The former was initially called Blue Condition, forming in 1970 with Graham Oliver on guitar, Steve "Dobby" Dawson on bass, and John Walker on drums.

Coast contained singer and bass player Peter "Biff" Byford, and guitarist Paul Quinn.

On 16 August, they earned a positive reception at the first Monsters of Rock festival, commemorated by the following year's "And the Bands Played On".

[citation needed] The album also featured fan favourites such as "Princess of the Night", "Never Surrender", and "And the Bands Played On" – all UK Top 20 hits.

By this time, the band was seen as the leaders of the NWOBHM movement, with future greats Iron Maiden and Def Leppard following close behind.

[2] Just as the band was to embark on a long tour to follow the success of Denim and Leather, drummer Pete Gill left, after injuring his hand.

[2] The band quickly replaced him with Nigel Glockler, formerly of Toyah,[2] who had to learn the entire set within a day and a half.

[2] As the NWOBHM movement began to fade, 1983's Power & the Glory,[2] their best-selling album to date, saw Saxon confirmed as one of the leading metal acts in Europe, along with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

The US leg of the tour, as special guest to Iron Maiden, along with Fastway, proved to be successful and Saxon found themselves becoming a major act in the US as the album, in its first week of release, sold more than 15,000 copies in Los Angeles alone.

[2] Though still heavy, critics felt the album had a more commercial sound, and fans began to wonder what direction the band was taking.

[2] With Elton John making guest appearances as pianist on two tracks, and Byford recording the bass parts, the album charted higher than its predecessor and was considered a success.

The band found it hard to attain chart success in America; the release of Destiny (1988) did not change this,[2] and Saxon were later dropped by EMI.

In 1990, they signed to Virgin Records and started work on their new album Solid Ball of Rock, which was released in 1991 and proved to be successful.

A UK version of the album featured an alternate cover with a "Space Marine" from the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame.

In November, they played two gigs in Brazil (São Paulo and Santos) and ended the year with a Christmas show in Belgium.

After relentless touring, drummer Nigel Glockler took time off to recover from a neck and shoulder injury and was temporally replaced by Fritz Randow.

The album was praised in Germany where Saxon had begun to play the Wacken Open Air Festival, where they later became a regular fixture.

In 2003, the High Court declared that it was Byford and the current members of the band who owned the name, and were therefore in a position to prevent Oliver and Dawson passing themselves off as Saxon.

The band were due to play that year's Dubai Desert Rock Festival and perform alongside Megadeth.

Saxon's The Inner Sanctum album, released in Europe on 5 March 2007, and North America on 3 April, was seen by critics as their best work in years.

In February, it was announced that the band were cancelling the Spanish leg of their European tour with Iced Earth, due to scheduling issues.

In September Saxon announced the release of Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie, a documentary on the band's history from the beginning.

Continuing their success in the UK, Saxon performed at the 2010 Download Festival, which took place at Donington Park between 11 and 13 June.

The band announced on their Call To Arms tour that a number of fans at each venue, each paying £10, would be able to watch them soundcheck.

"[19] On 1 August 2015, the band announced 16 October as the release date of Battering Ram and also premiered the official video of the title track.

[20] On 14 September 2016, Biff Byford announced on Facebook that Saxon were working on a new album with producer Andy Sneap, for an early 2017 release.

[22] In a 16 March 2017 interview with former Anthrax vocalist Neil Turbin on Canada's The Metal Voice in Los Angeles, California, Biff Byford gave an update on the new album saying that several songs were already recorded with a few more to complete, with an estimated release date for early 2018.

To support the album, they briefly toured Europe and the UK with Diamond Head, Rock Goddess and Magnum from late February to early March 2018,[26] and was the support act along with Black Star Riders for Judas Priest's Firepower World Tour from mid March to early May 2018.

[35] On 10 March 2023, the band announced guitarist Paul Quinn's retirement from touring, although they stated that he would continue his work in the studio.

[45] Saxon have been cited as a major influence or inspiration by numerous bands, including Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Testament, Dokken, Skid Row, Dream Theater, Exodus, Overkill, King Diamond and Celtic Frost.