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

[Dave_Manchester]

I will post the entire list tonight with the scores and everything, but the crazy thing is that the song Iron Maiden didn't come close to making it.  It finished 95th.

For shame, DTF. For shame.

[senecadawg2]

Rime of the Ancient Mariner was all the way down at 27 for me, but I do think it's a great song. I'm just not as fond of the middle section.

Hallowed Be Thy Name I had at #2. It would take a lot of convincing for anyone to change my mind about this song: it is, by any measure, probably the most Iron Maiden song there is. I don't know how to explain exactly, it sounds silly and tautological, but the reason this song deserves to be #1 is because it is #1. Everything about it is as it should be. It's one of those rare songs that, even if it's not your personal favorite, cannot be denied.


And this:

Big thanks to Kev for running this! It was my first participation in any of these. I'm mad at myself for missing the Rush and DT ones.

[nick_z]

Rime of the Ancient Mariner (#10)

Love this song. I wasn't entirely sure before I sat down and did the ranking whether it would make my top 10, but it eventually did.  I imagine there was some mystique around it at the time of release, because it was their longest song to date. But, for me, it just works. Very epic and great storytelling.

Hallowed Be Thy Name (#1)

Nailed it!  This was always going to be my number one. There was never a doubt about it. It's as close as it gets to perfection in the genre.

Kev, thanks so much for doing this. As usual, revisiting such an amazing catalog and chatting about it was a TON of fun.

Some "stats" for my ranking vs. the aggregate:

- My ranked/unranked split is 65/10. Out of the 10, 8 I did rank (just out of my top 75), and 2 went unranked.

Out of 75 (my rank in brackets):

75   Death of the Celts (104)
71   The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (94)
65   These Colours Don't Run (102)
52   Dream of Mirrors (79)
49   Lord of Light (90)
42   The Red and the Black (91)
37   Coming Home (83)
33   Brighter than a Thousand Suns (95)

Unranked:

74   The Duellists
36   When the Wild Wind Blows

- My highest ranked song in my top 75 that did NOT make the aggregate top 75: The Pilgrim (had it at 37). Here are all ten that didn't make the aggregate (with my ranking):

The Alchemist (73)
Die With Your Boots On (72)
Be Quick or Be Dead (68)
Purgatory (62)
Darkest Hour (58)
Tailgunner (57)
The Time Machine (56)
The Writing on the Wall (53)
Flash of the Blade (39)
The Pilgrim (37)

- 5 out my top 10 made the aggregate top 10 (Rime, Caught Somewhere in Time, Powerslave, Moonchild, Hallowed).

- Within the songs the made the aggregate 75, the one I "overrated" the most is Rainmaker (29 vs. 72), the one I "underrated" the most is Stranger in a Strange Land (69 vs. 22)

[Shalev Amir]

#9 Rime of the Ancient Mariner - fantastic epic. The main part is a little dry (pun intended) but the interlude and Bruce's scream are legendary. +1 Kev about no #1 finished - what the fuck? I guess we did get another surprise, just not the one I was hoping for 

#55 Hallowed Be Thy Name - well, this was expected. I really don't know what to say about it - it's a great song, but once again it's just not a favourite of mine.

Here's my list, bolded songs didn't make it and the numbers in brackets are by how much I "missed":

75   These Colours Don't Run (-10)
74   Days of Future Past
73   Transylvania   
72   Coming Home (-35)
71   The Clairvoyant (-45)
70   Deja-Vu (-2)
69   The Duelists   (+5)
68   The Number of the Beast (-54)
67   The Mercenary   
66   Can I Play With Madness (+7)
65   Como Estais Amigos   
64   Man on the Edge   
63   When the Wild Wind Blows (+27)
62   The Evil That Men Do (-23)
61   Tears of a Clown   
60   Run Silent Run Deep   
59   Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)   
58   Prodigal Son (+5)
57   The Great Unknown   
56   Wasted Years (-43)
55   Hallowed Be Thy Name (-44)
54   The Longest Day   (-9)
53   Lord of the Flies   
52   The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner   (-4)
51   The Pilgrim
50   When the River Runs Deep   
49   Caught Somewhere in Time (-42)
48   Fear of the Dark (-24)
47   The Red and the Black (-5)
46   Brave New World   (+14)
45   Revelations (-34)
44   Speed of Light
43   The Alchemist
42   Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (-39)
41   Only the Good Die Young (+18)
40   Mother of Mercy   
39   The Book of Souls (+7)
38   Wrathchild (+24)
37   Back in the Village
36   Stranger in a Strange Land   (-14)
35   Killers (+19)
34   Look for the Truth   
33   Blood Brothers (+11)
32   Montségur (+18)
31   Moonchild (-22)
30   The Legacy (±0)
29   For the Greater Good of God (-6)
28   Flash of the Blade   
27   Aces High (-23)
26   El Dorado
25   The Fallen Angel   
24   Paschendale   (-16)
23   Alexander the Great (-2)
22   Be Quick or Be Dead   
21   If Eternity Should Fail (+43)
20   Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (+13)
19   Die with Your Boots On   
18   Dance of Death (+10)
17   To Tame a Land (+3)
16   Flight of Icarus (-1)
15   The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (+56)
14   Starblind (+33)
13   Dream of Mirrors (+39)
12   2 Minutes to Midnight   (+22)
11   Sign of the Cross   (+5)
10   Hell on Earth   (+15)
9   Rime of the Ancient Mariner (-7)
8   Ghost of the Navigator (+21)
7   Still Life   (+50)
6   Isle of Avalon (+45)
5   Out of the Silent Planet (+65)
4   The Talisman (+23)
3   Powerslave (+2)
2   Lord of Light   (+47)
1   Empire of the Clouds (+30)

53/22 split.

Some thoughts:

-I wrote this a couple of times, but wow the Blaze albums are underrepresented. There's so much more on both of these albums than just the one epic track... Lord of the Flies, Man on the Edge, The Aftermath, Edge of Darkness, The Educated Fool, Futureal. At least one could have made it...

-Senjutsu is also surprisingly underrepresented. The Writing on the Wall and Darkest Hour were possibilities. No Prayer only getting one song is more expected.

-Powerslave always gets "criticized" for having a weak middle, but only The Duellists making it is a shocker. Die With Your Boots On and Still Life so far below the rest of PoM is criminal in a similar way.

-Yeah, Prowler is probably the biggest surprise. I almost thought it's just getting a super high finish, but obviously that was crushed once Phantom was revealed. Wrathchild and Killers at least made it, but I expected them much higher...

-Did I actually forget Face in the Sand...

-This was so fun, huge props Kev for running this 

[romdrums]

2. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (19).  First time I heard this song was in my junior year in high school's Honors English class.  Our focus was on British Literature and we read the poem.  My teacher played the whole song for us in class as an example of translating literature into a song.  Cool stuff!  It was funny to watch the looks on the faces of kids who had never been exposed to anything like that before, while I was throwing the horns and rockin' out. 

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name (17).  Classic tune, there are just others I like more.

My list:

75. The Man of Sorrows
74. The Alchemist
73. The Prisoner
72. The Man Who Would Be King
71. Satellite 15…The Final Frontier
70. Dream of Mirrors
69. The Time Machine
68. Speed of Light
67. 2 Minutes to Midnight
66. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
65. The Legacy
64. Losfer Words (Big Orra)
63. Powerslave
62. The Nomad
61. Heaven Can Wait
60. Coming Home
59. Mother of Mercy
58. The Red and the Black
57. When The River Runs Deep
56. The Fallen Angel
55. Death or Glory
54. Gates of Tomorrow
53. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
52. Blood Brothers
51. The Great Unknown
50. Senjutsu
49. Different World
48. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
47. The Book of Souls
46. Children of the Damned
45. Montsegur
44. Out of the Shadows
43. Invaders
42. Death of the Celts
41. The Clairvoyant
40. Lord of Light
39. Deja-Vu
38. Face in the Sand
37. For The Greater Good of God
36. The Longest Day
35. Isle of Avalon
34. Wasted Years
33. The Pilgrim
32. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
31. The Parchment
30. Stranger in a Strange Land
29. Only the Good Die Young
28. Empire of the Clouds
27. Hell on Earth
26. Alexander the Great
25. These Colours Don’t Run
24. Flight of Icarus
23. The Number of the Beast
22. The Mercenary
21. Journeyman
20. The Talisman
19. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
18. Starblind
17. Hallowed Be Thy Name
16. The Evil That Men Do
15. The Prophecy
14. The Trooper
13. To Tame a Land
12. Revelations
11. Darkest Hour
10. Aces High
9. Paschendale
8. Where Eagles Dare
7. Run to the Hills
6. Infinite Dreams
5. Ghost of the Navigator
4. Sea of Madness
3. Moonchild
2. Caught Somewhere in Time
1. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Only one of my top 20 failed to make the list, which is pretty cool.  Sort of surprised Journeyman didn't make it, as I think that's a great track and one of their best album closers.

Thanks again Kev, for running this!

[nobloodyname]

22. The Mercenary

Such an underrated and overlooked track.

Great story about Rime!

[romdrums]

22. The Mercenary

Such an underrated and overlooked track.

Great story about Rime!

I was kind of surprised that didn't make it considering how much of BNW did make the Top 75.

[Dream Team]

Wow only those 2 made all 75 lists! Appropriate I guess. Both have been my number 1 in the past. Thanks Kev, great job again!

[Stadler]

You don’t get the love? This video will show you why…,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOzvCWsV6Js

I got chills from that version even just hearing it on that compilation.   I saw that tour and that was a BIG part of why I've been a huge fan of Maiden ever since.  I know in hindsight there were always tensions between Steve and Bruce, and some reservations about ditching Di'Anno, but I can't IMAGINE someone like Steve who was so set on world domination not being like "HOLY SHIT, we've just hit the MOTHER LODE!" when Dickinson joined.

That's probably my favorite version of that song.

Best reaction:
"That's like, my first reaction to Iron Maiden, and I'm already, like, I'm, like, shaved bald."

[Zydar]

So I've now made a Spotify playlist with the complete Top 75 list for your enjoyment.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5j7PFXD2yMDFf0tdhtrCUP?si=0af8b7a7d41a4080

[Stadler]

Kev, my friend, thank you for doing this. Probably my favorite one so far (no knock on the others, I was just more invested in this one). 

Rime Of The Ancient Mariner: #11
Hallowed Be Thy Name: #5 (though it's probably my favorite Maiden song when it comes right down to it.  It's really one of only a handful of songs I NEVER get tired of, and that I miss when it's not in the set).

My list:

75   Only the Good Die Young
74   Burning Ambition
73   No Prayer for the Dying
72   Starblind
71   El Dorado
70   Sea of Madness
69   Moonchild
68   Iron Maiden
67   Age of Innocence
66   Phantom of the Opera
65   The Wicker Man
64   Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
63   Genghis Khan
62   2 Minutes to Midnight
61   Deja-Vu
60   Mother of Mercy
59   The Writing on the Wall
58   The Evil That Men Do
57   Killers
56   Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
55   Speed of Light
54   Lost in a Lost World
53   Run Silent Run Deep
52   Out of the Shadows
51   Ghost of the Navigator
50   The Time Machine
49   The Prophecy
48   Wildest Dreams
47   Powerslave
46   Drifter
45   Run to the Hills
44   The Unbeliever
43   The Red and the Black
42   Stratego
41   The Prisoner
40   The Nomad
39   Sign of the Cross
38   Dance of Death
37   From Here to Eternity
36   Infinite Dreams
35   Darkest Hour
34   If Eternity Should Fail
33   Isle of Avalon
32   The Clairvoyant
31   Fear of the Dark
30   Tailgunner
29   Afraid to Shoot Strangers
28   Lord of Light
27   Purgatory
26   Death of the Celts
25   Prodigal Son
24   The Man Who Would Be King
23   Hell on Earth
22   Still Life
21   Gates of Tomorrow
20   The Longest Day
19   Back in the Village
18   Como Estais Amigos
17   Blood Brothers
16   Strange World
15   Dream of Mirrors
14   New Frontier
13   Coming Home
12   The Angel and the Gambler
11   Rime of the Ancient Mariner
10   Murders in the Rue Morgue
9   Senjutsu
8   Stranger in a Strange Land
7   Children of the Damned
6   Where Eagles Dare
5   Hallowed Be Thy Name
4   Journeyman
3   Total Eclipse
2   Another Life
1   The Number of the Beast

Interesting facts (I think) about my list:
 - I had a b-side in the Top 5. 
 - Yes, "Burning Ambition" made my list
 - I had "Journeyman" higher than Hallowed. 
 - I had THREE songs from TNOTB (and one that should have been there) in my top 10.  I think that lineup was the lightning in a bottle.  Clive, and at that time Bruce had a sort of... I don't know, nasally, British twang to his voice in that period that I really, really liked.  He never quite got that edge ever again, even though he did do some great work later (and is still doing great work). 
 - Two songs from Killers in the top 10; I love the guitars in "Another Life"; that's the song that made me fall in love with Dave Murray, my favorite member of Maiden (and one of my favorite guitar players of all time).
 - Dave, sharing your love for Virtual XI, I had TAATG in my top 15, and Como Estais Amigos in my top 20.
 - Kev, Journeyman was #4, and Strange World was #16.
 - BACK IN THE VILLAGE, BITCHES.  How that didn't make the top 75 is beyond me.  Those GUITARS!

[toro]

Here is my list

75   The Writing on the Wall
74   Infinite Dreams
73   Gates of Tomorrow
72   Fates Warning
71   Empire of the Clouds
70   Flash of the Blade
69   Out of the Shadows
68   The Angel and the Gambler
67   Running Free
66   Fear Is the Key
65   Sanctuary
64   Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger
63   The Fallen Angel
62   Futureal
61   Purgatory
60   The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
59   The Clansman
58   No More Lies
57   Moonchild
56   The Prophecy
55   Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
54   The Mercenary
53   The Legacy
52   The Duelists
51   Prodigal Son
50   The Trooper
49   The Book of Souls
48   Prowler
47   Wrathchild
46   Children of the Damned
45   Speed of Light
44   No Prayer for the Dying
43   Genghis Khan
42   From Here to Eternity
41   Our of the Silent Planet
40   Killers
39   Where Eagles Dare
38   Only the Good Die Young
37   The Clairvoyant
36   Senjutsu
35   Alexander the Great
34   The Nomad
33   Lord of the Flies
32   Blood Brothers
31   Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
30   For the Greater Good of God
29   Run to the Hills
28   Wildest Dreams
27   Journeyman
26   Paschendale
25   2 Minutes to Midnight
24   The Number of the Beast
23   Invaders
22   Iron Maiden
21   Dream of Mirrors
20   Dance of Death
19   The Wicker Man
18   Virus
17   To Tame a Land
16   Sign of the Cross
15   Caught Somewhere in Time
14   Phantom of the Opera
13   Brave New World
12   Flight of Icarus
11   Aces High
10   Powerslave
9   Ghost of the Navigator
8   Man on the Edge
7   Mother of Mercy
6   Fear of the Dark
5   Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
4   Hallowed Be Thy Name
3   Rime of the Ancient Mariner
2   Wasted Years
1   Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

My top 4 is almost the same to the final ranking, the fun part happens from 10 to 5.
I LOVE MoTD and MoM.
Something that really surprised me was seeing the appreciation for Where Eagles Dare. I like the song, but never thougt it was THAT liked.
Also, I ranked a lot of instrumentals.

I liked the final ranking, it resembles more of a consensus of what people listen to Iron Maiden for. Bretty gud.

[devieira73]

Rhyme (#10) and Hallowed (#18) are 2 amazing songs and Hallowed totally deserves the status of classic and emblematic song, no doubt. By the way, a great cover by Machine Head, just updating the heaviness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odVsy4gwZGM
About the missing songs from the list... I must say that personally I miss most Be Quick or Be Dead (#19) and Running Free (#24). Be Quick is a killer opener and I love Running Free's original version because of the great Clive's drumming, but my favorite is from En Vivo, with that excellent jam. And, at last, I must say that Iron Maiden was always far from my fave Maiden tunes, unfortunately, since it's the "theme song" of the band. But it's a always a fun live moment and I love that bass/drums unisson.

[romdrums]

@Stadler-nice to see the Journeyman love!  One of their most underrated songs, IMHO.

[nobloodyname]

You don’t get the love? This video will show you why…,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOzvCWsV6Js

I got chills from that version even just hearing it on that compilation.   I saw that tour and that was a BIG part of why I've been a huge fan of Maiden ever since.  I know in hindsight there were always tensions between Steve and Bruce, and some reservations about ditching Di'Anno, but I can't IMAGINE someone like Steve who was so set on world domination not being like "HOLY SHIT, we've just hit the MOTHER LODE!" when Dickinson joined.

That's probably my favorite version of that song.

Best reaction:
"That's like, my first reaction to Iron Maiden, and I'm already, like, I'm, like, shaved bald."

My emotional state is perhaps a little fragile at the moment (finally move into my new house on Monday/Tuesday), but this video has literally caused tears of joy to leak from my face.

TAC is right. That's why Hallowed is many people's favourite Maiden tune.

[Dream Team]

I was really hoping Total Eclipse would make the top 75. I wonder what percentage of folks in this thread have heard it? 50%? 85%? I don’t know. Beast Over Hammersmith version is killer.

[Elite]

Total Eclipse is actually on my version of NOTB

I’ll post my full list including songs that didn’t make it later today, but my top 10 was:

10. Senjutsu
9. 2 Minutes to Midnight
8. The Red and the Black
7. The Wicker Man
6. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
5. Different World
4. Hallowed be thy Name
3. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
2. Fear of the Dark
1. Hell on Earth

—-

THANKS KEV!

[Zydar]

Total Eclipse wasn't on the original tracklist, but was added on the 1995 and 1998 reissues.

[Stadler]

Total Eclipse is actually on my version of NOTB

I’ll post my full list including songs that didn’t make it later today, but my top 10 was:

10. Senjutsu
9. 2 Minutes to Midnight
8. The Red and the Black
7. The Wicker Man
6. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
5. Different World
4. Hallowed be thy Name
3. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
2. Fear of the Dark
1. Hell on Earth

—-

THANKS KEV!

Other than "Different World", that's a killer list right there.  Love it.

[425]

This is exactly what I saw coming at #1, personally. 

I will post comments on the top six soon (it's been a busy few days). Thanks again to Kev for running this!

I will post the entire list tonight with the scores and everything, but the crazy thing is that the song Iron Maiden didn't come close to making it.  It finished 95th.

For shame, DTF. For shame.

Personally, I don't think that's crazy at all. I don't think that song is actually very good—honestly a bottom ten song for me counting only those on their studio albums. It works as a traditional part of their live show, but as an actual song? Not top 75, not top 100, MAYBE top 150.

[pg1067]

Are you sure all of the album slots are locked in?  Sure seems like there's a big song missing from Powerslave that would move that album up to #4 if it's in the top 2.

Looks like I hit "post" before finishing the sentence.  You're right (as has since been revealed).

[Glasser]

My list.


75. Blood on the worlds hands
74. Gates of tomorrow
73. Stratego
72. The wicker man
71. Different world
70. Brighter than a thousand suns
69. The book of souls
68. El dorado
67. Hell on earth
66. Futureal
65. New frontier
64. Brave new world
63. The writing on the wall
62. Blood brothers
61. The assassin
60. Paschendale
59. The mercenary
58. The clairvoyant
57. Starblind
56. The longest day
55. If eternity should fail.
54. The fallen angel
53. Holy smoke
52. Burning ambition
51. Losfer words
50. Still life
49. Die with your boots on
48. Hallowed be thy name
47. Innocent exile
46. Charlotte the harlot
45. Back in the village
44. Caught somewhere in time
43. The duelists
42. Another life
41. Total eclipse
40. Wasted years
39. Deja-vu
38. Tailgunner
37. No prayer for the dying
36. Infinite dreams
35. Flash of the blade
34. 22 acacia avenue
33. Remember tomorrow
32. Strange world
31. Seventh son of a seventh son
30. Where eagles dare
29. Twilight zone
28. Iron maiden
27. Transylvania
26. 2 minutes to midnight
25. Aces high
24. Sanctuary
23. Revelations
22. Running free
21. Rime of the ancient mariner
20. Stranger in a strange land
19. Run to the hills
18. Genghis khan
17. Prowler
16. Prodigal son
15. Quest for fire
14. Invasion
13. The trooper
12. Gangland
11. Moonchild
10. Fear is the key
9. Sea of madness
8. Powerslave
7. Number of the beast
6. Invaders
5. To tame a land
4. Sun and steel
3. Phantom of the opera
2. The prisoner
1. Flight of icarus

[Glasser]

I will post the entire list tonight with the scores and everything, but the crazy thing is that the song Iron Maiden didn't come close to making it.  It finished 95th.

For shame, DTF. For shame.

I ranked every song on the first album. Shocked that Prowler and Running Free didn't rank 

[pg1067]

And here they are...the top 2!  No surprises for anyone, I suspect.


02 Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Appeared on 27 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 11
Highest Ranking: 2 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, The Realm)

What's amazing is that no one had this at number 1.  Three had it number 2, and I had it at number 3 along with two others, so it did have six top 3 finishes.  Great, great song. I could easily see this becoming my favorite some day sooner rather than later.


01 Hallowed Be Thy Name
Appeared on 27 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 20
Highest Ranking: 1 (TAC, nick_z, Puppies_On_Acid, The Realm, nobloodyname)

I didn't get the love for this song, even early on last fall when I finally got into the band, but I came around on it mostly.  I think it is spectacular musically, which is why I did put it at 13, but some of the vocal melodies leave me a little hollow, so I could not put it in my top 10.  I will post the entire list later with all of the total scores, but the margin between this and Rime... really wasn't close (relatively speaking).

No surprise at all that Hallowed is #1 (although I had it #6, right below the title track).  It's a strong song on its own, but the live versions have given it a super boost.  My band used to play it and, while it loses a lot with only one guitar, it was still fun as heck to play.

Rime was epic at its time.  So much was made of its length, but when you're a fan of Rush and other such bands, you kind of shrug that stuff off.  I remember playing this with my bass teacher and she kept telling me to try to avoid string noise when sliding between the chords.  Unfortunately, I didn't know at the time that Steve Harris used flatwound strings, which is a necessity to avoid the string noise.  I ranked the song at #13, which is a testimony to just how many strong tracks Maiden has.  It succeeded in telling a story where the follow up, Alexander the Great, fell short.  The best parts are the instrumental sections before and after the slow middle part.


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)


I may post some more stuff when I'm back in town, but for now, here are my songs that didn't make the collective:

11  Sun and Steel
15  Invaders
18  Die with Your Boots On
31  Iron Maiden
33  Quest for Fire
35  Prowler
36  Flash of the Blade
37  Transylvania
41  Purgatory
46  Mother Russia
49  Drifter
51  Tailgunner
52  Sheriff of Huddersfield
53  Run Silent Run Deep
56  Genghis Khan
57  Sanctuary
58  Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)
61  Gangland
63  The Assassin
65  Running Free
67  The Ides of March
72  The Apparition
73  Back in the Village
74  Innocent Exile
75  The Fugitive


Gotta say that I am completely baffled that neither Iron Maiden nor Running Free made the collective top 75.  Running Free I can understand.  The LAD version is unlistenable and barely watchable on the video.  I figured Iron Maiden would have gotten some points just for being so iconic.  Also, I LOVE the interplay of the two guitars on the intro and main riffs.  Also, y'all can suck it for hating on Sun and Steel and Invaders.  Steve's bass riffing on the Invaders verses is unparalleled.

[TAC]

02 Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Appeared on 27 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 11
Highest Ranking: 2 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, The Realm)


01 Hallowed Be Thy Name
Appeared on 27 of 27 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 20
Highest Ranking: 1 (TAC, nick_z, Puppies_On_Acid, The Realm, nobloodyname)

I had Rime Of The Ancient Mariner at #40. I really do like the song but 40 was as high as I could put it. Still, I would concede that if you could only give someone a handful of Maiden tunes to introduce them, Rime should be part of the group.

I had Hallowed Be Thy Name at #1. What can I say. I'm a lifelong Maiden fan from 1982 and this is still my all time favorite Iron Maiden song, and after learning To Live, is my second favorite song of all time.

My lists ends up against the countdown like this..


72 Stranger In A Strange Land
70 Afraid to Shoot Strangers
69 Paschendale
68 The Nomad
65 Wasted Years
64 Aces High
62 Judas Be My Guide
58 Montesegur
57 Still Life
56 Blood Brothers
54 Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
53 Empire Of The Clouds
50 The Evil That Men Do
48 Heaven Can Wait
45 Revelations
43 Brave New World
42 The Thin Line Between Love And Hate
41 Flight Of Icarus
40 Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
38 Run To The Hills
36 Moonchild
32 2 Minutes To Midnight
30 The Duellists
28 The Trooper
27 The Number Of The Beast
26 Hell On Earth
25 Powerslave
24 When The Wild Wind Blows
23 The Red And The Black
22 Where Eagles Dare
21 Murders In The Rue Morgue
20 The Prisoner
19 The Clansman
18 Remember Tomorrow
17 No Prayer for the Dying
16 Dance Of Death
15 Lord Of Light
14 For The Greater Good Of God
13 The Book Of Souls
12 Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
11 Coming Home
10 Sign Of The Cross
9 The Parchment
8 Infinite Dreams
7 The Talisman
6 22 Acacia Avenue
5 Children Of The Damned
4 Phantom Of The Opera
3 Caught Somewhere In Time
2 Fear Of The Dark
1 Hallowed Be Thy Name

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

Not Ranked

77 Starblind
79 The Legacy
82 The Longest Day
83 Isle Of Avalon
85 Alexander The Great
87 Deja Vu
90 Rainmaker
92 If Eternity Should Fail
94 Only the Good Die Young
97 Dream Of Mirrors
99 To Tame A Land
101 The Wicker Man
105 Killers
106 Death of the Celts

NR These Colours Don't Run
NR Ghost Of The Navigator
NR The Clairvoyant
NR Prodigal Son
NR Wratchchild
NR Can I Play with Madness
NR Sea Of Madness
NR The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
NR Out of the Silent Planet
NR The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner


My split is 51/24

[Glasser]

pg1067

I had Sun and Steel ranked 4 and Invaders at 6. The chorus alone for Sun And Steel makes it top 10 for me.

[pg1067]

pg1067

I had Sun and Steel ranked 4 and Invaders at 6. The chorus alone for Sun And Steel makes it top 10 for me.

Well...how 'bout that?  I kinda thought I might be the top ranker for both songs.  They're frickin' great!

[Mladen]

Thanks for running this, Kev. 

[Ben_Jamin]

#4 - Aces High - #17

This is one that I downloaded in my teens when I wanted to hear more Iron Maiden. I instantly loved this song from the get go with the bass intro and the guitars harmonizing. The part that really got me interested was the vocals, specifically the pre-chorus vocals. What I really enjoyed was the guitar during the vocals, that one pitch bomb note, it reminds me of a bomb being deployed from an air bomber. It's a great song that I do praise a lot, but I just enjoy more songs now that I heard more Maiden songs.

#3 - Seventh Son of A Seventh Son - #1

This is my all-time favorite song from them. Like Aces High, the intro drew me in. I enjoy the way the song paces along in the verses, while Bruce sings some of his best vocals. What makes this song #1 for me is the story-telling of Bruce and the way he delivers the lyrics. Once the middle instrumental comes in, it creates a mysterious vibe and atmosphere. I picture a hooded figure, showing up from the mist in the dead of night, telling the listener the "prophecy". The part I love most though is the way it builds up into the main riff then into the awesome guitar solos. I also think this is one of the coolest Iron Maiden endings as well. I went to see them when I found out they were going to do another classic era set production of the Seventh Son era and was not going to pass it up. I like how they brought in the backing keyboardist, having him out there dressed up in costume added to the entire atmosphere of the song live. Also, the stage set-up added another aspect to the atmosphere that enhanced the scene setting of the story for me.

#2 - Rime of The Ancient Mariner - #71

This feels pretty low to me, I would rank it higher, at least top 50. This is another song that brings back memories. In my 8th grade English class we had to read the poem The Rime of The Ancient Mariner and summarize what it's about. I knew who Iron Maiden was and liked the songs I knew from them, so I was amazed when my teacher ended up playing the song one day when the day was about to end. Even though the stereo was cheap, it was neat hearing this song for the first time in school. 

The song is amazing in the story-telling and how it also relates to the poem.

#1 - Hallowed Be Thy Name - #25

Of course this would end up the top ranked song, so I am not surprised. There's a good reason why this is a top Maiden song though. The intro, especially the bells, create that atmosphere for the first set of lyrics. The entire song goes through these moments as we follow the prisoner from his cell, walking down the line, and into the gallows. The song has everything I like about Maiden, the build-ups, the story-telling, the great vocals, and the atmosphere. It is deserving of the top spot and one that I will always enjoy hearing live.

[Elite]

Here’s my entire list, with all the songs that didn’t make the collective top 75 underscored and the songs I ranked highest out of everything made cursive. I don’t have even a single ‘bingo line’ (20-29 came closest) and there’s a few songs I’m genuinely surprised didn’t make the final list. The most notable omission, to me, is the song Iron Maiden. I also find it weird that The Duellists (the only Powerslave song I didn’t rank) made the list while Back in the Village, Flash of the Blade and Losfer Words did not. As far as personal favourites go, I’m a little sad Different World wasn’t featured at all, although I knew it would be a long shot anyway.

75   Invaders
74   22 Acacia Avenue
73   The Book of Souls
72   Man on the Edge
71   Only the Good Die Young
70   Speed of Light
69   Running Free
68   Phantom of the Opera
67   Killers
66   The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
65   Stratego
64   Infinite Dreams
63   Brave New World
62   Be Quick or Be Dead
61   No Prayer for the Dying
60   Back in the Village
59   Wrathchild
58   The Number of the Beast
57   Death of the Celts
56   Flash of the Blade
55   If Eternity Should Fail
54   Flight of Icarus
53   Hooks in You
52   Quest for Fire
51   Murders in the Rue Morgue
50   Wasted Years
49   The Evil That Men Do
48   Revelations
47   Run to the Hills
46   These Colours Don't Run
45   Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
44   The Parchment
43   Sea of Madness
42   The Nomad
41   The Fallen Angel
40   The Legacy
39   Prowler
38   Wildest Dreams
37   Futureal
36   Iron Maiden
35   Holy Smoke
34   For the Greater Good of God
33   Powerslave
32   Where Eagles Dare
31   Rainmaker
30   Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter
29   Ghost of the Navigator
28   Heaven Can Wait
27   The Clairvoyant
26   Die with Your Boots On
25   The Clansman
24   Paschendale
23   Moonchild
22   Can I Play With Madness
21   The Trooper
20   The Longest Day
19   Sign of the Cross
18   Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
17   Out of the Silent Planet
16   The Writing on the Wall
15   Caught Somewhere in Time
14   Empire of the Clouds
13   Aces High
12   Montségur
11   Coming Home
10   Senjutsu
9   2 Minutes to Midnight
8   The Red and the Black
7   The Wicker Man
6   Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
5   Different World
4   Hallowed Be Thy Name
3   Rime of the Ancient Mariner
2   Fear of the Dark
1   Hell on Earth


Unranked on my list:

The Duellists
Deja Vu
Judas be my Guide
Prodigal Son
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Still Life
Remember Tomorrow
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Dream of Mirrors
Isle of Avalon
Lord of Light
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Starblind
Blood Brothers
When the Wild Wind Blows
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
The Prisoner
Dance of Death
The Talisman
Stranger in a Strange Land
Alexander the Great
To Tame a Land
Children of the Damned

Ranked/Unranked split: 52/23

[Glasser]

Kev, thank you for putting your time and effort into this.     What's next up when you get to it? 

[TAC]

Kev, thank you for putting your time and effort into this.     What's next up when you get to it? 

He's doing Porcupine Tree.

[Glasser]

Ok well, I'll sit this one out and gear up for another one. 

[TAC]

Ok well, I'll sit this one out and gear up for another one. 

Me too. It's quite possible that it'd be Queensryche.

[KevShmev]

Thanks again for the thanks, peeps!

Full list below:

01 Hallowed Be Thy Name      1781
02 Rime of the Ancient Mariner   1562
03 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son   1523
04 Aces High             1508
05 Powerslave            1471
06 When Eagles Dare      1355
07 Caught Somewhere in Time   1312
08 Paschendale         1245
09 Moonchild            1232
10 Infinite Dreams         1227
11 Revelations            1197
12 Phantom of the Opera      1193
13 Wasted Years         1120
14 The Number of the Beast   1096
15 Flight of Icarus         1074
16 Sign of the Cross         1059
17 Sea of Madness         1045
18 Children of the Damned      1036
19 The Trooper         1026
20 To Tame a Land         1022
21 Alexander the Great      966
22 Stranger in a Strange Land   965
23 For the Greater Good of God   949
24 Fear of the Dark         943
25 Hell on Earth         939
26 The Clairvoyant         922
27 The Talisman         894
28 Dance of Death         890
29 Ghost of the Navigator      874
30 The Legacy            821
31 Empire of the Clouds      818
32 The Prisoner         799
33 Brighter Than a Thousand Suns   784
34 2 Minutes to Midnight       771
35 The Parchment         770
36 When the Wild Wind Blows   763
37 Coming Home         729
38 22 Acacia Avenue         727
39 The Evil That Men Do      723
40 The Clansmen         710
41 Run to the Hills         699
42 The Red and the Black      690
43 The Longest Day         685
44 Blood Brothers         645
45 Murders in the Rue Morgue   631
46 The Book of Souls      615
47 Starblind            614
48 The Loneliness of the Long Distance… 610
49 Lord of Light         600
50 Montsegur            596
51 Isle of Avalon         594
52 Dream of Mirrors         593
53 The Thin Line Between Love & Hate   592
54 Killers            590
55 Remember Tomorrow      583
56 The Nomad            551
57 Still Life            545
58 The Wicker Man         540
59 Only the Good Die Young   513
60 Brave New World         510
61 Afraid to Shoot Strangers   500
62 Wrathchild            495
63 Prodigal Son         487
64 If Eternity Should Fail      476
65 These Colours Don’t Run   474
66 Heaven Can Wait         468
67 Judas Be My Guide      458
68 Déjà vu            446
69 No Prayer for the Dying      446
70 Out of the Silent Planet      430
71 The Reincarnation of Benjamin…   429
72 Rainmaker            422
73 Can I Play with Madness   409
74 The Duelists         385
75 Death of the Celts      382
76 Strange World         381
77 Prowler            379
78 Die with Your Boots On      375
79 Journeyman         373
80 Flash of the Blade      352
81 Darkest Hour         347
82 Senjutsu            344
83 The Fallen Angel         338
84 Invaders            335
85 Total Eclipse         333
86 The Prophecy         314
87 Mother of Mercy         311
88 Lost in a Lost World      309
89 Run Silent Run Deep      292
90 Purgatory            288
91 The Man Who Would Be King   278
92 Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)   275
93 Be Quick or Be Dead      269
94 The Writing on the Wall      257
95 Iron Maiden         256
96 Different World         248
97 Sanctuary            238
98 Mother Russia         237
99 Tailgunner            233
100 Out of the Shadows      228
101 The Pilgrim            227
102 Back in the Village      224
103 Another Life         223
104 Genghis Khan         218
105 The Time Machine      214
106 Man on the Edge         206
107 Fear is the Key         203
108 Sun and Steel         203
109 Running Free         195
110 Childhood’s End         182
111 Satellite 15…The Final Frontier   179
112 Futureal            177
113 Wasting Love         175
114 Speed of Light         174
115 The Edge of Darkness      174
116 No More Lies         170
117 Lord of the Flies         162
118 The Educated Fool      162
119 Face in the Sand         159
120 Tears of a Clown         159
121 Charlotte the Harlot      155
122 Innocent Exile         155
123 Public Enema Number One   152
124 Death or Glory         151
125 Fates Warning         150
126 Look for the Truth      150
127 The Man of Sorrows      148
128 Como Estais Amigos      145
129 Quest for Fire         142
130 When Two Worlds Collide   141
131 Transylvania         139
132 2 A.M.             135
133 Wildest Dreams         130
134 Twilight Zone         129
135 The Alchemist         127
136 Drifter             125
137 The Unbeliever         125
138 Fortunes of War         123
139 Stratego            121
140 The Angel and the Gambler   120
141 The Mercenary         118
142 When the River Runs Deep   117
143 Invasion            115
144 Virus               114
145 New Frontier         112
146 The Fugitive         111
147 The Great Unknown      110
148 Blood on the World’s Hands   107
149 Don’t Look to the Eyes…   105
150 Bring Your Daughter…      101
151 Gangland            95
152 Chains of Misery         91
153 Gates of Tomorrow      89
154 Age of Innocence         85
155 Shadows of the Valley      80
156 El Dorado             76
157 From Here to Eternity      73
158 Holy Smoke         73
159 The Aftermath          60
160 Days of Future Past      55
161 Judgement of Heaven      52
162 The Assassin         51
163 Reach Out            46
164 The Apparition         40
165 Judgement Day         39
166 Sheriff of Huddersfield      34
167 Burning Ambition         26
168 Hooks in You         23
169 Weekend Warrior         22
170 Lightning Strikes Twice      20
171 The Ides of March      18
172 Justice of the Peace      10
173 Bayswater Ain’t a Bad Place..   0
174 Black Bart Blues         0
175 I Live My Way         0
176 More Tea Vicar         0
177 Nodding Donkey Blues      0
178 Pass the Jam         0