GMD Poll: Iron Maiden Albums Ranked


Because you thoroughly underestimate the quality of a number of stellar tracks. "Transylvania" is a phenomenal instrumental (blows the one on Powerslave out of the water) and is perfectly placed to bridge "Phantom of the Opera" and "Strange World". "Charlot the Harlot" and "Iron Maiden" both exemplify the narrative quality you previously referenced, especially the former, which counterpoints a crass narrative on a prostitute with a heartfelt "damn I fell in love with a prostitute" bridge, which totally transforms everything about the song. Those are excellent compositions. The only track I agree with you on is "Remember Tomorrow" which does indeed have some clumsy transitions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zabu of nΩd
I remember when I first heard Prowler I thought the lyrics were too perverse and disturbing.
 
Another update to my Maiden ranking. Finally admitting the s/t isn't the best. Seventh Son, BNW and DOD have grown on me and inched up. Still torn between the conciseness/un-monotony of No Prayer and the freshness of the early 00s sound, but concluded the latter's a big enough contribution to forgive some monotony.
  1. Powerslave
  2. The Number of the Beast
  3. Iron Maiden
  4. Somewhere in Time
  5. Killers
  6. Piece of Mind
  7. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
  8. Fear of the Dark
  9. The X Factor
  10. Dance of Death
  11. Brave New World
  12. No Prayer for the Dying
  13. The Final Frontier
  14. The Book of Souls
  15. A Matter of Life and Death
  16. Virtual XI

Maiden just keeps me coming back these days. Hell of a discography. Aside from AMOLAD/XI, I can easily listen to any album end to end.
 
Last edited:
1. Iron Maiden
2. Killers
3. Powerslave
4. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
5. Piece of Mind
6. The Number of the Beast
7. Somewhere in Time

No one actually cares about the rest of their albums.
 
Yep, BNW could have approached their best material with about 15~20 minutes trimmed off.

But it would still never beat Killers.
 
I don't even remotely understand length complaints about BNW. It's the least of the length offenders in the new millennium or 90s material.
 
Nothing on NPFTD through The X-Factor repeats a song title a hundred times or repeats a riff for a minute with the added excuse of a meaningless third harmony line, and Dance of Death is also certainly much less repetitious (though it's shit so that doesn't help much).
 
I finally uh, drummed up the fortitude to evaluate Maiden. I stuck to the ones I'd heard in full before. I have a few favourite 'hits' from Bruce but mostly I find his voice annoying and a full album is always a struggle. Piece of Mind is their 80s album that goes horribly wrong for me as I don't really care for any of the songs on it.

Though half the time it's not the vocals that make or break the songs for me, it's the lyrics... and the repetition thereof. Virtual XI would be a lot more tolerable if not for that one thing. The X Factor is such a refreshing listen after a bukkake of Bruce. If you're gonna repeat a lyric over and over, at least make it a good one like "your time will come" on The Wicker Man. In the past I would've rated BNW a bit higher just based on that one song.

1. Iron Maiden
2. Killers
3. The Number of the Beast
4. Somewhere in Time
5. Powerslave
6. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
7. The X Factor
8. Brave New World
9. Dance of Death
10. Piece of Mind
11. Fear of the Dark
12. No Prayer for the Dying
13. Virtual XI
14. A Matter of Life and Death

And that's where I've taken a step too far as I can see the albums all get longer from here. Jesus.
 
@Opeth17 As I see it, it depends why you like it. TNOTB delivered hits/memorable songs for me so I'd be saying Somewhere in Time and the s/t next. Of course the s/t is not as much like it due to having that other reprobate on it.