Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens Questions Judas Priest’s Legacy Strategy As Streaming Debate Continues

Tim “Ripper” Owens has once again opened up about the ongoing absence of his Judas Priest-era recordings from major streaming platforms, and this time he’s drawing a sharp comparison to how Iron Maiden handles its own history.

Speaking with Whiplash.net’s Gustavo Maiato, the former Judas Priest frontman reflected on the continued unavailability of 1997’s Jugulator and 2001’s Demolition, both of which remain absent from services including Spotify.

“Well, it’s hard to draw new fans to it when it’s [not available on Spotify]… You can find it on YouTube, I guess. Yeah, it sucks [that they are not available on major streaming services],” Owens said (per Blabbermouth).

Owens argued that fan reaction to material from that period hasn’t faded:

“When I do these solo tours, I play ‘Jugulator’ and ‘Demolition’ songs, and they go over better than anything,” he said. “When we played [shows with] KK’S PRIEST, when we did ‘Burn In Hell’, that song went over as good as anything.”

Decisions made directly from the band

He then suggested the decision to keep those records unavailable comes directly from the band:

“JUDAS PRIEST decided — their decision, no one else’s — to erase the records,” Owens stated, while adding that fans can still hear the material live during his solo appearances.

Despite frustration over what he described as being “erased” from part of the band’s public history, Owens repeatedly praised his former bandmates and reflected positively on his time in Priest.

“I always say JUDAS PRIEST was my college,” he said. “They opened the doors up for me and I took advantage of it.”

The conversation became more pointed when Owens was asked why Iron Maiden occasionally revisits Blaze Bayley-era songs while Judas Priest does not perform material from his tenure.

“There’s a reason why they play in front of 20,000 people and the other one plays in front of five,” Owens said, crediting Iron Maiden’s management, long term planning and willingness to embrace all chapters of the band’s catalogue.

The debate around the Ripper era catalogue isn’t new, members of Judas Priest have previously suggested rights issues and changing circumstances may contribute to the albums remaining unavailable.

For now, Owens appears content keeping that era alive the old fashioned way, on stage.