# Living After Midnight > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Living_After_Midnight > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Living_After_Midnight.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_After_Midnight > Source revision: 1350598245 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|1980 single by Judas Priest}} {{for|their compilation album|The Best of Judas Priest: Living After Midnight}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Use British English|date=May 2014}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} {{Infobox song | name = Living After Midnight | cover = Living After Midnight.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [Judas Priest](/source/Judas_Priest) | album = [British Steel](/source/British_Steel_(album)) | released = 21 March 1980 | recorded = * January–February 1980 * Startling Studios * [Ascot, Berkshire](/source/Ascot%2C_Berkshire) | studio = | venue = | genre = *[Heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music){{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ex-judas-priest-guitarist-kk-downing-talks-heavy-metal-new-book-jimi-hendrix-728477/|title=Ex–Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing on Helping to Define Heavy Metal|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=25 September 2018|magazine=[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)|access-date=8 August 2019}} *[pop metal](/source/pop_metal){{Cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=86QALKyWGHQC|title=The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time|date=2003|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-530-3|language=en|pages=95}} | length = 3:31 | label = [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Records) | writer = * [Rob Halford](/source/Rob_Halford) * [K. K. Downing](/source/K._K._Downing) * [Glenn Tipton](/source/Glenn_Tipton) | producer = [Tom Allom](/source/Tom_Allom) | prev_title = [Evening Star](/source/Evening_Star_(Judas_Priest_song)) | prev_year = 1979 | next_title = [Breaking the Law](/source/Breaking_the_Law) | next_year = 1980 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|9VVFNgbsDC4|"Living After Midnight"}}}} }} "'''Living After Midnight'''" is a song by English [heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) band [Judas Priest](/source/Judas_Priest).{{cite book|editor-last=Bayer|editor-first=Gerd |title=Heavy metal music in Britain|url=https://archive.org/details/heavymetalmusicb00baye|url-access=limited|year=2009|publisher=Ashgate|location=Farnham, England|isbn=9780754664239|pages=[https://archive.org/details/heavymetalmusicb00baye/page/n35 23]}} It was originally featured on their 1980 album ''[British Steel](/source/British_Steel_(album))'',{{cite book|editor= Vladimir Bogdanov|title=All music guide to rock : the definitive guide to rock, pop, and soul|year=2002|publisher=Backbeat Books|location=San Francisco, CA|isbn=978-0879306533|pages=605|edition=3.}} which was their first gold album in the United States selling more than 500,000 copies (and eventually went platinum for selling at least one million).{{cite book|last=Bowe|first=Brian J.|title=Judas Priest: metal gods|year=2009|publisher=Enslow|location=Berkeley Heights, NJ|isbn=978-0766036215}} The song speaks to the [hedonistic](/source/Hedonism), rebellious spirit of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and is among the band's most popular songs. ==Background== The song title came about when [Glenn Tipton](/source/Glenn_Tipton) awakened [Rob Halford](/source/Rob_Halford) with his loud guitar playing at 4 AM, during the band's stay at [Tittenhurst Park](/source/Tittenhurst_Park) to record ''[British Steel](/source/British_Steel_(album))'' in 1980. Halford commented to Tipton that he was "really living after midnight", and Tipton replied that Halford's comment was a great title for the song he was working on.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/living-after-midnight-judas-priest |title=Living After Midnight |last=Prato |first=Greg |magazine=[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone) |date=2012-06-12 |access-date=2018-05-30}} ==Video== The music video, directed by [Julien Temple](/source/Julien_Temple) and shot live at the [Sheffield City Hall](/source/Sheffield_City_Hall), begins with drummer [Dave Holland](/source/Dave_Holland_(drummer)) playing an invisible drum kit. During the guitar solo, fans on the front row play along with their cardboard guitars (which were the prominent fan symbols of the [new wave of British heavy metal](/source/new_wave_of_British_heavy_metal) movement). ==Reception== ''[PopMatters](/source/PopMatters)'' said, "'Living After Midnight' still sticks in the craws of some fuddy-duddy [metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) old-timers, but as trite as this little party anthem is, its hook is irresistible and glorious, the sound of a band learning that it never hurts to have a little fun once in a while. The song is oddly clean-cut, hedonism rendered a little innocent, and kind of sweet."{{cite magazine| magazine= [PopMatters](/source/PopMatters) | title=THE 15 BEST JUDAS PRIEST SONGS|author=Adrien Begrand| url=https://www.popmatters.com/15-best-judas-priest-songs}} [BBC](/source/BBC_Online) agreed it, "epitomised the new breed of radio friendly metal".{{cite web| work= BBC| title=Judas Priest British Steel Review|author=Sid Smith| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/2z25/}} In 2012, ''[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)'' ranked the song number five on its list of the 10 greatest Judas Priest songs, calling it, "Perhaps the greatest Judas Priest song to sing along with,"{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/best-judas-priest-songs/|title=10 Best Judas Priest Songs|first=Graham|last=Hartmann|work=[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)|date=24 August 2012|accessdate=27 February 2022}} and in 2019, ''[Louder Sound](/source/Metal_Hammer)'' ranked the song number three on its list of the 50 greatest Judas Priest songs.{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-greatest-judas-priest-songs-ever/2|title=The 50 Greatest Judas Priest songs EVER|first1=Christ|last1=Chantler|first2=Dom|last2=Lawson|work=[Louder Sound](/source/Louder_Sound)|date=8 October 2019|accessdate=27 February 2022}} ==Cover versions== This song has been covered by [The Donnas](/source/The_Donnas) on their album ''[The Donnas Turn 21](/source/The_Donnas_Turn_21)'' (2001), by Saul Blanch on the [tribute album](/source/tribute_album) ''Acero Argentino: Tributo a Judas Priest'' (2006), by [L.A. Guns](/source/L.A._Guns) on ''[Hell Bent Forever: A Tribute to Judas Priest](/source/Hell_Bent_Forever%3A_A_Tribute_to_Judas_Priest)'' (2008) and by [Iron Savior](/source/Iron_Savior) as a bonus track on the Japanese release of their ''[Condition Red](/source/Condition_Red_(Iron_Savior_album))'' (2002) album. It was covered by [Disturbed](/source/Disturbed_(band)) on the ''Tribute to British Steel'' (2010) CD by ''[Metal Hammer](/source/Metal_Hammer)'' UK music magazine, incorporating the opening drum salvo from Judas Priest's 1990 song "[Painkiller](/source/Painkiller_(Judas_Priest_song))". It also appears as one of the bonus songs available with some distributions of Disturbed's album ''[Asylum](/source/Asylum_(Disturbed_album))'' (2010), and also features on their B-sides compilation album ''[The Lost Children](/source/The_Lost_Children_(album))'' (2011). In 1981, [Italian](/source/Italy) [rock](/source/Rock_music) singer [Vasco Rossi](/source/Vasco_Rossi) adapted the riff of "Living After Midnight" for his song "Dimentichiamoci questa città", included in his fourth studio album ''Siamo solo noi''; the song became a success in Italy and Rossi used it for his first [promotional video](/source/promotional_video).{{Cite web |last=Redazione Rockol |first= |title=Vasco Rossi: "Le somiglianze con i Judas Priest? Vero: prendemmo il loro riff" |url=https://www.rockol.it/news-723072/vasco-rossi-judas-priest-somiglianze-riff-fonico-siamo-solo-noi |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Rockol |language=it}}{{Cite web |last=Giordano |first=Paolo |date=2018-02-22 |title=Gli ultimi eroi del metal. "Il nostro è rock duro ma non ispira violenza" |url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/spettacoli/ultimi-eroi-metal-nostro-rock-duro-non-ispira-violenza-1497150.html |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=ilGiornale.it |language=it}} ==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1980) !Peak
position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Singles ([Kent Music Report](/source/Kent_Music_Report)){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} | align="center"| 91 |- {{single chart|UK|12|date=19800406|rowheader=true|access-date=20 September 2022}} |} ==Personnel== * [Rob Halford](/source/Rob_Halford) – [vocals](/source/Singing) * [Glenn Tipton](/source/Glenn_Tipton) – [lead guitar](/source/lead_guitar) * [K. K. Downing](/source/K._K._Downing) – [rhythm guitar](/source/rhythm_guitar) * [Ian Hill](/source/Ian_Hill) – [bass](/source/Bass_guitar) * [Dave Holland](/source/Dave_Holland_(drummer)) – [drums](/source/drum_kit) ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Judas Priest}} {{authority control}} Category:1980 singles Category:Judas Priest songs Category:Songs written by Rob Halford Category:Songs written by Glenn Tipton Category:Songs written by K. K. Downing Category:1980 songs Category:Columbia Records singles Category:Music videos directed by Julien Temple --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Living After Midnight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_After_Midnight) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_After_Midnight?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.