Uriah Heep was one of the many 1970s hard-rock bands that entertained dreams of becoming “The New Led Zeppelin” while playing their brand of heavy guitar music on stages across the world. But Uriah Heep was one of the few who made those dreams a reality. These mythology-obsessed Brits are one of the greatest rock bands of all-time.

Still, with each passing year, I seem to notice the group becoming more underrated. Let’s keep the fire burning, and the band’s fame intact. These are the 10 best songs by Uriah Heep.

The 10 Greatest Songs by Uriah Heep

10. “Gypsy”

“Gypsy” is one of the great, nearly lost gems of early hard rock. It’s hard to argue with that simple, tough-as-nails guitar riff, that’ll have chanting it in no time, or the over-the-top vocal performance.

Yet, upon the release of the debut album “Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble,” critics were left unconvinced. In fact, one journalist claimed they’d be ready to step off a ledge should Uriah Heep ever get successful. It was a promise, likely never upheld.

9. “Sunrise”

Uriah Heep has ben touring consistently for the better part of 50 years. How do they do it? Well, ambition certainly has something to do with it. However, without possessing an extensive collection of rock hits, the group wouldn’t have been able to sustain this career.

“Sunrise”, with expressive keyboard lines and David Byron’s quasi-mystical lyrics, is one of those hits the band will have to play for as long as they tour. I hope for several more decades, at the least!

8. “Free Me”

By the time of “Free Me,” Uriah Heep had been on the radio for enough years to recognize what casual listeners wanted. The song was a departure from the muscular hard-rock sound of the early records. This was, for all intents and purposes, an acoustic-led song that could’ve easily fit into the repertoire of bands like Smokie.

Still, time has been kind on “Free Me,” and its pleasant pop-rock vibes.

7. “The Wizard”

“He was the wizard of a thousand kings.” For better or for worse, that opening lyric is one of the famous lines in the Uriah Heep discography.

Sure, even Led Zeppelin had taken inspiration for their songs from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels. And, yes, Uriah Heep tends to keep a bit on the nose. Still, for 1970s ambition, with a side of cheese, I don’t think that you can get much better.

6. “Stealin'”

Uriah Heep worked an awful lot to achieve international success. “Stealin'” was the first hit single that confirmed the band had, for a while, reached easy street. It also signified a clear shift away from the fantasy-inspired lyrics.

That meant the group could more easily be employed to cater to the loud-loving, hearing-deprived rock audiences of the world. What a treat!

5. “Rainbow Demon”

Yes, yes, some of Uriah Heep’s song titles read like Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. And, yes, the muscular hard-rock of songs like “Easy Livin'” was nearly always balanced by songs about wizards, magicians and demons.

But put your cynicism aside for a moment, and “Rainbow Demon” will reveal itself as the work of a confident, theatrical, over-the-top prog-rock group of the 1970s. I clearly think this has its charm.

4. “July Morning”

The hard-rock groups of the 1970s were expected to vary their material by including ballads.There aren’t many of these as pretty or theatrical in nature as “July Morning.”

Sure, songwriters Ken Hensley and David Byron allow themselves to be inspired by the group’s more famous arena-rock counterparts. But they get the dynamics and sense of majesty of the power ballad just right on this one.

“July Morning” was one of the songs that greatly increased Uriah Heep’s following, which now included women as well as heavily bearded young men.

3. “Look at Yourself”

Uriah Heep nearly always faced an uphill battle. By the group’s 1971 third album, numerous line-up changes and frequent attacks from musical critics threatened to derail the group.

The band came out swinging. It was a good thing too that they’d worked on perfecting that riff-based hard-rock approach. “Look at Yourself” sliced the progressive tendencies down to bare bones and offered a song that could rival the likes of Deep Purple or Nazareth when it came to bruising rockers.

2. “Lady in Black”

While “Lady in Black” is surely one of Uriah Heep’s most celebrated songs, it, ironically, shares little with the rest of the sound of progressive-rock-minded “Salisbury.” This was a make-or-break sophomore album from a band whose debut had sunk without a trace.

Instrumentally something of a campfire singalong with mystical overtones, “Lady in Black” is one of the great story songs of the 1970s. It is true that David Byron’s lyrics could, occasionally, come out as pompous. But the word choices and narrative work absolutely perfectly here. A masterwork!

1. “Easy Livin'”

For all of the band’s penchant for writing prog-rock songs about wizards and demons, it’s really when Uriah Heep goes for straight-ahead, confrontational rock that it shines.

“Easy Livin'” is the band’s most memorable single. It ushered in a mid-1970s period of success that not even Mick Box dared hope for anymore. And it’s a piece of music that can proudly stand alongside the compositions of Led Zeppelin, or Black Sabbath, who’d been so influential on Heep.

“Easy Livin'”, with Byron’s scene-stealing performance, is one of the best rock songs of all time.