GMD Poll: Iron Maiden Albums Ranked

[zabu of nΩd]

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.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

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.

 

[The Ozzman]

That's funny because BNW is better than any of the Dianno albums

 

[EspaDa]

BNW's drawback is its overlongness.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Yep, BNW could have approached their best material with about 15~20 minutes trimmed off.

But it would still never beat Killers.

 

[Dak]

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.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

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).

 

[Bloopy]

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.

 

[SonOfNun]

I really need to listen to more Maiden. I have Number of the Beast and Powerslave. What is most like the former?

 

[Bloopy]

@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.

 

[CiG]

Just buy Piece of Mind mate.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Just buy Piece of Mind mate.

this. don’t be a bloopy, he’s off his rocker.

 

[Krow]

Just buy a bunch of Maiden albums. They're usually $10 and theres really only a few bad ones.

 

[CiG]

Good point, but at the same time if the only albums you have are Number of the Beast and Powerslave why would you not immediately get the album released between them? No brainer.

 

[SonOfNun]

I was more interested in what came before and after those albums. I don't think I've ever listened to the first two. I remember not really digging the more progressive direction on Somewhere in Time though it was a limited sampling. The music and atmosphere on NotB is my favorite and I'm wondering if the early two are similar despite having a different vocalist.

 

[CiG]

Just fucking get Piece of Mind lmfao.

 

[SonOfNun]

I figured it was inferred that I would for obvious reasons, but what about the other stuff I'm asking about?

 

[CiG]

Some choice cuts:





Their first two albums are much grittier and punkier (or at least they feel that way), but the fundamental songwriting style is still there. Amazing bass lines, great riffs etc.

 

[zerostatic]

but what about the other stuff I'm asking about?

Here is how you figure out which ones are worth buying. Look at the album cover and ask yourself, does it make me fear the dark? Buy it if the answer is yes.

 

[SonOfNun]

Here is how you figure out which ones are worth buying. Look at the album cover and ask yourself, does it make me fear the dark? Buy it if the answer is yes.

I guess I will not be getting any more Maiden and I will be forced to return what I own.