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

[The Realm]

Great final list. It kind of seems that the songs ranked 76 - 100 nearly cover everything that felt like it was missing from the Top 75.

Thanks again Kev, this was really great fun and as always really well run. This has been my favourite so far and looking forward to the next one.

[TAC]

2:00 AM git over 21% of its points from me, and at #29, was the only song in my Top 30 that didn't make the list.



Kev, great job. Really well organized and a perfect pace. Really love the format (total lists/Top 10 finishes/highest ranker..).

Unfortunately, I have to sit out the next one.

[425]

Alright, finally getting around to post on the top six:


6. Where Eagles Dare
My ranking: #16

I did not expect this one to land this high, but I'm happy that it did! I think it's one of the very best songs of their 80s output. I'm a big fan of the triumphant-sounding atmosphere, which is especially conveyed by the riffs in this song. There is a lot of great riffing throughout this one, just a near-constant sense of momentum. I think the instrumental section is great; the best part of the song, actually. The use of repetition here is really good and calls to mind the repetition that they would come to do more and more on later albums. Of course, there's also the long solo section in the middle, which is interesting and fitting with the atmosphere.

Of course, we also have the introduction to Mr. Nicko McBrain at the beginning of this one. I think his role in the band has been continually understated over the years (though understandably so, given that the band has one of the all-time great metal singers, all-time great metal bassists, and pioneering guitar duos). I think he enhances so much of their music, and this song is one where his presence is notable long after the first few seconds have passed.


5. Powerslave
My ranking: #33

An impressive fact about Bruce's career with Iron Maiden, which is often overlooked, is that on the first two albums where he was allowed to be a credited songwriter, his second and third overall with the band, he wrote two brilliant, complex songs that are credited only to him: Revelations and Powerslave.

Of the two, my preference is for Revelations, but they're both excellent pieces. I find the Egyptian setting of Powerslave pretty interesting, and made real by the music (not just the lyrics). A lot of great, thematically fitting riffs on this one. But the highlight is the instrumental section, which provides an awesome build-up from a very quiet section back into the heavy main riff.

Bruce is great here as a singer, too, of course, with a very theatrical performance (even in the studio, where he was presumably not wearing that mask).


4. Aces High
My ranking: #41

I don't quite consider this an elite Iron Maiden song, but it's in the next group after elite, and definitely one of the best of the best-known classics. In this case, it has all the hallmarks that make it popular, like the catchy main riff and vocal melodies, but it also has a good amount of depth that keeps me coming back to it. It has a fantastic intro, enhanced even more when preceded by the snippet from Churchill's speech. And it has a great instrumental section, which the song unexpectedly enters directly after the first chorus. Both solos here are excellent, giving an actual feeling of dogfighting planes, and I like the way they move into the subsequent riff.


3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
My ranking: #9

I wasn't quite sure how high this one would climb, so it's nice to see it made the top three—definitely a worthy choice for that honor. To me, this is the climax of their musical development throughout the 1980s. From Phantom of the Opera to Hallowed Be Thy Name to To Tame a Land to Rime of the Ancient Mariner to Alexander the Great, everything was building to this. This song just has so much going on in it, so much epic grandeur—from the intro to the verses to the grand finale. The fact that it's also another step in the development of "Steve Harris writes a chorus that's just the title of the song eight times" poses no obstacle to it being a top ten Maiden song.

The first section, through the last chorus, is epic enough on its own, but the last 60% of the song is even more magical, if possible. The quiet middle section here is a greater success than the one in Rime, because there's a really effective sense of build-up across that section. Even the voiceover is part of that build-up. Once you're familiar enough with this song, you can tell how close you are to the end just from hearing a snippet of this section, because the drums and guitar just mount and mount and mount until the song bursts out with a new riff on the epic theme.

And this solo section is phenomenal. I've been singing the "Adrian Smith is the best Maiden guitarist" song for this whole countdown, but I feel like they had to have known it here by having Dave take the first two solos (which are excellent in their own right), then entering a new riff before handing it off to Adrian to take the song home to the massive outro with two solos of his own.


2. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
My ranking: #20

I don't listen to Rime of the Ancient Mariner often anymore. I usually feel that I've gotten my fill of the song. But whenever I do break it out, I really can't deny it. I like a number of their later epics better than it at this point, but this still a crucial stepping stone toward those later achievements and a superb song in its own right. I think for Rime, like for Seventh Son, there's a lot to like in the first, vocal-heavy part, but what really elevates the song comes toward the end.

That's not to say the first third isn't very good. At times I think it leans pretty heavily on doing the Maiden-gallop thing, but it works, especially as the song goes into later and richer parts of that section. I think the highlight is the "There goes the mariner" section.

But the magic really happens in the second half. As I mentioned in my Seventh Son writeup, I think the quiet middle section of this song doesn't work quite as well as it could have. It feels repetitive without enough variety to give a sense of build-up. That said, it is effective in as far as conveying a certain part of the story. And the transition out of it is a truly vital part of the song. The whole build-up from "The curse it lives on in their eyes" through the climactic line "Then, down in falls, comes the rain" is one of Bruce's finest sections ever.

And then the rain does indeed come down in falls, in the form of a truly fantastic instrumental section. The build into it is tantalizingly slow at first, but then so energizing once it gets going. It's one of the great instrumental parts in their discography, even though it's shorter than a lot of others. And then it carries a lot momentum into the final vocal section, which to me makes what is actually the same riff and verse melody as the intro sound far more interesting here and give the song a fairly climactic outro.

As more time goes on, it's possible more reunion epics will come to eclipse this song for me. But when I do go back to this, I still can't deny its brilliance. Given the general 80s preference among the voters here, I can't argue with this as a top three selection.


1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
My ranking: #8

So, I mentioned that I think Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the climax of a development in songwriting that included this song. But there's just something special about Hallowed Be Thy Name that places it on par with its more complex successor—or slightly ahead of it, seeing as I put Hallowed 8th on my list and Seventh Son 9th.

The power here is in atmosphere and emotion combined with exciting instrumentation. Both of those combine in all the right ways to make this a perfect outing for the band. The intro is just chilling, especially when played live and slowed way down (as they sometimes do) to give Bruce room to work with the emotions. The alternation of epic riffs and operatic vocal sections for the next few minutes just really works here. There's a sense of approaching climax in the music, and Bruce is able to do a lot to sell the emotions of the moment, while also being able to show off his range and power. See the way he sometimes works the strange illusion line.

Then the song just opens up into one of the most explosive, energetic sections of their entire discography. This is especially true played live, when every audience gets hugely into the increasingly fast and intense instrumentals. Count me as perhaps the rare person who is happy that Janick continues to play the second solo instead of Adrian. I love them both, and I think Janick does sometimes flub it, but when he's on, his approach conveys more of a frantic feeling, which fits thematically with this song, especially as we approach the climactic moment.

And then there's nothing new I can say about the final build up and Bruce's last two lines. One of the great Maiden moments, one that is still exciting even after having heard it probably hundreds of times.

This is one of their great songs, one that has absolutely stood the test of time. Although there are a few newer songs that I enjoy more than Hallowed Be Thy Name, I absolutely can't fault anyone for putting it first. I knew this was where our journey would end, and I'm happy to see my prediction become reality.


Placements of the overall listed songs on my list (53/75):
75.
74.
73.
72.
71.
70. Blood Brothers
69.
68.
67.
66. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
65.
64. The Trooper
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
62. Coming Home
61. Fear of the Dark
60.
59. These Colours Don't Run
58.
57. The Evil That Men Do
56.
55.
54.
53. Remember Tomorrow
52.
51. Sea of Madness
50. Dream of Mirrors
49. The Red and the Black
48. Death of the Celts
47. The Nomad
46. Phantom of the Opera
45.
44.
43. Out of the Silent Planet
42. Montségur
41. Aces High
40. Ghost of the Navigator
39.
38. Flight of Icarus
37. The Clansman
36. Moonchild
35.
34.
33. Powerslave
32.
31. Stranger in a Strange Land
30.
29. The Clairvoyant
28. Only the Good Die Young
27. The Book of Souls
26. To Tame a Land
25. If Eternity Should Fail
24. The Longest Day
23. Empire of the Clouds
22. Caught Somewhere in Time
21. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
20. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
19. Dance of Death
18. Infinite Dreams
17. Hell on Earth
16. Where Eagles Dare
15. Lord of Light
14. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
13. When the Wild Wind Blows
12. Alexander the Great
11. Revelations
10. The Legacy
9. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name
7. For the Greater Good of God
6. Sign of the Cross
5. Isle of Avalon
4. The Parchment
3. Starblind
2. The Talisman
1. Paschendale

Overall, I think I did alright, with just over two-thirds of my songs making the list and my entire top 29. I'm planning to reveal and do shorter writeups for the 22 other songs over the next few days.

[Cool Chris]

I had 51 out of the 75 make my list.

Quick takeaways:
* Still highly disappointed in the lack of songs from the debut.
* Still don't get the love for SiT.
* I had 2 Blaze songs, so that was fairly in line with the group.
* My highest ranking song that didn't make the list: Sanctuary at #15
* Highest ranking group song that didn't make my list: Powerslave at #5.

75   Another Life
74   The Fallen Angel
73   Strange World
72   Alexander the Great
71   To Tame a Land
70   Prodigal Son
69   22 Acacia Avenue
68   Fear of the Dark
67   Moonchild
66   Different World
65   Rainmaker
64   Brave New World
63   Face in the Sand
62   Out of the Silent Planet
61   Darkest Hour
60   The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
59   The Writing on the Wall
58   Isle of Avalon
57   Shadows of the Valley
56   Coming Home
55   Sign of the Cross
54   The Man of Sorrows
53   The Trooper
52   Where Eagles Dare
51   Hell on Earth
50   Death of the Celts
49   Senjutsu
48   Montségur
47   The Book of Souls
46   Ghost of the Navigator
45   Mother of Mercy
44   The Alchemist
43   The Pilgrim
42   The Great Unknown
41   The Longest Day
40   The Clansman
39   Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
38   These Colours Don't Run
37   Prowler
36   Tears of a Clown
35   Murders in the Rue Morgue
34   Transylvania
33   Lord of Light
32   Out of the Shadows
31   The Talisman
30   Purgatory
29   The Parchment
28   Death or Glory
27   Speed of Light
26   Infinite Dreams
25   The Time Machine
24   The Clairvoyant
23   Aces High
22   Dream of Mirrors
21   Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
20   Remember Tomorrow
19   For the Greater Good of God
18   No More Lies
17   Wrathchild
16   Children of the Damned
15   Sanctuary
14   The Number of the Beast
13   The Red and the Black
12   Rime of the Ancient Mariner
11   If Eternity Should Fail
10   Killers
9   The Legacy
8   Dance of Death
7   Revelations
6   Flight of Icarus
5   Empire of the Clouds
4   The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
3   Hallowed Be Thy Name
2   Phantom of the Opera
1   Paschendale

Man this was fun. This was the first thing I looked at every morning when I got online. This also might be the last one I participate in, as the other bands that have been tossed around I don't have much, if any, of an emotional connection with.

[TAC]

Chris, who would you have a connection with?

[wolfking]

Rime came in at 46 for me.  Number 2 is way too high IMO. 

Hallowed was 18 but always predicted it was going to be number 1.

[senecadawg2]

2:00 AM git over 21% of its points from me, and at #29, was the only song in my Top 30 that didn't make the list.

I had it at 32

[KevShmev]

 - BACK IN THE VILLAGE, BITCHES.  How that didn't make the top 75 is beyond me.  Those GUITARS!

Yeah, I want to smack myself for leaving that off my top 75.  When I did my last amendment to it, I was adding a few of the newer songs and Back in the Village sadly was one of the casualties.  Admittedly, tracks 3 through 6 from Powerslave, all of which I like a lot, all kind of bounce around as to which ones I like the most, and that must have been on the downside the day I locked in my list.  For shame, I know.

[Shalev Amir]

-75-80 are appropriately the songs that felt missing from the list...

-The Prophecy was 68 points from scoring Seventh Son a full set.

-The Fallen Angel missed by only 45 points, but The Mercenary finished 141 so BNW wasn't that close (below TAATG? The fuck?)

-The missing AMOLAD songs are all really close together! #96, #100, #101.

-There's a 69 rank gap between Mother of Mercy (#87) and El Dorado (#156). Damn, if anything I'd expected this to be the other way around...

-Blaze wasn't really close to making it, Man on the Edge is the next highest ranked Blaze song at #106.

-I told you Lightning Strikes Twice will get #1! It's #1 from the bottom if you discount b sides and instrumentals 

[KevShmev]

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a list and participated in this thread. It was mostly a lot of fun! 

FINAL STANDINGS

The Number of the Beast falls just one point short of Seventh Son for the #3 slot!  The top 5 "classic era" albums take the top 5 spots, followed by the 6 "reunion era" albums and the 2 Di'Anno albums.

1. Somewhere in Time:  8 songs/346 points – Déjà Vu (#68), Heaven Can Wait (#66), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (#48), Stranger in a Strange Land (#22), Alexander the Great (#21), Sea of Madness (#17), Wasted Years (#13), Caught Somewhere in Time (#7)

2. Piece of Mind:  6 songs/328 points – Still Life (#57), To Tame a Land (#20), The Trooper (#19), Flight of Icarus (#15), Revelations (#11), Where Eagles Dare (#6)

3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son:  7 songs/313 points – Can I Play with Madness (#73), Only the Good Die Young (#59), The Evil That Men Do (#39), The Clairvoyant (#26), Infinite Dreams (#10), Moonchild (#9), Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (#3)

4. The Number of the Beast:  6 songs/312 points – Run to the Hills (#41), 22 Acacia Avenue (#38), The Prisoner (#32), Children of the Damned (#18), The Number of the Beast (#14), Hallowed Be Thy Name (#1)

5. Powerslave:  5 songs/264 points – The Duellists (#74), 2 Minutes to Midnight (#34), Powerslave (#5), Aces High (#4), Rime of the Ancient Mariner (#2)

6. A Matter of Life and Death:  7 songs/218 points – The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (#71), These Colours Don’t Run (#65), Lord of Light (#49), The Longest Day (#43), Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (#33), The Legacy (#30), For the Greater Good of God (#23)

7. Brave New World:  8 songs/186 points – Out of the Silent Planet (#70), Brave New World (#60), The Wicker Man (#58), The Nomad (#56), The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (#53), Dream of Mirrors (#52), Blood Brothers (#44), Ghost of the Navigator (#29)

8. The Final Frontier:  5 songs/182 points – Isle of Avalon (#51), Starblind (#47), Coming Home (#37), When the Wild Wind Blows (#36), The Talisman (#27)

9. Dance of Death:  4 songs/146 points – Rainmaker (#72), Montsegur (#50), Dance of Death (#28), Paschendale (#8)

10. The Book of Souls:  4 songs/121 points – If Eternity Should Fail (#64), The Book of Souls (#46), The Red and the Black (#42), Empire of the Clouds (#31)

11. Senjutsu:  3 songs/93 points – Death of the Celts (#75), The Parchment (#35), Hell on Earth (#25)

12. Iron Maiden:  2 songs/85 points – Remember Tomorrow (#55), Phantom of the Opera (#12)

13. Killers:  4 songs/80 points – Prodigal Son (#63), Wrathchild (#62), Killers (#54), Murders in the Rue Morgue (#45)

14. Fear of the Dark:  3 songs/76 points – Judas Be My Guide (#67), Afraid to Shoot Strangers (#61), Fear of the Dark (#24)

15. The X Factor:  1 song/60 points – Sign of the Cross (#16)

16. Virtual XI:  1 song/36 points – The Clansman (#40)

17. No Prayer for the Dying:  1 song/7 points – No Prayer for the Dying (#69)

And thanks to you, sir, for these constant updates!  Very nicely done as always.

The order looks really darn good, for the most part.  I think the first two albums deserved more love and are better than a majority of the reunion albums, and I'd slide up Powerslave a few spots obviously, but A Matter of Life and Death being the highest rated reunion record, the four 90s albums all sitting at the bottom, and Somewhere in Time at number 1 all nail the bullseye, IMO. 

[Dream Team]

So finally getting around to doing this, songs I had ranked that didn't make the cut:

16 Total Eclipse
26 Tailgunner
27 Invaders
29 Be Quick or Be Dead
30 Mother Russia
37 Charlotte the Harlot
39 New Frontier
41 The Prophecy
44 The Man Who Would be King
46 Wasting Love
51 Prowler
52 Man of Sorrows
54 Lost in a Lost World
55 The Fugitive
56 Innocent Exile
60 Wildest Dreams
61 Chains of Misery
62 Quest for Fire
63 El Dorado
64 The Assassin
65 Face in the Sand
66 Darkest Hour
68 Strange World
70 Childhood's End
71 Shadows of the Valley
72 Mother of Mercy
73 Age of Innocence
75 Back in the Village

I frequently read criticisms of most of those, and I have no idea why. They sound fine to my ears.

[425]

Dream Team, you mentioned Total Eclipse a couple of days ago, wondering if everyone has heard it, and I see you have it at #16 here. I want to just mention that I really like it, probably better than anything on TNotB besides HBTN and The Prisoner, and that it came very close to making my list. Like, if it had been top 80 instead of top 75, I'd probably have had it.

One of the 80s songs you had in your top 50 is one I included, too, and really think deserved to make it. I wrote a little about it below.

I also have some of the reunion songs that you mention here, some pretty high... I'll reveal them in the next couple of days. I did not have The Man of Sorrows, but it's cool to see it fairly high in a list. Would be top 85 for me—I came close to including it.


Okay, I wanted to do some short writeups for the songs that were on my list but not mentioned in the countdown. I'm going to try to keep these a lot shorter than my writeups for the main 75, but just to give a special mention to the other songs I included. I'll probably do this in three posts—I had 22 songs that didn't make the list, so I'll do 8, 7 and 7. Just to give a sense of the flow of my list, I'll list the intervening songs without comments.

I'd like to see others do this as well, because I think it'd be interesting to see what people have to say about some of the less popular choices.


75. The Angel and the Gambler
Overall ranking: #140

Yes, this song is on my list. It's awesome, and my only regret, if any, is that I didn't put it higher. For a long time, I shared the typical criticism of this song, that it's too repetitive and would be better if it was shorter. I no longer think that. If you can get to a place where you just accept the fact that, yes, he's going to sing the same three lines a lot of times, I don't think it's a problem. The choruses are really varied in a way that keeps it from being monotonous. And the song itself is really fun and exciting. A great driving or running song.

Yes, this post is going to have a lot of Virtual XI. I really like this album, but it doesn't rank as high for me as my top favorites, so a lot of songs from it (and actually both Blaze albums) were in my 50-75 range. I've always liked a lot, but during some hard times in the last few years, I've listened to it more than usual. The Angel and the Gambler is a song that just makes me happy.


74. Como Estais Amigos
Overall ranking: #128

This is a beautiful, emotional song that's definitely driven heavily by Blaze's voice—I don't know if I'd want to hear it without him as the singer. That said, there's some really interesting instrumentation in the second half. It's a Gers/Bayley writing credit, and it definitely bears the stylistic hallmarks of both the two most maligned Iron Maiden members at their very best. Great ending to the Virtual XI album.

Trivia: Blaze has said that this is his favorite song that he did with Iron Maiden.


73. Stratego
Overall ranking: #139

I'm on record as a huge fan of the band's newest album, and Stratego is no exception. I didn't figure it would make the list, but I'm a little surprised to see it down in Angel and the Gambler range. Maybe that's a byproduct of TAATG having a few dedicated fans and Stratego mostly having people who like but don't love it.

I just love the vocal melodies on this one. Everything is memorable and feels pretty epic, especially the chorus. It also fits in really well on the album, as a kick of energy after the title track. Like many of the songs on this album, it's sparing with the chorus, and I think that's to its advantage—gives it both familiarity and power when it kicks in for the second time after the instrumental break.


72. The Prophecy
Overall ranking: #86

Like the group, I ranked 7 out of 8 songs on Seventh Son, but it wasn't the same 7. Rather than playing with madness, I prefer to hear the cry of the seven whistlers.

I don't really get why this one gets less love than the other songs on the album. It has a lot of nice melodies in the intro and especially the acoustic outro, Bruce going all out in terms of theatricality, and a really interesting instrumental break. I really enjoy it.


71. Judgment of Heaven
Overall ranking: #161

One of the challenges ranking songs from The X Factor is that for a long time, I've really thought of this album as a continuous experience that is better than the sum of its parts. I still mostly agree with that, but in recent years, I've gained a greater appreciation for some of the individual parts on their own.

Judgment of Heaven is one that kind of came out of nowhere for me. For a long time, I thought of it as one of the lesser songs on the album, though one I still liked. I think that's the general opinion, which is why I'm not surprised to see it way at the bottom even relative to other Blaze songs. But then I heard Thomas Zwijsen's acoustic arrangement of it, with acoustic guitar, violin, and Blaze on vocals. This also came during a tough part of my life, and it was kind of a revelation for me in terms of this song. Especially, it brought my attention to the really nice instrumental melodies, particularly during the break. It's now in the top half of the album for me.


70. Blood Brothers (overall: #44)


69. The Educated Fool
Overall ranking: #118

There was some discussion about this song a few pages ago, and it was great to see that some people put this song far higher than I did. It's worthy of more consideration.

The intro is really pretty and melodic, taking good advantage of the softer side of Blaze's voice. The rest of the song lives up to it, conveying a really uplifting mood, to me. This is especially true when the second chorus kicks in: "Time will flow, and I will follow." It feels even grander the second time, since the instrumental break has built up some momentum and intensity.


68. Virus
Overall ranking: #144

The only non-album track on my list. Total Eclipse came very close, but ended up among the first ten out. Virus has long captivated my interest. First, it was unusual for them to so openly lash out at their critics. Second, it has two very distinct parts that are both good in their own right and, I think, come together quite well at the end. It's kind of reminiscent of Dreams of Mirrors. The first half has a really creepy feeling, between the repeated guitar melody and Blaze's low, quiet vocals. The second half is just melodically interesting to me—I like the "Every good thing's laid to waste" verse melody and the "Rats in the cellar" melody (and the choral patch used before Blaze comes in on that part is interesting). It brings out an angrier side of Blaze's voice that I think works well.


67. Blood on the World's Hands
Overall ranking: #148

Over the years, I've gone back and forth between having this song as one of the standouts on The X Factor and having it as part of the pack. Last few years, it's definitely been in the standout camp. I think part of what's going on here is that this song is meant to have a really epic sound, and the production kind of undercuts that. But when I look through the production to hear the song itself, I think it's an excellent one. Steve plays a really interesting bass intro, the verses are interesting and aggressive, and the highlight is the big "Blood on the world's hands" refrain that follows the solo section. The sudden ending is clever and works well, I think.


66. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (overall: #53)

Next post, probably tomorrow, will begin with #65. The next batch is more on the Reunion side of the Reunion:Blaze ratio, although I have a few Blaze songs left.

[pg1067]

01 Hallowed Be Thy Name      1781
02 Rime of the Ancient Mariner   1562

Damn!  With both songs being on everyone's lists, I'd have expected the margin to be much closer.

166 Sheriff of Huddersfield      34

Did anyone other than Tim and I rank it?

And thanks to you, sir, for these constant updates!  Very nicely done as always.

The order looks really darn good, for the most part.  I think the first two albums deserved more love and are better than a majority of the reunion albums, and I'd slide up Powerslave a few spots obviously, but A Matter of Life and Death being the highest rated reunion record, the four 90s albums all sitting at the bottom, and Somewhere in Time at number 1 all nail the bullseye, IMO. 

Happy to contribute to your venture, and thanks again!   

[Cool Chris]

01 Hallowed Be Thy Name      1781
02 Rime of the Ancient Mariner   1562

Damn!  With both songs being on everyone's lists, I'd have expected the margin to be much closer.

I noticed that too. That's a big separation between #1 and #2.

Putting my own personal preferences aside, Hallowed is the song I would have wanted to be at #1. It was #3 for me. As has been said elsewhere, if someone said to me "what's this band all about?" that would be the first song I'd play for them.

[KevShmev]

166 Sheriff of Huddersfield      34

Did anyone other than Tim and I rank it?
 

No, you were the only two.

[Cool Chris]

If anything this thread introduced me to some songs I didn't know existed. Their covers never interested me much, though Doctor, Doctor would have made my list were it allowed. But I didn't realize they had that many non-album original tracks.

[nobloodyname]

If anything this thread introduced me to some songs I didn't know existed. Their covers never interested me much, though Doctor, Doctor would have made my list were it allowed. But I didn't realize they had that many non-album original tracks.

There haven't been any new ones for years (if any?), sadly. We can probably blame the shift to digital for that.

And on the subject of non-album tracks: Paschendale (Orchestral Version) came up on shuffle a couple of days ago. Safe to say that version wouldn't have been in my top ten. It's horribly overdone.

[Deadeye21]

Alright, gotta start with saying a huge thank you to Kev for another great countdown list. I look forward to whatever could be next. I’m hoping for a Metallica one at some stage, but I’m up for whatever you have for us.

Here is my top 75 as I entered it. Not as it should have been, since my 2 and 3 were in the wrong order. Bolded are the ones that didn’t make the master list.    

        1. Powerslave
   2. Hallowed Be Thy Name
   3. The Legacy
   4. Sign of the Cross
   5. Aces High
   6. Where Eagles Dare
   7. Hell On Earth
   8. Wasted Years
   9. Phantom of the Opera
   10. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
   11. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
   12. When the Wild Wind Blows
   13. Killers
   14. Number of the Beast
   15. Clansman
   16. Talisman
   17. Longest Day
   18. Revelations
   19. Alexander the Great
   20. Thin Line Between Love & Hate
   21. Clairvoyant
   22. Moonchild
   23. Evil That Men Do
   24. Red and the Black
   25. To Tame a Land
   26. Trooper
   27. Caught Somewhere In Time
   28. Death of the Celts
   29. Children of the Damned
   30. Can I Play With Madness
   31. Paschendale
   32. For the Greater Good of God
   33. Blood Brothers
   34. Wicker Man
   35. Die With Your Boots On
   36. Book Of Souls
   37. Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)
   38. Infinite Dreams
   39. Nomad
   40. Man Who Would Be King
   41. Rainmaker
   42. Murders in the Rue Morgue
   43. Heaven Can Wait
   44. Flash of the Blade
   45. Lord of Light
   46. Sanctuary
   47. Lord of the Flies
   48. 22 Acacia Avenue
   49. Mother Russia
   50. Public Enema Number One
   51. Wrathchild
   52. Different World
   53. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
   54. Dream of Mirrors
   55. Man on the Edge
   56. When the River Runs Deep
   57. Back in the Village
   58. Montsegur
   59. Death or Glory
   60. Mercenary
   61. Flight of Icarus
   62. Sea of Madness
   63. Run to the Hills
   64. Ghost of the Navigator
        65. Fear of the Dark
   66. Empire of the Clouds
   67. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
   68. The Prisoner
   69. Gates of Tomorrow
   70. Stranger in a Strange Land
   71. Blood on the World’s Hands
   72. Isle of Avalon
   73. The Writing on the Wall
   74. Dance of Death
   75. Pilgrim
   
   

[KevShmev]

My list is below (I bolded the ones that did not make the final top 75.

Looks like I had a brain cramp, as Back in the Village did make my list.

63 of my 75 made it.

01 Powerslave
02 Infinite Dreams
03 Rime of the Ancient Mariner
04 The Number of the Beast
05 Stranger in a Strange Land
06 Run to the Hills
07 Alexander the Great
08 Wasted Years
09 For the Greater Good of God
10 Sea of Madness
11 The Legacy
12 Caught Somewhere in Time
13 Hallowed Be Thy Name
14 Flight of Icarus
15 Journeyman
16 Blood Brothers
17 Where Eagles Dare
18 Dream of Mirrors
19 The Prisoner
20 Starblind
21 The Nomad
22 The Clairvoyant
23 Revelations
24 Prowler
25 The Pilgrim
26 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
27 The Talisman
28 Ghost of the Navigator
29 Children of the Damned
30 When the Wild Wind Blows
31 Brighter Than a Thousand Sons
32 Only the Good Die Young
33 Lord of Light
34 Invaders
35 Phantom of the Opera
36 Flash of the Blade
37 Moonchild
38 The Longest Day
39 Isle of Avalon
40 2 Minutes to Midnight
41 The Duelists
42 Coming Home
43 Brave New World
44 Paschendale
45 Aces High
46 Strange World
47 Dance of Death
48 The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
49 Killers
50 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
51 To Tame a Land
52 Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
53 The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
54 Prodigal Son
55 These Colours Don't Run
56 Wrathchild
57 Out of the Shadows
58 Murders in the Rue Morgue
59 Remember Tomorrow
60 The Man Who Would Be King
61 Fear of the Dark
62 Deja Vu
63 Rainmaker
64 The Red and the Black
65 Running Free
66 The Evil That Men Do
67 Back in the Village
68 Hell On Earth
69 The Trooper
70 Heaven Can Wait
71 Empire of the Clouds
72 The Parchment
73 If Eternity Should Fail
74 Die with Your Boots On
75 The Book of Souls

[jammindude]

I’m celebrating my 24th wedding anniversary this weekend so I’ve been a little caught up with the wife. My write ups of each individual song do take quite a bit of time so I’m going to try to get to that very soon. But for now I can do a copy paste of my top 75.

1. Sign of the Cross
2.  Rime of the Ancient Mariner
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name
4. The Parchment
5. The Legacy
6. Death of the Celts
7. Revelations
8. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
9. Where Eagles Dare
10. Paschendale
11. For the Greater Good of God
12. When the Wild Wind Blows
13. Coming Home
14. Phantom of the Opera
15. The Prisoner
16. Isle of Avalon
17. Aces High
18. Fear of the Dark
19. Sea of Madness
20. 2 Minutes to Midnight
21. These Colors Don't Run
22. The Clairvoyant
23. Murders in the Rue Morgue
24. 22 Acacia Avenue
25. Moonchild
26. Blood on the Worlds Hands
27. Children of the Damned
28. The Number of the Beast
29. Remember Tomorrow
30. The Trooper
31. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
32. 2 A.M.
33. Empire of the Clouds
34. To Tame a Land
35. Killers
36. Stranger in a Strange Land
37. Wrathchild
38. The Red and the Black
39. Days of Future Past
40. Heaven Can Wait
41. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
42. The Writing on the Wall
43. Brave New World
44. Strange World
45. Senjutsu
46. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
47. The Clansman
48. Still Life
49. Wasted Years
50. The Longest Day
51. Powerslave
52. Prodigal Son
53. Caught Somewhere in Time
54. Be Quick or Be Dead
55. Losfer Words (Big Orra)
56. Out of the Shadows
57. The Talisman
58. The Flight of Icarus
59. Back in the Village
60. Virus
61. The Speed of Light
62. Edge of Darkness
63. Innocent Exile
64. If Eternity Should Fail
65. Drifter
66. Flash of the Blade
67. Prowler
68. Man on the Edge
69. Dream of Mirrors
70. The Educated Fool
71. Alexander the Great
72. The Darkest Hour
73. The Man Who Would Be King
74. The Great Unknown
75. Run Silent Run Deep

[Glasser]

Happy Anniversary man! Nice list! Sign of the cross at #1, That's some heavy duty shit right there, good for you!!!! 

[425]

Here's my second of three posts on the songs that made my list but not the overall list:


65. Senjutsu
Overall ranking: #82

Cool to see that this one came close to making the general list. It's been hard to tell quite how well it's been received. For my money, it's a really cool album opener, the third in a row that is somewhat different than the typical Maiden fare. I like how the music, especially the rhythms, contribute to the feeling of a city preparing for invasion. I think it works best as a lead-in to the full album experience.


64. The Trooper (overall: #19)
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (overall: #71)
62. Coming Home (overall: #37)
61. Fear of the Dark (#24)


60. No More Lies
Overall ranking: #116

I wasn't sure whether to expect this one—I figured it might fall victim to there being so many great longer reunion pieces and the general dislike for repetitive choruses. But #116 is way lower than I would have predicted.

I think this song is slightly worse for its "song title eight times" chorus, but it has so much in its favor. Namely, it's just so melodically rich. The intro is just so lush and beautiful. The lyrics are really fascinating and evocative, and I really like Bruce's performance.


59. These Colours Don't Run (overall: #65)


58. When Two Worlds Collide
Overall ranking: #130

People like to talk about The Educated Fool as the underrated Virtual XI song, and I totally agree that it's great and underrated. But my choice for that title is When Two Worlds Collide. I really like the way this one starts out and then bursts out into a really heavy, powerful song. Somehow Iron Maiden made "I check the declination" into a really cool line. Great instrumental section, too, and I love the last couple minutes, too—it ends with some really strong melodies.


57. The Evil That Men Do (overall: #39)


56. The Writing on the Wall
Overall ranking: #94

It only took a couple of listens for me to realize that this one is something special—and consequently, to start getting me really excited about Senjutsu. This is easily my favorite first single of the reunion era, and since I usually like a lot of songs better than the first single, that was a good sign. Of course, that was borne out—this is my #56 song in the band's discography, but sixth on the album as a whole.

The main riff is just infectious. So good, so memorable. Different yet familiar. The verses are quite good, as well. And Adrian's solo is awesome. Just a really good song.


55. The Unbeliever
Overall ranking: #137

This is sort of a strange closing epic, but it's one that I've long found really appealing. For one thing, it feels like a cathartic, if still pessimistic, ending to The X Factor. We get one of Blaze's most aggressive vocal performances and some of Steve's darkest lyrics, and I just find it all really compelling. The atmosphere and the vocal melodies are just there, and the instrumental section is exactly what we need at this point on the album. That last chorus brings some extra aggression for a powerful ending, too.


54. The Alchemist
Overall ranking: #135

The end result for this one was a bit disappointing for me. I kind of thought people were starting to recognize how great it is, and I thought it might make the list, but it ended up down in Unbeliever territory.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of The Final Frontier, as most people know by now, and that emphatically includes the first half. This is a great little song. A lot of energy, a lot of melody, a great instrumental section... tons to love. I particularly love the vocal melodies, the way Bruce almost spits out some of the lines on the verses ("I curse you Edward Kelly") and then brings out a really catchy chorus.


53. Remember Tomorrow (overall: #55)


52. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
Overall ranking: #111

I think Satellite 15 is one of the coolest things ever. So different from everything they've done and everything people expect from them, and so good at creating a powerful atmosphere without sacrificing musicality (the guitar parts throughout this section are awesome). And Bruce is just incredible here. He sings such huge lines with a ton of emotion. It's such a fantastic way to open my favorite Iron Maiden album.

The Final Frontier is a very good but not great Maiden rocker. I like the verses and lyrics a lot, and Adrian plays a really awesome solo. It does have the repeating chorus problem, although that doesn't detract too badly. I would probably have it down toward the 60s/70s on its own, and Satellite 15 up toward the 30s. #52 feels like a good place for a song that represents the unification of the two into in a single piece.


51. Sea of Madness (overall: 17)
50. Dream of Mirrors (overall: #52)
49. The Red and the Black (overall: #42)
48. Death of the Celts (overall: #75)
47. The Nomad (overall: 56)
46. Phantom of the Opera (overall: 12)


I'll conclude with one more post about the last seven songs I included.

[soupytwist]

It's interesting to see Senjutsu have the worst showing on the list out of the reunion albums, considering it should still have the 'new car smell' bonus associated with it.  I've generally struggled to get into the album myself.

Cool list BTW.  Started my list but never got around to finishing it off as real life got in the way (and I really needed to replay certain albums, to give a fair ranking).

No More Lies would have been in my top ten!

[Elite]

I agree with your assessment on Satellite 15!! Really enjoy that one, and I had it at #18

[Stadler]

So help me out... Burning Ambition got 26 points.  I ranked it 74, so that gave it, what, 2 points?   Where did the other 24 come from?

[425]

It's interesting to see Senjutsu have the worst showing on the list out of the reunion albums, considering it should still have the 'new car smell' bonus associated with it.  I've generally struggled to get into the album myself.

It's possible that people are being conservative in ranking it because it's so new. I know I am (yes, #4, #17, two in the thirties, #48, #56, #65 and #73 represent my conservative ranking of those songs). It's also possible that reunion Maiden in general tends to age better with time. I've seen a lot of people in the last few months mention that this or that reunion album clicked with them only recently.

No More Lies would have been in my top ten!

I agree with your assessment on Satellite 15!! Really enjoy that one, and I had it at #18

Awesome! Cool to see songs like these get high placements from people.


Here are the last of the songs from my list that did not make the overall list. At the bottom of this post I'll also have my entire list with the ones that did not make the overall list bolded.

Let's pick up where we left off, at #45...


45. Futureal
Overall ranking: #112

This is the song I was hoping for as the third Blaze track, and, uh... wow. It didn't even come close, did it? So I feel licensed now to say y'all are underrating this song by so much. This is quite simply one of their best short rockers. It's full of energy; it comes charging right of the gate and just does not let up for its whole three minute runtime. Great main riff, catchy chorus, excellent Dave Murray solo that comes right out of the chorus, what's not to love? Even if you can't stand Blaze (even though he's great on this), Bruce sang it on their 1999 tour. There are just no excuses here.


44. Mother of Mercy
Overall ranking: #87

Another entry in the "the first half of The Final Frontier is great, too, guys!" folder. I love this song. It's got a ton of melody and I find it quite emotionally moving. All the verses are just really, really good, both musically and lyrically. I really like the way a couple of the verses have a more laid back first half and then kick into a more intense gear ("You tell me what is certain but I'll tell you what is true" and especially "I don't hold with bad religion"). In fact, that second one is worth quoting under evocative Maiden lyrics:

I don't hold with bad religion, understand what's underneath it
Now I come to think of it, I just don't hold at all, you know it
You say you are a holy man, but what is it you do?
From where I stand is nothing but a hollow man I see

And, of course, there's the end of the song, which is really intense and moving. Great piece.


43. Out of the Silent Planet (overall: #70)
42. Montségur (overall: #50)
41. Aces High (overall: #4)
40. Ghost of the Navigator (overall: #29)


39. Fortunes of War
Overall ranking: #138

One challenge in terms of getting songs from The X Factor besides Sign of the Cross onto the list was always going to be the fact that fans of the album seem to have really different choices for favorites. (This is why I thought Futureal had the third-best chance out of any Blaze song despite the fact that TXF is generally held in higher regard than VXI.) I think Man on the Edge probably has the broadest appeal among Maiden fans, but hardcore X Factor fans are ambivalent about it. A lot of TXF fans seem to like The Edge of Darkness, but that's around the middle of the album for me, and didn't quite make my top 75.

For me, the second-best song on TXF is Fortunes of War. It embodies the best of what they're doing on this album. You get the slow, moody, atmospheric first third, which to me has such a compelling motif with the quiet guitar melody punctuated by a loud drum hit. Then it slowly builds up with a really memorable melody into a heavy, intense middle section, carried by Blaze's deep, intense vocal part. At last, it opens into a final section that uses some familiar Maiden elements (namely, the gallop and the twin guitar solo section) but cast in a more darker, desperate context than we're used to hearing them in. Finally, we return to the brooding intro to bring the song full circle.

It's a more challenging song than a lot of Maiden's material. But I think Fortunes of War is an absolute masterpiece.


38. Flight of Icarus (overall: #15)
37. The Clansman (overall: #40)
36. Moonchild (overall: #9)


35. Lost in a Lost World
Overall ranking: #88

This has had the most ambivalent reaction of the 'Arry Quadrilogy on Senjutsu, but while I agree it's a cut below The Parchment and Hell on Earth, I think it's a shade better than Death of the Celts and still among their finer epics. Everything really superb besides the chorus, which isn't bad, just not great. The intro is really cool and unusual for Maiden, and it breaks into the heavy part of the song quite nicely. The instrumental section is also quite good.

The best thing here, though, is the amazing melody that first comes out set of heavy verses, and returns again at the end of the song:

Feel the spirit of the old ones standing proud upon their race
And the testament to ancestors that are never to retrace
Burn the flame of innocence as they ride into the sun
Thinking now of our forefathers that are lying dead upon
Holy ground and sacred earth now
Revisit stolen youth

The twisting and winding of that melody is just so magical, and it's incredible to hear it both in the heavier context and then for a long time at the end of the song. I think I might have put this song in the top 75 even if it had nothing going for it besides that melody.

When I first listened to the album, I was actually immediately quite taken with this song. This was the point in the album where I really started thinking this was an incredibly special album, because the first three tracks were all really good (but I'd heard two of them already, and then the first of four huge epics is so interesting and so good). I hope this song ends up growing on people over time.


34. Darkest Hour
Overall ranking: #81

It would've been nice to see Senjutsu get a fourth song, and it looks like this was deservedly the closest to claiming that honor. This, to me, is the stunning reunion power ballad that Coming Home seems to be for a lot of people (not that I don't think Coming Home is great, but I think this is better). Bruce definitely takes the spotlight on this one, and gives a great performance on some absolutely epic vocal parts. I'm pretty interested in Churchill as a historical figure, so these lyrics are really fascinating to me, as well. Great imagery from Bruce:

I watch the sun move away as I embrace the night
And my black dog has its day
For six long years you shall not pass
Barbarians at the gate we will overcome

...

Turn the ploughshares into swords
You sons of Albion, awake, defend this sacred land

I said Bruce takes the spotlight, and he does, until he lends it to his songwriting partner Adrian to lay down an incredible solo. And Dave doesn't drop the baton when it's handed to him, either. The leads on the last choruses are excellent, too. Some might say this song is a little too long for what it is, and on paper, I can see that. But I like that this one takes its time.


33. Powerslave (overall: #5)


32. Face in the Sand
Overall ranking: #119

Another one that I'm pretty disappointed didn't make it. Dance of Death's performance here was interesting, because Paschendale, Dance of Death and Montségur got the high placements that they deserved, and Rainmaker, which is worthier than a lot of things that did make the list, was also present. But No More Lies got overlooked, and so did this gem.

Face in the Sand is all about the atmosphere. It starts with nice little calm melody, but soon enters an intense, disquieting section, punctuated by some pretty prominent strings and Nicko's intense playing. There's a really awesome buildup here before the double bass (only time ever on a Maiden song) fully kicks in along with the heavy riffs and prominent strings. The two minutes it takes for Bruce to come in would alone make this worthy of the top 75, but the vocals add a lot of intensity and atmosphere to this song in their own right.

The second half of the song isn't as noteworthy as the intro, but it absolutely carries forward on its promise. Just such an epic piece. Paschendale is an impossible act to follow, but you couldn't do much better than Face in the Sand.


31. Stranger in a Strange Land (overall: #22)


30. The Man Who Would Be King
Overall ranking: #91

Speaking of impossible acts to follow, The Talisman is one. And yet they did manage to follow it with a song that's top 30 in its own right. The Final Frontier is a great album, people.

I think it's sort of expected at this point that in a run of epic songs that are, respectively, Smith/Harris, Smith/Harris/Dickinson, Gers/Harris, Murray/Harris and Harris, the Murray/Harris song would end up being treated as sort of the odd one out.

But while I ultimately agree this one is the least of the five, this one is so beautiful in its own right. The intro is so compelling, such a traditionally Dave Murray opening, and the transition into the heavier section is pretty grand, too. I really love the second stage of this set of verses ("Life is not a rehearsal...").

And what about the instrumental section after the first chorus? So fascinating and unusual, and such an interesting solo from Dave on that part. It transitions later into a more traditional instrumental section, though one that still has a Dave touch, and that part is still excellent. The finale, also, has some very beautiful guitarwork. To me, this is just beautiful, melodically rich piece of music. One of the band's finer tracks that has the misfortune of landing right in the midst of many of their very finest.


My full list (songs that did not make the overall list are in bold):

75. The Angel and the Gambler (overall: #140)
74. Como Estais Amigos (overall: #128)
73. Stratego (overall: #139)
72. The Prophecy (overall: #86)
71. Judgment of Heaven (overall: #131)
70. Blood Brothers (overall: #44)
69. The Educated Fool (overall: #118)
68. Virus (overall: #144)
67. Blood on the World's Hands (overall: #148)
66. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (overall: #53)
65. Senjutsu (overall: #82)
64. The Trooper (overall: #19)
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (overall: #71)
62. Coming Home (overall: #37)
61. Fear of the Dark (overall: #24)
60. No More Lies (overall: #116)
59. These Colours Don't Run (overall: #65)
58. When Two Worlds Collide (overall: #130)
57. The Evil That Men Do (overall: #39)
56. The Writing on the Wall (overall: #94)
55. The Unbeliever (overall: #137)
54. The Alchemist (overall: #135)
53. Remember Tomorrow (overall: #55)
52. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier (overall: #111)
51. Sea of Madness (overall: #17)
50. Dream of Mirrors (overall: #52)
49. The Red and the Black (overall: #42)
48. Death of the Celts (overall: #75)
47. The Nomad (overall: #56)
46. Phantom of the Opera (overall: #12)
45. Futureal (overall: #112)
44. Mother of Mercy (overall: #87)
43. Out of the Silent Planet (overall: #70)
42. Montségur (overall: #50)
41. Aces High (overall: #4)
40. Ghost of the Navigator (overall: #29)
39. Fortunes of War (overall: #138)
38. Flight of Icarus (overall: #15)
37. The Clansman (overall: #40)
36. Moonchild (overall: #9)
35. Lost in a Lost World (overall: #88)
34. Darkest Hour (overall: #81)
33. Powerslave (overall: #5)
32. Face in the Sand (overall: #119)
31. Stranger in a Strange Land (overall: #22)
30. The Man Who Would Be King (overall: #91)
29. The Clairvoyant (overall: #26)
28. Only the Good Die Young (overall: #59)
27. The Book of Souls (overall: #46)
26. To Tame a Land (overall: #20)
25. If Eternity Should Fail (overall: #64)
24. The Longest Day (overall: #43)
23. Empire of the Clouds (overall: #31)
22. Caught Somewhere in Time (overall: #7)
21. Afraid to Shoot Strangers (overall: #61)
20. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (overall: #2)
19. Dance of Death (overall: #28)
18. Infinite Dreams (overall: #10)
17. Hell on Earth (overall: #25)
16. Where Eagles Dare (overall: #6)
15. Lord of Light (overall: #49)
14. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (overall: #33)
13. When the Wild Wind Blows (overall: #36)
12. Alexander the Great (overall: #21)
11. Revelations (overall: #11)
10. The Legacy (overall: #30)
9. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (overall: #3)
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name (overall #1)
7. For the Greater Good of God (overall: #23)
6. Sign of the Cross (overall: #16)
5. Isle of Avalon (overall: #51)
4. The Parchment (overall: #35)
3. Starblind (overall: #47)
2. The Talisman (overall: #27)
1. Paschendale (overall: #8)

[KevShmev]

So help me out... Burning Ambition got 26 points.  I ranked it 74, so that gave it, what, 2 points?   Where did the other 24 come from?

Someone else ranked it at 52!

[Glasser]

So help me out... Burning Ambition got 26 points.  I ranked it 74, so that gave it, what, 2 points?   Where did the other 24 come from?

Someone else ranked it at 52!

 

[Stadler]

NICE!  It's a decent tune; not really in keeping with the first album style-wise, but it's clearly Maiden.

[jammindude]

Sorry I fell so far behind.  I can't even remember where I left off, and I'm too short on time to go hunting, so I'm just going to keep this post to the final top 10. 

10. Infinite Dreams - Me: unranked

It's a pretty cool song, but top 10?   This was a bit shocking.  Never thought of this as a top 10 Maiden song.

9. Moonchild - Me #25

Now THIS is more like it.  After being initially disappointed with SIT and then not bothering to even pick up SS, a friend of mine said "NO.  You've GOT to hear this!"   And as soon as the opening of Moonchild kicked in I was absolutely hooked.   This is my 2nd highest ranked song from SS, finishing only 3 places behind The Clairvoyant. 

8. Paschendale - Me #10

Best song from DOD by a landslide.  On the whole, I didn't really care much for this album, but this song is a big exception.   Very worthy of a top 10 finish.

7. Caught Somewhere in Time - Me #53

Once I saw all the other songs from SIT place, I knew this one had to be coming, but I was shocked to see it finish this high.   Still a good song.   Just not seeing it as #7

6. Where Eagles Dare - Me #9

I already posted about this earlier.   Can't get enough of that middle section riff.  Fantastic album opener.  In fact, the opening 3 from POM is probably the biggest reason that I long considered it my favorite Maiden album.   

5. Powerslave - Me #51

This one had to grow on me.   When the album was new, I actually considered it to be one of the weaker tracks on an otherwise strong album.  But time has been very kind to it.   I just never considered it to be this untouchable holy grail of Maiden songs the way that many do. 

4. Aces High - Me #17

Third best album opener in their entire catalog (SOTC is the best, WED is 2nd).   As people have already pointed out, I love the way this song FEELS like a dogfight.   Bruce's delivery on the pre-chorus makes you feel like you're actually in the plane. 

3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Me - Unranked

Sorry guys.  But on revisiting this song, it immediately struck me as their weakest epic.   I knew it would be somewhere in the countdown, because I know people love it.  And I really do like the album as a whole, but much of this song (especially the chorus) is a bit of a bore.   

2. Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Me #2

Spot On!!!   Still seems to be the epic by which all epics are judged.    I like that the structure is very different from all other epics that would come later.  No quiet intro, just jump straight into the story.   I'd like to hear them change it up to something like this more often.    The middle section to me is not slow or dragging, it's storytelling and it's done incredibly well.   And the crescendo to the "down in falls comes the RAAAAIIIIIINNNNNN" part is just chilling.    Beautifully executed song.

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Me #3

No doubt about it.  If you're going to introduce someone to Iron Maiden, this is the song to do it with.  It's epic, but at just 7 minutes it's still easily digestible for the newcomer.   A very worthy #1.   If you're not a fan by the time you get to "when the priest comes to read me the last rites", then this band is just not for you.  Absolutely iconic. 


Thank you Kev for putting this together.   Life gets freaky.     All my other posts are often from my phone and 9 times out of 10 I'm using "talk to text" because of time constraints.   But for these, I actually have to sit down at my computer and type things out on a keyboard.   And it is a labor of love.   These are the moments that I get in my man cave to just sit and let the world stop for a little bit and enjoy the tunes.   Thank you for giving me the excuse to go to the mancave and get away from things.   

[Cool Chris]

All my other posts are often from my phone and 9 times out of 10 I'm using "talk to text" because of time constraints.   But for these, I actually have to sit down at my computer and type things out on a keyboard.   And it is a labor of love.   These are the moments that I get in my man cave to just sit and let the world stop for a little bit and enjoy the tunes.   Thank you for giving me the excuse to go to the mancave and get away from things.   

I love that you wrote that. I would see the updates first thing in the morning, and read the responses throughout the day while thinking of all the things I want to write when I got home from work and hoping that I remembered them all.