. It’s pure headbanger mania, yet without teetering on the point of overload like the speedier cuts on this list. There’s a reason Saxon continues to play it at every show to this day. “Can you feel the power? Can you feel the glory?” We sure can! Hail Saxon! Hail Biff Byford! Hail “Power and the Glory”!