was ranked 43rd in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". After the success of subsequent Judas Priest albums in the US, Stained Class would eventually be certified Gold. The song "Invader" was finally added to the band's setlists in 2021, making "Heroes End" the only song off the album that has never been performed live. Lawsuit Twelve years after its release, Stained Class was the subject of a 1990 civil action brought against the band by the family of a teenager, James Vance, who entered into a suicide pact with his friend Ray Belknap after allegedly listening to "Better by You, Better than Me" on 23 December 1985. Belknap succeeded in killing himself, and Vance was left critically injured after surviving a self-inflicted gunshot to the face, eventually dying of a methadone overdose three years later. The suit alleged that Judas Priest recorded subliminal messages on the song that said "do it". The suit was eventually dismissed. The song was originally written and performed by the band Spooky Tooth. Three weeks after the lawsuit wrapped up, the band kicked off their Painkiller Tour by playing "Better by You, Better than Me" on the first concert in Burbank, California on 13 September. It constitutes Judas Priest's only live performance of the song since 1979. Comedian Bill Hicks ridiculed the lawsuit as part of his act, pointing out (as many others have also done) the absurdity of the notion that a successful band would wish to kill off their purchasing fanbase. Track listing Personnel Judas Priest Rob Halford – vocals K. K. Downing – guitars Glenn Tipton – guitars Ian Hill – bass Les Binks – drums Additional personnel Dave Holland – drums (Track 10, 1988) Scott Travis – drums (Track 11, 1990) Production Produced by Dennis MacKay and Judas Priest, and engineered by Neil Ross, except "Better By You, Better Than Me", produced by James Guthrie and Judas Priest, and engineered by Ken Thomas and Paul Northfield Coordinated by John Blackburn Mixed by Neil Ross, Ken Thomas and Paul Northfield Art design by Rosław Szaybo Photography by Ronald Kass David Hemmings – management Arnakata Limited – management Charts Certifications |- References External links Stained Class at the Judas Priest Info Pages site. Accessed 10 July 2005. 1978 albums Columbia Records albums Judas Priest albums