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Ranking Iron Maiden |
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adg211288 
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 Topic: Ranking Iron MaidenPosted: 20 Aug 2020 at 3:39pm |
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Having recently gone through Iron Maiden's studio albums again (with some still in rotation), I've come up with the following ranking for the sixteen releases. It probably won't be to everyone's liking: a lot of newer albums placed above certain classics although the bottom end shouldn't upset anyone too much (unless we have some major Blaze era fans in the house).
So how would that compare to your ranking? Additionally what are your favourite Iron Maiden tracks? This is extra hard for me so I'm not going a ranked order for these, but for me these are, at least currently, major standouts from a very solid discography.
I imagine some of those would be seen as typical picks (though hopefully not all of them). Maybe some of you who have been following the band since the 80s are sick of certain tracks. It would be interesting to hear different perspectives. |
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Bosh66
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Posted: 20 Aug 2020 at 3:53pm |
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On the albums I'd swap a couple around, but I think it's a pretty fair ranking. As for tracks, that would take some serious thought
 It's a pretty good selection you have there though. What a band. |
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666sharon666
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Posted: 20 Aug 2020 at 4:24pm |
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Classic Maiden is very consistent, but then so is the progressive modern stuff. I'm a big fan of the latter as well.
1. The top two: Powerslave / Seventh Son (don't ask me to choose between these two, both flawless favourites) 2. The modern gems: Brave New World / Dance of Death / The Book of Souls (also all very close 5/5's, but BNW is the best of the three) 3. Older classics: Iron Maiden / Killers / The Number of the Beast / Somewhere in Time (All 4.5's, I could almost put Number up there with the 5's though) 4. Modern gems: A Matter of Life and Death / The Final Frontier (also 4.5's, but I do play the classics more) 5. Solid offerings: Piece of Mind / Fear of the Dark / The X Factor (3.5 - 4.0 albums. Some good tracks but don't get spun as often) 6. Bottom rung: No Prayer for the Dying / Virtual XI (3/5's: not awful but very non-essential). I'll have to think about individual songs. Will probably do it by album.
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Vim Fuego
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Posted: 20 Aug 2020 at 4:45pm |
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There's nothing inherently wrong with the albums below Virtual XI. I just don't want to listen to them as much as the rest of the albums.
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Nightfly
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 11:22am |
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The top few are easier, as are the ones at the bottom, it's the mid-rated ones I'm likely to change my mind on.
1. Powerslave 2. Somewhere In Time 3. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son 4. Piece Of Mind 5. The Number Of The Beast 6. The Book Of Souls 7. The Final Frontier 8. Brave New World 9. A Matter Of Life And Death 10. Killers 11. No Prayer For The Dying 12. Dance Of Death 13. Fear Of The Dark 14. Iron Maiden 15. The X Factor 16. Virtual XI Will have to think longer on individual tracks.
Edited by Nightfly - 21 Aug 2020 at 11:24am |
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666sharon666
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 11:30am |
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Okay, songs, by album. Maximum three per album, in no order.
Iron Maiden:
Killers:
The Number of the Beast:
Hard to leave Run to the Hills off of that one. Piece of Mind:
Third choice here isn't too stable. Could also be Flight of Icarus. Powerslave:
I feel bad to for leaving 2 Minutes to Midnight out. Actually any track off this one except maybe the instrumental Losfer Words (Big 'Orra). Somewhere in Time:
I really like this album but as a whole rather than individual cuts. I guess this is accurate for me, but could be very interchangeable. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son:
I could happily list every track here as a favourite. No Prayer for the Dying:
Okay this one is hard to pick from...for the wrong reasons. Holy Smoke is definite. I think that's a pretty fun track. Everything else on the album? Not so memorable. Fear of the Dark:
Same goes for this one, though the first two are at least definite. The X Factor:
The first three tracks on the album, I admit, this one loses my attention the further I get into it. Maybe I should rate it lower. Virtual XI:
Brave New World:
Lots of good ones to pick from here. Lots that have drawn the short straw. Dance of Death:
Another album I really like as a whole, but it does have these clear standouts for me. A Matter of Life and Death:
Same deal as Somewhere in Time. Very interchangeable. The Final Frontier:
Some drew a short straw here too, but these are the three that jumped out to me looking over all the titles. The Book of Souls:
Actually very easy picks on this one for a modern IM album. But still, several tracks that deserve to be recognised. |
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Unitron
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 12:23pm |
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1. Somewhere in Time
2. Powerslave 3. Killers 4. The Number of the Beast 5. Piece of Mind 6. Dance of Death The rest could be in pretty much any order with The X Factor at the bottom, that album is one of the most boring and lifeless sounding albums I've ever heard. That's in complete contrast to Somewhere in Time which is one of the most exciting and beautiful albums I've ever heard Songs would probably look something like this: 1. Wasted Years 2. Deja Vu 3. Caught Somewhere in Time 4. Heaven Can Wait 5. Back in the Village 6. Stranger in a Strange Land 7. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 8. Innocent Exile 9. Gangland 10. Flash of the Blade 11. Aces High 12. Another Life 13. Die With Your Boots On 14. The Prisoner 15. 2 Minutes to Midnight 16. Sea of Madness 17. Powerslave 18. Quest for Fire 19. Running Free 20. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) 21. Run to the Hills 22. Flight of Icarus 23. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 24. Wrathchild 25. Alexander the Great 26. New Frontier 27. Where Eagles Dare 28. Drifter 29. The Trooper 30. Paschendale
Edited by Unitron - 21 Aug 2020 at 12:31pm |
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If I say fuck two more times that's forty-six fucks in this fucked up rhyme
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DippoMagoo
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 12:32pm |
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16. Virtual XI
- The Clansman - Como estais amigos Worst Maiden song EVER: - The Angel and the Gambler (Seriously, it's just plain garbage  )15. Fear of the Dark - Fear of the Dark - Childhood's End - Wasting Love 14. No Prayer for the Dying - Fates Warning - Tailgunner (It's more a kinda solid-ish album overall, with few real standouts, imo) 13. The X Factor - Sign of the Cross - The Unbeliever - Man on the Edge - The Edge of Darkness 12. Killers - Killers - Murders in the Rue Morgue - Wratchchild 11. Somewhere in Time - Wasted Years - Alexander the Great - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (seriously underrated, imo.) - Caught Somewhere in Time 10. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden - Phantom of the Opera - Remember Tomorrow - Transylvania 9. The Final Frontier - Where the Wild Wind Blows - Isle of Avalon - The Talisman - Coming Home 8. Dance of Death - Journeyman - Paschendale - Age of Innocence - Dance of Death - Face in the Sand 7. Piece of Mind - Revelations - The Trooper - Flight of Icarus - To Tame A Land - Die With Your Boots On 6. The Book of Souls - Empire of the Clouds - When the River Runs Deep - The Book of Souls - Shadows in the Valley - Death or Glory - If Eternity Should Fail 5. A Matter of Life and Death - For the Greater Good of God - The Legacy - Brighter Than a Thousand Suns - These Colors Don't Run - The Longest Day - The Pilgrim 4. The Number of the Beast - Hallowed Be Thy Name (My all time favorite.) - The Number of the Beast - 22 Acacia Avenue - Children of the Damned - The Prisoner - Run to The Hills 3. Brave New World - Blood Brothers - Dream of Mirrors - The Wicker Man - The Thin Line Between Love and Hate - The Ghost and the Navigator - Out of the Silent Planet 2. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Only the Good Die Young - The Clairvoyant - Moonchild - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - The Evil That Men Do - Infinite Dreams - The Prophecy 1. Powerslave - Powerslave - Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Aces High - The Dualists - Flash of the Blade - 2 Minutes to Midnight - Back in the Village - Losfer Words (Big Orra) |
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adg211288
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 1:30pm |
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Poor Can I Play With Madness. 
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adg211288
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 1:34pm |
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This song is my current obsession. A very dark and haunting track from Maiden.
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DippoMagoo
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 1:40pm |
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Yeah, I couldn't leave out anything from Powerslave, because I love the whole album front to back. Can I Play With Madness is the only track that never clicked for me, on that album. I usually wouldn't give 5 stars in that case, but the rest of the album is just way too good to deny, plus Number of the Beast has the same issue, but with a couple tracks.
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Nightfly
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Posted: 21 Aug 2020 at 4:12pm |
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Okay, further to my album list above here's my favourite songs in changeable order...
1. The Number Of The Beast 2. 2 Minutes To Midnight 3. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner 4. Moonchild 5. Caught Somewhere In Time 6. Where Eagles Dare 7. Aces High 8. The Clairvoyant 9. Hallowed Be Thy Name 10. Flight Of Icarus 11. Sea Of Madness 12. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter 13. Speed Of Light 14. El Dorado 15. Losfer Words
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UMUR
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Posted: 22 Aug 2020 at 1:14am |
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I have given up, because I haven´t listened to any of the post-Fear of the Dark releases in years, and can´t really remember which are great and which aren´t.
So my list of the albums I do remember would be:
1. Somewhere in Time
2. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (if live albums were allowed, Live After Death would have taken the second place on this list).
3. Piece of Mind
4. Powerslave
5. The Number of the Beast
6. Killers
7. No Prayer for the Dying
8. Iron Maiden
9. Fear of the Dark Edited by UMUR - 22 Aug 2020 at 1:15am |
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adg211288
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Posted: 25 Aug 2020 at 1:47pm |
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Got to say, Powerslave really grows in my estimations with every spin. It's already #2 on my list, and a long time 5 star album for me, but damn if it doesn't just seem even more great every go around. Listening to a ton of Maiden lately, but especially this one.
I think a lot of people who maybe only listen to them casually at most think of Maiden as one of those bands who have their own sound but sound the same across every album of their own, but that's just not true; I can hear so much difference between my top two, Powerslave and Seventh Son. And even with Somewhere in Time between them. Iron Maiden were so much at the top of their creative game in those days.
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Unitron
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Posted: 25 Aug 2020 at 1:54pm |
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Powerslave was my favorite for a long time, but Somewhere in Time grew on me more and more as the years went by and overtook it, Powerslave's still a close second though. I've never understood why Back in the Village often gets snubbed as the worst song on Powerslave, it has long been my favorite.
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If I say fuck two more times that's forty-six fucks in this fucked up rhyme
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Triceratopsoil
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Posted: 25 Aug 2020 at 5:56pm |
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1. Killers
2. Iron Maiden 3. Powerslave 4. Number of the Beast 5. Peace of Mind 6. Somewhere in Time 7. everything else... meh tracks (in chronological order, not order of preference): Prowler Sanctuary Killers Twilight Zone Gangland 2 Minutes to Midnight Wasted Years
Edited by Triceratopsoil - 25 Aug 2020 at 6:02pm |
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LittleBig
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Posted: 26 Aug 2020 at 2:09am |
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Somewhere in Time Powerslave Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son Piece Of Mind Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast Killers Brave New World Fear of the Dark No Prayer for the Dying The X Factor A Matter of Life and Death The Book of Souls Dance of Death The Final Frontier Virtual XI
Edited by LittleBig - 26 Aug 2020 at 2:13am |
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666sharon666
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Posted: 27 Aug 2020 at 8:51am |
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If there's a track I overlook on Powerslave its Losfer Words, but that's really just because it's an instrumental. Back in the Village is a great track. But the standard is so high on that album that it is easy to just focus on the well known tracks. I don't see the term 'worst song' as being applicable to an album like Powerslave.
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MorniumGoatahl
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Posted: 27 Aug 2020 at 9:03am |
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I go back and forth a bit on what is the actual best but currently I'd say this looks right to me:
5 Stars: Powerslave > Seventh Son of a Seventh Son > The Number of the Beast > Brave New World > The Book of Souls 4.5 Stars: Somewhere in Time > Iron Maiden > A Matter of Life and Death > Piece of Mind > Dance of Death 4 Stars: Killers > Fear of the Dark > The Final Frontier 3.5 Stars: No Prayer for the Dying 3 Stars: The X Factor > Virtual XI
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Unitron
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Posted: 27 Aug 2020 at 11:55am |
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I agree, love Losfer Words too. If there's any song that I overlook it's The Duelists, but that's just because I don't remember exactly what it sounds like without listening to the album. For some reason when I do see people talk about a worst/weakest track though, it's often Back in the Village and Losfer Words just tends to be forgotten about.
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If I say fuck two more times that's forty-six fucks in this fucked up rhyme
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DippoMagoo wrote: