Right? I mean, don't get me wrong I'm not TOO naïve. I wasn't expecting even a top 3 finish...but 17 votes surprises me. I'm thinking there may be a few voters who've only ever heard ol' Bruce Bruce fronting.

For real, if you don't think Prowler is one of Maiden's best songs, I don't want to know you.

none. they're all bad

Get out of my heeeaaaaadddd!!!

That song is THE perfect example of the difference between Di'anno and Dickinson. Dickinson could sing that song until he's blue in the face but he would NEVER bring the sleazy atmosphere like Di'anno does. He really sounds like some creep lurking in the bushes, ready to flash your grandmother.

The man SOUNDS greasy. I fucking love it.

Chalk one up to Harris-- the debut was my first Maiden album, and is still my favourite.

Love the jammy garage feel.

I'd like to know why you left The X Factor in the last place.

Ooooooh, edgy! But hey, would you mind contributing to the discussion? Because, you know..... That's why we're all here.

About the debut; it's a cool album, and hell, so is Killers. I prefer them both over TNOTB, but..... I don't know, I simply prefer the more epic path that they started to pave when from POM and onwards. But yes, songs like Prower and Killers' titletrack kick ass. All of the ass.

If I had to rank them...

PoM > SSOASS > s/t > SiT > Powerslave > Killers (only because I haven't heard it in like 3 years) > NOTB > TFF > AMOLAD > BNW > DOD > X Factor > Virtual XI > No Prayer > FOTD

Yeah, I'd say that's about it. Really everything from SSOASS to NOTB is about equal, and TFF pretty close behind at that, too. After that it's a pretty clear ladder of better to worse.

I don't get what you think is so good about The Final Frontier, Emp. I like Mother of Mercy..... And that's it. Really boring, tedious album, if you ask me.

I did vote Number of the beast. I'm not a Maiden fan but that one is the best

Because it's a great piece of metal music. Every song is long but held together incredibly well by good hooks and emotional parts, as well as the plain awesome guitarwork, and the whole band just sounds spirited and into what they're doing. Pretty much every song on there is an emotional gestalt for me. Very passionate, sweeping epic.

Save for the "every song is long" part, you described what I think about Somewhere in Time, and I don't see any of those traits represented in TFF. Really puzzled by this one, Emp

Guess I'm just gonna have to call it another case of "someone perceives something I don't".

SiT isn't like that for me at all. It's a very different thing for me with both albums. SiT is mostly good because it's got great riffs and those cool sci fi keyboards and what not. TFF is a sort of 'musical journey,' if you will. The length and the production are probably the two things holding it back the most from being one of their top 5 ever, but still, it's a personal favorite of mine for sure.

I'll probably do a poll for the "Best of Bruce Bruce's comeback" next, would be cool to discuss these albums.

Really? I find SIT to be a very epic piece of work, and maybe even more so than Seventh Son, in no small part thanks to the aforementioned sci fi aesthetics, plus the quasi progressive songwriting and the titanic scope of the album. TFF is just kinda..... There. And in fact, its length and production are its smallest problems, as far as I'm concerned.

We're gonna have to let this one slide, comrade

That would be nice, as it'd be cool to know what's this place's general stand on Maiden from BNW and onwards.

I missed the vote, but mine would have gone to Poweslave. Love that album from start to finish. I actually enjoy The Duelists and Back in The Village as much as some of their huge hits. It is surprising that 2 Minutes to Midnight was so huge, but those weren't. After Powerslave I would put Somewhere in Time, for all the reasons already said on this page. haha

Ok, guys, the poll is closed! Powerslave won! And the self titled is last place

Maiden's best song!


Thanks to everyone who made this thread alive, I will not lock it though but see you here for the discussion about modern Maiden.

UP THE IRONS PART 2

Brave New World and The Final Frontier?

Dance of Death and A Matter of Life and Death?

Hey, I'm glad Powerslave won. It's still no Somewhere in Time though

TO THE OTHER THREAD, ROBIN!

That's the main reason it won. Shame on you all for not picking the debut enough, you cast the whole place in bad light!

Shame, shame

I rarely listen to the debut. Thin production on the guitars and other than the titanic Phantom of the Opera I think it comes up short of the discs that followed. I can deal with the production but I don't think the riffs and songwriting are where they would be later on. Killers is the much better Dianno era disc I think. Usually I enjoy the songs on that via the live albums, Maiden Japan and Live after Death.

This was an interesting thread but perhaps when you're done with modern Maiden, you could try a third thread and ask people to list Maiden's 80s records in order of preference? Then we compile the results and make a true top 7.

I don't think Iron Maiden's debut is gonna fall behind lackluster records like Killers and Somewhere In Time in that context. With the current results, all we know is that the favorite Maiden's record of most people is Powerslave. But the other positions don't mean anything. If we start compiling with a points system, Powerslave is gonna separate itself from the pack even more (as it should) and stuff like the self-titled debut is probably going to fare better as well.

Could be interesting, IMO. Maybe there will be other surprises. Plus, those Maiden threads are going well with cool discussions. What do you think?

Would be cool but I don't really have the time for that, sorry

Killers is lackluster? Fuck that its amazing!

It's quite surprising to see Powerslave topping this poll. I always thought I was in a slight minority preferring it over all the other excellent stuff the boys put out over the years.

For my money, it's one of the 5 greatest metal albums ever made.

I said, in that particular context.

All 80s Maiden records are amazing, more or less. We're just comparing them against each other.

I see. Carry on!

this ....
the first two albums go places very very few bands have gone since

What I meant, Xlxlxl, was that Piece Of Mind when compared with those other Maiden albums comes across as rather inconsistent. And yet for all its flaws, it is a record I feel relates the most to me out of all their work. The others come with a sheen of perfection that doesn't dwell as deep as the flawed one does.

Ah, I understand now. Thanks for putting it in plainer terms, VS_H.

Somewhere in time.

Ok so go tell Steve Harris he's wrong then! I'm sure he meant "many of the" fans prefer the first album they heard..but of course there will be exceptions to the rule. You are one of them...good.

Let's do a Solitude Aeturnus poll next!

that's a tall order, my friend...