Official top 75 Iron Maiden songs thread!! (Top 2 revealed on 07/15!!)

[Shalev Amir]

#100 Afraid to Shoot Strangers - I really like it, the lines and harmonies are classic and memorable, but I was always torn by the sudden tempo change. Not what comes after it, it's just very out there. It does make it very unique.
 
#46 Brave New World - great intro, verses, top-tier solos, very cool lyrics. This song suffers HARD from chorus repetition syndrome and that's what knocks it down for me compared to other songs on the album. Still an awesome song.

#41 Only the Good Die Young - the clean guitars give it that ethereal sound that is just perfect for the ending track. Great solos (there aren't many Steve Harris solos are there?) Also hands down one of the best choruses. Superb song, let's just pretend the last 30 seconds don't exist. Tacking that reprise was the single worst songwriting decision I have heard from them.

[jammindude]

Okay, focus, people, it's countdown time!

Today's songs:

64 If Eternity Should Fail
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 9 (senecadawg2)

Okay, this is something still sorta new rather than really new ,. so there ya go.  This snuck in late for me, landing at 73. This is another song from the last two albums that feels like would have been better with a less muddy sound, almost like the modern day, blah production is holding it back a bit.


63 Prodigal Son
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (Setlist Scotty)

This one came in at 54 for me, which was lower than I thought it would have finished, as I liked this a lot from the start.  It feels like this kind of vibe is one they never really tried to recapture once the original singer was gone from the band. Bummer.


62 Wrathchild
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 17 (Cool Chris)

That intro with the bass guitar alone makes this worthy, and the whole song is really enjoyable. I had it at 56.

If Eternity Should Fail - 64

Hey! My first time nailing the consensus! Fantastic opener to TBOS. I had no idea it was a Bruce solo song, so it never occurred to me that it sounded “un-Maiden like”. To think that Bruce had throat cancer during the recording of this album still blows my mind. He does sound a bit like he’s straining at times, but considering his age it’s pretty amazing that he was able to nail all of it.  The outro is really cool as well but maybe sounds a bit out of place?

Prodigal Son - 52

I was close on this one. One of my favorites from Killers and very different for Maiden. Interesting that someone pointed out the Journeyman vibe. I can actually see that, but I think this is the better song by miles. DiAnno’s vocal delivery is surprisingly mature and passionate. He really nails this one.

Wrathchild - 37

I think this was the first Paul DiAnno song I ever heard, and it sticks with me to this day. To tell you the truth, this was one where I never cared for Bruce’s performance. This song in particular seems to beg for that angry punk vibe and Bruce’s clean delivery just doesn’t do it for me. (Even Blaze does this better than Bruce. The angry “barking” approach just seems to fit the attitude)

Here are today's songs!

61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Appeared on 14 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 1 (Dave_Manchester)

I came around to liking this one somewhat recently, but it was one of the handful that got bumped off my final list once I added a few songs from the two newest albums.  I am on the record as not being overly wild about their 90s material in general, but the first two from that decade had their moments, this being one of them.


60 Brave New World
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (toro)

I had this at 43, but I feel like it would be closer to 60 if I redid my list today, as it has slowly become a song I listen to less and less. Good song for sure, but many others are just calling out to be heard a lot more lately.


59 Only the Good Die Young
Appeared on 18 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Zydar)

I am really big on this one, putting it at 32.  This is a top 3 song from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son for me (along with tracks 2 and 7).

Afraid to Shoot Strangers - 41

I didn’t really come around to this one til I heard Blaze’s live version on Best of the Beast, but I also love Bruce’s original version. He was experimenting with a more “snarling” sound in the 90s that worked very well on a couple of FOTD tracks, this one in particular. I actually wish they would pull this one out more often. Love the change up of the pace in the middle.

Brave New World - 43

I almost wish this had been slightly higher. When the album first came out, I was super bummed by the continuation of the repetitive choruses that had plagued VXI, and I jumped off the Maiden bandwagon for awhile. But on my recent deep dive, it became apparent that I didn’t give this album a fair shake. Some songs are still way too much, but this song immediately stood out as not suffering quite so much in spite of the repetition. The intro is just gorgeous. I’ve had it stuck in my head for weeks.

Only the Good Die Young - unranked

This one probably could have made it…it was close. But I always felt like this was a bit of a disappointing closer to a fairly good album.

[TAC]

J-Dude….Drifter?

[jammindude]

J-Dude….Drifter?

I fixed it. Pulled the wrong listing by mistake. But I had PS in the brain during the description. 

I actually thought I had pulled off the fix before anyone saw it. I doubled it back pretty quickly.

[Stadler]

Afraid to Shoot Strangers: #29 - Probably my favorite song off FOTD. 

Brave New World: #85 - Another very good song amongst a sea of great songs. I do know that this really landed better today than it did when I first heard it.

Only the Good Die Young: #75 - One of the last minute changes; originally this was much lower, but it's a good song and demanded to be on the list.  So there you go, by the skin of it's teeth! 

[Cool Chris]

Our first #1!

[425]

Finally we get a couple of non-reunion songs that made my list!

61. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
My ranking: #21

This was about 8-9 spots higher on my 2020 list. I think this time around I was a little more bothered by the relation between the first half and second half. But this is still one of their very best songs. Definitely the highlight of their weakest era, and I think a precursor of sorts to their rebirth on The X Factor

The first half of this is really what makes so good for me. The quiet verses really set a powerful mood, especially paired with some very good lyrics. The second half is good, too, and it's not too out of place. The main theme (played as a guitar lead at about three minutes in, under the first "chorus") is excellent.

I'm going to make some people mad by even mentioning this, but to me the definitive version of this is Blaze's live performance. The weird raspy vocal style Bruce was affecting on this album really hurts the studio version of this. It weakens the early verses and sounds really out of place on the heavier chorus at the end. Blaze's baritone really suits the dark mood of the early verses, and his belt just works for the "afraid... afraid to shoot strangers" chorus.

I did see this live with Bruce in 2012, and he actually sang it using his normal voice, so if they ever release a show from the 2012 Maiden England tour, that might become the definitive version for me. But for now I'm very happy with Blaze's version.


60. Brave New World
My ranking: Unranked (86-100 range)

This is one of the songs that got me into Iron Maiden, so it's tough for me to put it on the outside. Really, it goes to show how strong their discography is that a song to which I have a certain degree of nostalgic attachment didn't make the list.

The culprit, as you can probably imagine, is the chorus. I like the verses a lot, especially the intro verse and the faster verse that comes after the first chorus. The instrumental section is probably the best part of the song. Although I've made no secret of the fact that Adrian is my favorite Maiden guitarist, this solo section one that shows what the Janick/Dave team could do. But that chorus loses a significant amount of momentum, and, like the tale, it goes on and on and on and on and on. Which might be okay if it was a really good chorus, but I don't think this one is especially interesting. Thus, the song just doesn't quite end up among my 75 favorites.


59. Only the Good Die Young
My ranking: #28

This song falling at #59 is arguably an instance of the good dying young! I think this is one of their best short songs, and I have no idea why it doesn't get more attention. The verses just get up and go. This is one of those where I think the lyrics just sound good, especially paired with the vocal melodies, and there's a ton of forward momentum throughout this song. I'm also a big fan of the main theme, which sounds like a variation of the Seventh Son theme, but is different enough to give this song its own distinct mood. Like on the whole album, Bruce really puts all his acting ability into this one. As someone who is more familiar with the conventions of concept albums than I was when I first heard SSoaSS, it stands out as unusual to me to have a short rocker in the last spot, but I think this song works as well as any big epic closer could have.

Plus, there's a bass solo in this song called Only the Good Die Young where Steve Harris does a bass solo.


My list so far (7/17):
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
59. These Colours Don't Run
48. Death of the Celts
43. Out of the Silent Planet
28. Only the Good Die Young
25. If Eternity Should Fail
21. Afraid to Shoot Strangers

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Appeared on 14 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 1 (Dave_Manchester)

I came around to liking this one somewhat recently, but it was one of the handful that got bumped off my final list once I added a few songs from the two newest albums.  I am on the record as not being overly wild about their 90s material in general, but the first two from that decade had their moments, this being one of them.


60 Brave New World
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (toro)

I had this at 43, but I feel like it would be closer to 60 if I redid my list today, as it has slowly become a song I listen to less and less. Good song for sure, but many others are just calling out to be heard a lot more lately.


59 Only the Good Die Young
Appeared on 18 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Zydar)

I am really big on this one, putting it at 32.  This is a top 3 song from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son for me (along with tracks 2 and 7).

Afraid to Shoot Strangers - A song that could have potentially made my list, but ultimately fell to #106. The only things holding it back are the vocals and the opening melodies feel awkward to me.

Brave New World - Landing at #40, this was the song that proved to me that Maiden had returned to form. The album as a whole is good, but not in the top tier of the reunion albums. The repetitive nature of the chorus holds this song back from being a top 20 track.

Only the Good Die Young - I had this at #50. A good, if not great, album closer. You can actually start to see some of the musical direction the next 2 albums would take in this song. Although this is much better than most of that material.

[TAC]

J-Dude….Drifter?

I fixed it. Pulled the wrong listing by mistake. But I had PS in the brain during the description. 

I actually thought I had pulled off the fix before anyone saw it. I doubled it back pretty quickly.

[TAC]

61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Appeared on 14 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 1 (Dave_Manchester)

60 Brave New World
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (toro)

59 Only the Good Die Young
Appeared on 18 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Zydar)

I had Afraid To Shoot Strangers at #70. I think this song is excellent, but I think so many of their songs are excellent.

I had Brave New World at #43. When this album came out, this song really didn't do much for me. And there's something about Rock In Rio that I don't love. But hearing it on Death OnThe Road finally made it click with me. That 3 part hermony during the solo is amazing.

I had Only The Good Die Young at #94. As a stand alone song, it's really good. As the closer to Seventh Son, I've always found it underwhelming.

[TAC]

I'm going to make some people mad by even mentioning this, but to me the definitive version of this is Blaze's live performance. The weird raspy vocal style Bruce was affecting on this album really hurts the studio version of this. It weakens the early verses and sounds really out of place on the heavier chorus at the end. Blaze's baritone really suits the dark mood of the early verses, and his belt just works for the "afraid... afraid to shoot strangers" chorus.

I've seen that before, and it was a great choice to keep in the set for Blaze.

I did see this live with Bruce in 2012, and he actually sang it using his normal voice, so if they ever release a show from the 2012 Maiden England tour, that might become the definitive version for me. But for now I'm very happy with Blaze's version.

There's this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQIUSchuRu8

Freaking Janick 

[Setlist Scotty]

64 If Eternity Should Fail - did not rank

63 Prodigal Son - 10
I'm glad to see that this song made the cut. Obviously I think very highly of this song (as if my other posts about it in this thread haven't made that clear) and I'm not surprised that I ended up ranking it highest. Will be curious to see that will be the case with any of my other selections. Anyway, just an awesome song, even if quite unusual for Maiden. I like the point someone made about it kinda being reminiscent of FBN-era Rush. I can see that - great point. Shame that it never got played live, but maybe just maybe they'd resurrect it if and when they ever do Alexander the Great (which would probably be a one-off especially special show). Probably not, but I can always dream.

62 Wrathchild - 36
Good song, although overplayed in comparison to anything else off of Killers. Honestly, I became familiar with this song on LAD, so when I heard the studio version with the soloing during the intro, it threw me off a bit. I still think I like the LAD version better, but I'm good either way.

61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers - did not rank
Not a big fan of FotD in general, altho I think this one just missed my list. One of the more unique and interesting offerings on the album, but not strong enough to make my list.

60 Brave New World - 39
Great song although there are a bunch more on the album that I prefer and ranked higher. Biggest strike against it is the repetitive chorus, but otherwise a song I enjoy listening to.

59 Only the Good Die Young - 17
Love this song! Surprised to read comments that this isn't a great way to end the album. I think it's a great closing track. Love the chorus. Shame that it never got played live - can't understand why.

[TAC]

59 Only the Good Die Young - 17
Love this song! Surprised to read comments that this isn't a great way to end the album. I think it's a great closing track. Love the chorus. Shame that it never got played live - can't understand why.

It may be unfair to OTGDY on it's own, because I do like the song. I also love The Prophecy, and I've grown to like The Clairvoyant. So on their own, they're all excellent. But side 2 of SSOASS, after the title track was kind of a let down in a way. Closing the album with three short songs, I guess I've always felt a bit unfulfilled by it.

[Dave_Manchester]

Our first #1!

Yep!

Afraid To Shoot Strangers: #1. Faced with a shortlist of about 8 songs that on any given day could be my favourite Maiden song I decided in the end to go with sentiment and nostalgia. Back when I was a kid I borrowed Fear of the Dark from the library (this is back when libraries had CDs to lend. Come to that, this is back when northern English towns had libraries) and Afraid To Shoot Strangers blew 12 or 13 year old me away. I'd never heard anything quite like it. The beautiful ballady opening, the superb melodic instrumental section, the frenetic 'metal' section, all in 6 and a bit minutes. During this relisten I got back in touch with those days of musical discovery and remembered what a fantastiс time it was. When taking the bus to the library to borrow a CD was something to look forward to. So for that sentimental reason I gave it the gold sash. Plus, as you (Chris) alluded to in your earlier post to me, any anti-war song is especially resonant to me right now. Oh, and I echo what others have said, the live version by Blaze Bayley is actually my favourite version of this song. The music is a bit more spacious and atmospheric live. 

Brave New World: didn't rank (solid song but solid doesn't cut a top 75 list when you have a catalogue of tunes this strong)

Only The Good Die Young: #64

My list so far in descending order:

#64: Only The Good Die Young
#56: These Colours Don't Run
#54: Can I Play With Madness?
#52: Judas Be My Guide
#41: Rainmaker
#22: Heaven Can Wait
#6: No Prayer for the Dying
#1: Afraid To Shoot Strangers

Not ranked:

Death of the Celts
The Duellists
Out of the Silent Planet
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
Deja-Vu
If Eternity Should Fail
Prodigal Son
Wrathchild
Brave New World

[Cool Chris]

My #1 in the DT countdown was largely at the top due to sentimental reasons. So I fully appreciate that post. And the last time I was at my library (pre Covid) they still had CDs to check out.

[pg1067]

BNW at #45 and OTGDY at #60.  Both solid songs.  OTGDY is the third highest ranked song on SSOASS, and BNW is #4 on its album.  Didn't rank Strangers.

[The Realm]

59 Only the Good Die Young - 17
Love this song! Surprised to read comments that this isn't a great way to end the album. I think it's a great closing track. Love the chorus. Shame that it never got played live - can't understand why.

It may be unfair to OTGDY on it's own, because I do like the song. I also love The Prophecy, and I've grown to like The Clairvoyant. So on their own, they're all excellent. But side 2 of SSOASS, after the title track was kind of a let down in a way. Closing the album with three short songs, I guess I've always felt a bit unfulfilled by it.

Yes I agree with this and I also like the word ‘underwhelming’ which you used to describe OTGDY. As a closing song to a great album it is just that.

[devieira73]

For those who never heard, a very interesting version of BNW, taken from the free Kerrang! tribute album "Maiden Heaven":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtLiQ9YyZ34

[wolfking]

ATSS - Came in at 65 for me.  Interesting structure, love the harmonies between the solos, some of Maiden's finest.

BNW - Came in at 26, loved it from the get go.  I have no issue with the repetition here.  Another class Dave song again in D minor.  Love the solos and just a perfect atmosphere throughout.

OTGDY - 56 for me.  Interesting closer, great song, excellent melodies.  Love the big concert ending outro too.

[KevShmev]

Keeping it going...

58 The Wicker Man
Appeared on 16 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Ben_Jamin)

Solid tune, but as there used to be a poster on these forums (or maybe it was the old dt.net) who used this song as his username, I guess I expected a super great song, and was pretty underwhelmed by it.  Feels like one of those catchy rock songs where the hook just doesn't appeal to me in any real way.  I did not rank it.


57 Still Life
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Shalev Amir)

I don't get the love for this one. I went back and listened to it a few times this week, and every single time when it was over, I remembered nothing about it.  Not a bad song, but just not one that is memorable to me at all.  This also went unranked for me.


56 The Nomad
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 19 (nobloodyname)

On the flip side, this one was an instant grabber, and I had it at 21.  I have to admit that I am a bit stunned that it didn't get more love. Finishing at 56 seems awfully low.

[Elite]

I’m pretty sure I was the other Top 10 finish for Wicker Man at #7. Have to check when I get home and update on the previous songs I missed over the weekend.

[Dream Team]

The Nomad is great. Adrian and Dave’s solos sound like they came straight out of Arabian Nights. 

[jammindude]

Keeping it going...

58 The Wicker Man
Appeared on 16 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Ben_Jamin)

Solid tune, but as there used to be a poster on these forums (or maybe it was the old dt.net) who used this song as his username, I guess I expected a super great song, and was pretty underwhelmed by it.  Feels like one of those catchy rock songs where the hook just doesn't appeal to me in any real way.  I did not rank it.


57 Still Life
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Shalev Amir)

I don't get the love for this one. I went back and listened to it a few times this week, and every single time when it was over, I remembered nothing about it.  Not a bad song, but just not one that is memorable to me at all.  This also went unranked for me.


56 The Nomad
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 19 (nobloodyname)

On the flip side, this one was an instant grabber, and I had it at 21.  I have to admit that I am a bit stunned that it didn't get more love. Finishing at 56 seems awfully low.

The Wicker Man - unranked

This was my first disappointment from the reunion era. Because I was head of the CD shop for Fred Meyer at the time, I got to hear an early promo, and I remember thinking I had heard that riff somewhere else. No…it’s not quite that Judas Priest song. There was a different metal track from my youth that it sounds even closer to and I never figured it out. But ya, it’s just pretty ok. A bit derivative.

Still Life - 48

How can anyone not remember this? It’s kind of the de facto “title track” from the album! NIGHTMAAAAARRRREEESSS!!!!  Love the quiet intro and the ramping up the pace on the second verse.  One of the first Iron Maiden songs I ever heard. It seems odd now, because I don’t think it was a single, but my local radio station played this song in rotation for awhile when POM came out, so I heard this song before Trooper or Icarus.

The Nomad - unranked

This one has got a nice “shuffle” to it. The pre-chorus is a bit unusual, but the main chorus is really majestic. Great song, just didn’t make the cut.

[nick_z]

The Wicker Man (#43)

I might have ranked this a bit too high, but I do have a certain fondness for this song. Actually, my story with it has been one of ups and downs. I bought the CD single when it came out, as the excitement for the reunion album was obviously running high. And, I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed after the first few listens. I mean, it sounded great, but it wasn't as exciting as I was expecting it to be. Over time, though, I've come to appreciate it more and more. Not a masterpiece, obviously, but just the right amount of energy to open this new phase in Maiden history. The opening is a bit too close to Judas Priest's Running Wild, but it's ok. Love, love Adrian's licks bookending his solo.

Still Life (#47)

Love the intro and the verse vocal lines...how they build up with the band first playing softer and then rhythmically going for it. The chorus is not one of their very best, but the harmonized guitar part before the solos is brilliant (wish it lasted longer). Overall, I really like the mood of the song.

The Nomad (#48)

Funny how today's songs are all bunched up close in my ranking.  The Nomad is part of the final trio of songs on BNW which I think end it on a super-strong note.  I like the chunky riffing and the epic feel of this one. The vocal lines do sound a bit awkward at times. But, for me, what really elevates the tune is the instrumental section...how it goes quiet and it builds and builds, with the clean guitar lines and the tasteful orchestration. None of it is particularly original, and you kind of know where it's going, but it just works for me.

[devieira73]

The Wicker Man (#53)
Sure it would benefit a lot if it had a Maiden's 80's production, but I still think it's a great single.

Still Life (#21)
Love this one, relatively short and proggy. Great slow/melodic intro done right, like Maiden used to do in the 80's, easily.

The Nomad (#71)
I love its more energetic parts, but not so much the middle orchestral part, which is very inspired by this Beckett's song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTBmLmYz6A0&t=249s (from 4:10 mark on)

[pg1067]

Wicker Man - #39 - One of my favorite of the reunion era.

Still Life - #50 (my lowest ranked song on POM) - For the longest time, the only memorable thing about it was the intro and the burp.  I really like the harmonized vocal on "hand to hand then we'll JUMP...," but it's otherwise a pretty average track on their best album.

The Nomad - unranked.

[Elite]

Updating for all the songs I missed over the weekend:

64 If Eternity Should Fail
I had this at #55. Great opening to a fantastic album. Not saying more than this for now..

63 Prodigal Son
I did not rank this one. I find it pretty difficult to connect with the first two albums, aside from the songs that they've played live in more recent years. It;s so different from the rest of Maiden's material. It's not bad, but doesn't always do it for me.

62 Wrathchild
This one landed at #59 on mine. One of the better songs from the first two records if you ask me.

61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
I did not rank this one, though I suspect this one would have been close in 75-100 range.

60 Brave New World
The first time I Heard this, I didn't like the repeated chorus nonsense in this song. This whole album is kind of guilty of it, but I've come to like Brave New World a lot later. It was at #63 on my list.

59 Only the Good Die Young
Not close to being my favourite on SSOASS, but a fun song nonetheless. I had it at #71.

58 The Wicker Man
This is one of my favourite Maiden songs. It's my number 7 and it's one of those awesome rocking short songs that they sometimes do really well. I especially like the live version on En Vivo! as well.

57 Still Life
I didn't rank this one. In fact, I have trouble remembering how it even goes.

56 The Nomad
Random 'hidden' gem here. So much cool stuff going on in this song. I had it at #42.

---

And since I've seen more people do this, here's my rankings of the songs so far:

#71 Only the Good Die Young
#66 The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
#63 Brave New World
#61 No Prayer for the Dying
#59 Wrathchild
#57 Death of the Celts
#55 If Eternity Should Fail
#46 These Colours Don't Run
#42 The Nomad
#31 Rainmaker
#28 Heaven Can Wait
#22 Can I Play With Madness
#17 Out of the Silent Planet
#7 The Wicker Man

Unranked on my list:
The Duellists
Deja Vu
Judas be my Guide
Prodigal Son
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Still Life

[Shalev Amir]

#131 The Wicker Man - in my honest opinion, this is probably the single most overrated Iron Maiden song. It's really average and I'd lump it in with the fillers if it wasn't an intro track. The Rock in Rio version is great, but I tried to rate based on studio versions.

#7 Still Life - pure gold. I like how it ramps up the story, the singing, everything... But I'm especially fond of the lead parts and the intro, and that harmonised part about three minutes in. I think this song captures best the Piece of Mind sound (it is aptly kind of the title track too!)

#95 The Nomad - it's a fine song, I only don't really like the "noooomaad" refrain. The middle section really elevates it though, so if you're willing to do an artist/art separation it's a pretty cool track.

[Cool Chris]

#131 The Wicker Man - in my honest opinion, this is probably the single most overrated Iron Maiden song. It's really average and I'd lump it in with the fillers if it wasn't an intro track. The Rock in Rio version is great, but I tried to rate based on studio versions.

That opening riff is awesome, and it's so cool to see Adrian hit the stage and plow right in to it on Rock in Rio, but otherwise I feel the same.

Also agree on the "Nomad" refrain.

[TAC]

58 The Wicker Man
Appeared on 16 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Ben_Jamin)

57 Still Life
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Shalev Amir)

56 The Nomad
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 19 (nobloodyname)

I had The Wicker Man at #101.  I have never really cared for this song very much, except when it gets going for the instrumental part. I did quite enjoy it at the Legacy Of The Beast show a couple of years ago, so it is aging ok. I'm surprised I even nominated it for the countdown.

I had Stil Life at #57. I think this is one of Maiden's most unique songs. I've always loved it and it shows their versatility.

I had The Nomad at #68. This was easily my favorite track off of Brave New World when it came out, but it's fallen off a little. I've always had a problem with the transition from the instrumental part back to the vocals. It just seems off for some reason.



My List so far...


70 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
68 The Nomad
62 Judas Be My Guide
57 Still Life
48 Heaven Can Wait
43 Brave New World
29 The Duellists
17 No Prayer for the Dying

-------------------

Not Ranked


87 Deja Vu
90 Rainmaker
92 If Eternity Should Fail
94 Only the Good Die Young
101 The Wicker Man
106 Death of the Celts

NR These Colours Don't Run
NR Prodigal Son
NR Wratchchild
NR Can I Play with Madness
NR The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
NR Out of the Silent Planet

[wolfking]

TWM - Had it 116 - A solid song, but I never understood the love.  There's nothing wrong with it and it's a fine opener but that's about it for me.  Adrian's middle section is cool.

SL - 78 - Thinking about it now, it probably should have been higher.  It is unique and some class writing from Dave. 

TN - 47 - Another Dave masterpiece.  The first 3-4 minutes are just brilliant and even though the whole middle is a total blatant rip off, it's brilliant, wonderful song.

[The Realm]

58 The Wicker Man
Appeared on 16 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Ben_Jamin)

57 Still Life
Appeared on 15 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Shalev Amir)

56 The Nomad
Appeared on 17 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 19 (nobloodyname)

The Wickerman - my rank 71. Always liked this one so I got it in the top 75. As the first song from Brave New World there is some extra nostalgia attached as I was so fired up that Bruce and Adrian were back in Maiden.

Still Life - my rank 19. Always loved this one, just a great song on a great album. Thought this would have ranked higher.

The Nomad - unranked by me but this is a good song. Great riffs and driving rhythm. Not surprised at all to see it here in the countdown.

[425]

58. The Wicker Man
My ranking: Unranked (86-100 range)

This song has fallen off some in my esteem. In 2020, this made my top 60 list, but here it misses not just the top 75, but the first ten out. It's still a very good song. I really like the intro, the instrumental section and the prechorus. The rest of it is pretty strong, too, and I think it's a perfect concert opener for Rock in Rio. I think it's mainly fallen off due to me coming to like some other songs more over the last couple of years and due to me coming to have a somewhat less favorable view of the repeating chorus.


57. Still Life
My ranking: Unranked (86-100 range)

This is another song that was definitely a candidate, but ended up on the outside looking in because there were just too many good songs, including some that have grown on me in recent years. To me, there's something really appealing about the verses—the sense of forward momentum they have plus Bruce's emotional delivery. What holds the song back is the chorus, which I think is pretty simple and not as appealing as a lot of their other ones. I do think it's kind of cool to see it making the list, though, especially considering that I already know the list is going to be significantly different from mine because of different preferred eras. I've always thought this was one of the more overlooked 80s Maiden songs.


56. The Nomad
My ranking: #47

For the first few years after I got into the band, this was my least favorite of the three BNW epics, but as time has gone on, it has become my favorite. This song has two main downsides that led me to keep it lower than it deserved for years and are still why it's not higher for me: (1) I don't love the choruses, especially the first one ("Nomad, rider of the ancient east"). It's not bad, just not especially appealing; (2) The knowledge that part of the instrumental section is essentially plagiarized from Beckett.

Those two things aside, this song is brilliant. I love that instrumental section, and if it's Beckett I have to thank for it, then so be it. It has such a grand, epic feel that it takes me beyond the scene of a desert nomad to a vision of the whole solar system. I don't know, that's just what I always picture when I hear it. The intro is also really good. It's actually pretty proggy, the way that things are set up with a bit of stop-and-start there.

So, yeah, really good song. Just wish they'd give credit to the guys who wrote part of it.


My list so far (8/20):
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
59. These Colours Don't Run
48. Death of the Celts
47. The Nomad
43. Out of the Silent Planet
28. Only the Good Die Young
25. If Eternity Should Fail
21. Afraid to Shoot Strangers

Man, if I keep adding one out of every three that are posted, I'm in for a lot of disappointment in the future!

[The Realm]

425 - great write ups. I particularly like what you said about The Nomad and the grand epic feel it creates. Yes, I didn’t rank it but it is a song that has some really great moments.

[Dave_Manchester]

The Wicker Man: #34: fantastic rocker and the, let's say, 'familiar' riff never bothered me because it's too good of a riff to be used only once (the Judas Priest reference has already been made but it also reminds me of China Grove by The Doobie Brothers). And the 'woh woh woh' section at the end is up there with Maiden's very best 'woh woh woh' sections (I'd sandwich it second between the Heaven Can Wait woh woh wohs at #1 and The Red and the Black woh woh wohs at #3). 

Still Life: #63

The Nomad: not ranked. Good song, it was on the shortlist for final inclusion but just didn't make it in the end. Too much greatness elsewhere.


My list so far in descending order:

#64: Only The Good Die Young
#63: Still Life
#56: These Colours Don't Run
#54: Can I Play With Madness?
#52: Judas Be My Guide
#41: Rainmaker
#34: The Wicker Man
#22: Heaven Can Wait
#6: No Prayer for the Dying
#1: Afraid To Shoot Strangers

Not ranked:

Death of the Celts
The Duellists
Out of the Silent Planet
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
Deja-Vu
If Eternity Should Fail
Prodigal Son
Wrathchild
Brave New World
The Nomad