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

[Zydar]

I'm thinking about participating in this one, I haven't done that with the previous ones. I gotta figure out how the ranking engine works, but first I have to narrow it down to 75 songs

Edit: I think I got it now, the ranking engine wasn't that difficult.

[Stadler]

That's another question; what about different versions?  The edit of TAATG is very different than the album version. There's a version of Wrathschild that is a little slower and more... rhythmic than the album version... is that on us to determine?

From the rules:

Any list with the same song mentioned twice will be not be counted.

Multiple versions of the same song cannot be counted.  You can list any song just once using any version you want (studio, live, alternate, whatever).

No, no, I didn't mean list it twice; you answered my question.  "Wratchschild" may be 100 if I use the album version, it may be 65 if I use the early version, but clearly that's up to me, but I can ONLY use one.

[wolfking]

I don't think I've ever heard an alternate version of Wrathchild.  Only that redo with Bruce around Ed Hunter time.

[KevShmev]

That's another question; what about different versions?  The edit of TAATG is very different than the album version. There's a version of Wrathschild that is a little slower and more... rhythmic than the album version... is that on us to determine?

From the rules:

Any list with the same song mentioned twice will be not be counted.

Multiple versions of the same song cannot be counted.  You can list any song just once using any version you want (studio, live, alternate, whatever).

No, no, I didn't mean list it twice; you answered my question.  "Wratchschild" may be 100 if I use the album version, it may be 65 if I use the early version, but clearly that's up to me, but I can ONLY use one.

Yep, yep, all good. 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I always forget how fun the first 2 albums are to listen to when I go back to them.

Also as a side note, I think I prefer Clive Burr's drumming to Nicko's. Not that Nicko is a bad drummer, I just prefer Clive.

[The Realm]

I love Clive's drumming. I also love the first two Maiden albums. Still working through my list but I'm looking like having around 14 dianno tracks in my top 75. Pretty sure at least half of them won't make the overall top 75 though but I love them.

[Tomislav95]

Totally in for some controversial picks I'm not into older albums that much anymore but my all time favorite might be a song from one of the older ones

[devieira73]

I have the curiosity to know what happened if Clive stayed in Maiden... his playing would be still interesting or become too predictable after many albums with the band? Anyway, I think Clive was great at his time with the band - I love his creativity, precision and sense of time, although I think Nicko has a broader repertorie of drums techniques. Anyway, I've already heard some recordings of both outside Maiden and I think they play MUCH better with Steve.

[Stadler]

I always forget how fun the first 2 albums are to listen to when I go back to them.

Also as a side note, I think I prefer Clive Burr's drumming to Nicko's. Not that Nicko is a bad drummer, I just prefer Clive.

Great word: FUN.   Neither one is my favorite Maiden album (though Killers is close) but there's such a youthful exhuberance in some of those songs, it's always a great time listening to them.   I'm actually surprised sometimes how well the first album has held up.  That's a solid record.

[bosk1]

Still working on my list.  Top 25 is a lock for sure:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1583486#msg1583486

[Dream Team]

I bet I know without looking  .

I wonder if it would be interesting to see who ranked each song the lowest as well as the highest? Might invite some unwelcome scrutiny though . . .

[425]

I think that would be interesting, and I welcome the scrutiny. I plan to share my ranking for each song that shows up, like I did in the Dream Theater thread, and encourage others to do the same.

[bosk1]

I'm game.  But only if I can take the opportunity in each post to bash Blaze. 

[TAC]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze. 

[425]

There are three, and only three, types of people: People like me who want to praise Blaze, people like bosk who want to bash Blaze, and people like Dream Team who want everyone to please stop talking about Blaze.

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze. 

Me either.

[TAC]

Why anyone would come in to bash Blaze is beyond me.

[bosk1]

I don't really want to bash Blaze.  I just want to trigger Dream Team. 

And I don't romanticize the first two albums while criticizing the Blaze albums.  I don't like either.  And I have listened to them and given them a chance.  I'm quite happy with just NOTB through Somewhere in Time and the reunion albums, and I don't begrudge anyone their opinion if they disagree with any part of that. 

[TAC]

You're so vain, you probably thought that post was about you.

[bosk1]

Well, I have to cry for attention somewhere since no one is even acknowledging my posts in the Def Lep thread, even when they practically scream "this is posted solely to trigger TAC  and get a response from him."

[TAC]

Well, I have to cry for attention somewhere since no one is even acknowledging my posts in the Def Lep thread, even when they practically scream "this is posted solely to trigger TAC  and get a response from him."

I'm actually on vacation so I plan on reengaging in the Def Leppard thread when we get home. I was participating a lot before I left, and I do want to hear these latter albums, though I have read a few of your posts and thought WTF??

[Dream Team]

I don't really want to bash Blaze.  I just want to trigger Dream Team. 

And I don't romanticize the first two albums while criticizing the Blaze albums.  I don't like either.  And I have listened to them and given them a chance.  I'm quite happy with just NOTB through Somewhere in Time and the reunion albums, and I don't begrudge anyone their opinion if they disagree with any part of that.

  Oh I’m not triggered at all. Bruce Dickinson has taken shits that sound better than Blaze Bayley so we’re all good here.

[Stadler]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

Well, I guess I sort of do that, but for me it has nothing to do with the singer.  It's the band; they were muscular and almost... punkish on the first record, and the second was the best Deep Purple record that Deep Purple didn't make.   I really don't care for The X Factor much, but I like Virtual XI more than most and that's because except for TAATG, it's a step back to those early days compared to TXF. 

[The Realm]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

The first 2 albums started it all, they created Iron Maiden and helped introduce the band to the world. These albums are also full of great songs, sure I get they aren't for everyone and I also get some people don't like Dianno but these 2 albums are integral in Iron Maiden history. Blaze came into the band to replace one of the greatest metal frontman/vocalist of all time and ultimately the experiment failed. Whether you like and or don't like Blaze isn't that relevant but what can't be denied is that his vocals are very different to Bruce and the style of music, especially on The X Factor was also different. Then Bruce came back to the band and the reunion era was born. So from that point on the Blaze era became pretty easy to just gloss over and move on from whereas the self titled debut and Killers will always be 'where it all began'.

The first 2 albums are just so much more important in the history of the band than The X Factor and Virtual XI.

I am not a Blaze fan, far from it but I won't be bashing him or any songs from his albums that appear in the 75. I expect at least 2, maybe more will show up. And if that is the case, they will deserve to be there.

[425]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

Well, I guess I sort of do that, but for me it has nothing to do with the singer.  It's the band; they were muscular and almost... punkish on the first record, and the second was the best Deep Purple record that Deep Purple didn't make.   I really don't care for The X Factor much, but I like Virtual XI more than most and that's because except for TAATG, it's a step back to those early days compared to TXF.

This is really interesting because I don't see it that way at all. I see those two albums together, but VXI probably even more so than TXF, as a step forward into the future of Maiden as a less aggressive, more progressive band. I would call Brave New World an iteration on VXI, and I think each reunion album is in some sense an iteration on the previous, so I'd draw a straight line from VXI through Senjutsu, and I'd do so much sooner than I'd draw a line from VXI back to the Di'Anno albums.

If anything, I see NPftD and FotD as their attempt to step back to the early days, which I think mostly didn't work, and then they had to reinvent themselves on TXF (doubly so because they lost the long-time voice of the band).

[devieira73]

I don't think I've ever heard an alternate version of Wrathchild.  Only that redo with Bruce around Ed Hunter time.

From Metal For Muthas (1980):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ZbbsEJOaI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omvLch8Z1qk
This version of Sanctuary is also an earlier one.

[pg1067]

I don't think I've ever heard an alternate version of Wrathchild.  Only that redo with Bruce around Ed Hunter time.

From Metal For Muthas (1980):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ZbbsEJOaI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omvLch8Z1qk
This version of Sanctuary is also an earlier one.

He just doesn't sound committed to being a Wrathchild in the chorus.   

[wolfking]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

I've always struggled with this too.

[KevShmev]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

Well, I guess I sort of do that, but for me it has nothing to do with the singer.  It's the band; they were muscular and almost... punkish on the first record, and the second was the best Deep Purple record that Deep Purple didn't make.   I really don't care for The X Factor much, but I like Virtual XI more than most and that's because except for TAATG, it's a step back to those early days compared to TXF.

I think it has to do a little with the singers, as Dianno does a good job, while Blaze was pretty mediocre on his two records, but, as still a relatively new fan, the songs on the first two albums are just way better than the ones from The X Factor and Virtual XI.  I guess we will see how it plays out here, but just by eye balling it, I see six songs from the first two albums that will easily make my top 75 (vs 0 from the two with Blaze), with a couple more having a shot as well.

[devieira73]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

For me it's harder to understand people loving the reunion albums and hating the Blaze albums. There's a lot more in common between the albums after 1995 than between all the albums that came before, including the Di'Anno ones. I see the reunion albums as if they improved the Blaze era.

[Cool Chris]

I see the reunion albums as if they improved the Blaze era.

That's a massive understatement 

[devieira73]

Ok then 
My first version of my top 75 is done and there's 55 songs from 80 to 92 and 20 from 95 to 2021. I think it represents well how much I like each era. 12 songs from Di'Anno albums and 2 from TXF. Still it can change a little, let's see.

[nick_z]

I don't understand why everyone romanticizes the first two albums with Dianno, yet shit on the two albums with Blaze.

Well, I guess I sort of do that, but for me it has nothing to do with the singer.  It's the band; they were muscular and almost... punkish on the first record, and the second was the best Deep Purple record that Deep Purple didn't make.   I really don't care for The X Factor much, but I like Virtual XI more than most and that's because except for TAATG, it's a step back to those early days compared to TXF.

I think it has to do a little with the singers, as Dianno does a good job, while Blaze was pretty mediocre on his two records, but, as still a relatively new fan, the songs on the first two albums are just way better than the ones from The X Factor and Virtual XI.  I guess we will see how it plays out here, but just by eye balling it, I see six songs from the first two albums that will easily make my top 75 (vs 0 from the two with Blaze), with a couple more having a shot as well.

I agree with most of the points made here...I certainly wouldn't want to shit on the Blaze albums - in fact I do have a fair amount of appreciation for The X Factor. I don't particularly like Virtual XI, but I'm not offended by it  I also think most would agree Blaze's performance on both albums  is not the greatest. As discussed many times, that's not all his fault. While I don't think he's the most amazing singer, I think he's pretty great on his solo records (not familiar with Wolfsbane).

But, most importantly, for me it boils down to the songs. I got into Maiden around the time Fear of the Dark came out, so it's not even like I'm attached to the Dianno albums because "I was there". I might not like them as much as the Bruce-fronted album of the 80s, but I think they are full of fantastic tunes, pretty amazing stuff for such a young band. So much energy and urgency. To me, many of those songs deserve the iconic status they attained, beyond the "historical" considerations.

I do agree, too, that the Blaze albums were somewhat transitional - not all was "forgotten" when Bruce came back, and in some ways the seeds were planted for the style of the reunion albums. Which, however, had a better singer and, generally, better songs too

As for what will make my top 75 - haven't started yet, but I'm pretty sure at least one of the Blaze songs will make it...maybe more...

[devieira73]

I just listened to Killers (with Twilight Zone) and it's really excellent, sure Purgatory and Drifter are a bit inferior, but still... and Martin Birch gave the band excellence the band needed.

[nick_z]

I just listened to Killers (with Twilight Zone) and it's really excellent, sure Purgatory and Drifter are a bit inferior, but still... and Martin Birch gave the band excellence the band needed.

Agreed on Drifter, but I personally LOVE Purgatory!

[wolfking]

Yeah, Purgatory is one of the most most underrated cuts.