Retro Video of the Week: "Heading Out to the Highway" by Judas Priest

The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class was announced earlier today, and as the Rock Hall voters continue their righteous task of making up for years of snubbing hard rock and metal bands and artists, one of the long-overdue inductees was metal gods Judas Priest.  In their honor, this week's Retro Video of the Week is the video for their 1981 song "Heading Out to the Highway."  It was the band's first entry into the Top 10 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (then called the Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart), which makes sense, since the chart debuted two months before the song was released.

"Heading Out to the Highway" is an oft-overlooked gem in the Priest catalog, but it's a great hard rock song, perfect to crank with the windows rolled down, no matter whether you're driving on the actual highway or the smallest of side streets.

The video is pretty magnificent.  MTV was still a few months away, and this was clearly pretty low budget, with the band standing on a set with a painted desert scene and fake highway running through the middle.  Then there are some actions scenes on a rural highway, with a '57 T-Bird and a '57 Chevy drag racing while lead singer Rob Halford writhes about in some sort of strange interpretive dance.  Back on the set, drummer Dave Holland -- who looks very much the part of a used car dealership sales manager -- has some delicious fills.  Bassist Ian Hill is covered from neck to toes in black leather, with a full beard and a lion's mane of hair, looking very much like the Meat Packing District's answer to Bertie Higgins.  And, of course, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing provide a perfect twin lead guitar solo.

Now let's get Iron Maiden in the Rock Hall next year!