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The band David Crosby dismissed as “garbage” only for them to go on to sell nearly 50,000,000 records
At Live Aid, David Crosby objected to Judas Priest following Crosby, Stills & Nash on the bill, calling the heavy metal band “garbage”, according to journalist Mick Wall’s account. His complaint came after a decade-long gap since the trio had performed together, and the anecdote highlights the musical tensions and strong opinions surrounding the event.
Judas Priest later sold almost 50 million records, around 13 million fewer than Crosby, Stills & Nash, the article says. The band also faced backlash during the period of the “satanic panic”, yet went on to build a substantial audience despite Crosby’s dismissal.
In short
- Crosby criticised Judas Priest after they followed CSN at Live Aid.
- Judas Priest went on to sell nearly 50 million records.
- Their sales came within about 13 million of CSN’s.
Explained simply
Live Aid was a major benefit concert held in 1985 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, with performances in London and Philadelphia. Its bill brought together musicians from different generations and styles, including the American folk-rock trio Crosby, Stills & Nash and British heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Crosby, Stills & Nash formed in the late 1960s and were known for close vocal harmonies; Judas Priest helped shape heavy metal, with loud guitars and a more forceful sound. The bands’ different musical approaches help explain the tension in the reported anecdote, while their record sales show how both reached large audiences.
In the 1980s, some heavy metal music was also caught up in the “satanic panic”: public fears and accusations that music promoted Satanism. That controversy formed part of the climate in which Judas Priest built its following.