“There was a speed-breaking incident. We weren’t even doing anything cool, just coming back from the store. Blame Judas Priest!”: The album that Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale wants played at her funeral – and the pop record that became a drunken karaoke favourite

Lzzy Hale was raised on rock’n’roll. The Halestorm singer and guitarist – who co-founded the band with her drummer brother Arejay when she was barely in her teens – has gone on to hang out and even play with many of the bands she grew up listening to. In 2014, Lzzy talked Metal Hammer through the albums that made her the woman she is.

The First Album I Bought

Van Halen – 1984 (1984)

“My parents were huge fans of Van Halen – we grew up on all their songs and I definitely caught the bug from them. I was probably conceived to Van Halen!”

The Album I Break The Speed Limit To

Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)

“My little brother and my guitar player [Joe Hottinger] were both in the car with me and we were literally listening to Breaking The Law. There was definitely a speed-breaking incident. We weren’t even doing anything cool, just coming back from the grocery store. Blame Judas Priest!”

Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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The First Album I Had Sex To

Jeff Buckey – Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk (1988)

“I still listen to this album, and whenever Everybody Here Wants You comes on, it takes me back. It was very sweet and very… well, it was as good as the first time should be!”

The Best Album Artwork

Black Sabbath – Heaven And Hell (1980)

“I’m a huge Sabbath and Dio fan, so Heaven And Hell really sticks out in my head – when I first saw it I thought, ‘What a controversial image, especially for the time!’ Black Sabbath are the only people who could pull that off.”

The Album That Defines Metal

Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (1981)

“Every time I listen to those riffs, it just takes me to the place I need to be to write a rock song – it kicks me out of ballad-land.”

The Mob Rules - YouTube

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The Album No One Will Believe I Own A Copy Of

Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

“This one actually isn’t my fault! When I went out on tour with Amy Lee from Evanescence she gave me this album. We’d had a few too many to drink one night and we started singing Janet Jackson, so Amy sent it to me, and then she rented us this karaoke machine for the end-of-tour party and we sang a couple of those songs… We weren’t bad, actually!”

The Album That Should Not Be

Living Things – Har Megiddo (2010)

“It’s not a bad record, and I’m not hating on them, but it was very political, and the clincher was that I looked up some interviews and they had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. You have to know what you stand for. If you’re confused about what the hell you are, how do you expect me to get it?”

The Album I Wish I’d Made

Tom Petty – Wildflowers (1994)

“This isn’t a metal record, but every time I hear it I feel like, ‘Damn it, why didn’t I think of that?!’ It’s one of my all-time favourite records; the songwriting and the delivery are amazing. Every time I listen to it I learn something new.”

Tom Petty - Wildflowers (Home Recording) [Official Music Video] - YouTube

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The Album I Want Played At My Funeral

Alice Cooper – School’s Out (1972)

“When I die, I want to do what Janis Joplin did and have a chunk of money for the bar, and have everybody just have a good time. Alice Cooper’s a huge influence. It really doesn’t matter which record of his because I feel like the people that know me would get the humour. I think he’d appreciate being played at my funeral.”

Originally published in Metal Hammer issue 254 (August 2014)