BEST IRON MAIDEN STUDIO ALBUM

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get those votes in!

Absolutely everything up through Powerslaveis fucking priceless, but if I had to pick one, it'd be the first one I ever picked up, that being Killers. Second choice: Piece of Mind

The Bruce version of "The Clansman" on Rock in Rio is positively transcendental. Amazing performance.

I voted for Seventh Son. It has everything I love about Iron Maiden in one epic, catchy package.

Although my pick was Powerslave, it's impossible to argue with any of the other first seven albums.

Seriously. Somewhere in Time has a lot of filler, but also some of their very best moments ("Wasted Years," "Caught Somewhere in Time," "Heaven Can Wait"), and even the filler is pretty fun. Well, not fun, per se, since the album is a bit of a downer, but songs like "Sea of Madness" are still catchy.

Adrian Smith was a huge reason for the success of Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son...he really came into his own as a songwriter. The band really missed him when he left, and us fans were stuck with rote Harris compositions for years afterwards.

And Smith was the guy who came up with that classic groove riff on "2 Minutes to Midnight".

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After all the talk about Killers it only finished 3rd. Thought Number Of The Beast would have finished higher as well.

i stand alone in my brave new world love

Wow I didn't say anyone picking the first album in the comments.

Do you think Armored Saint got any of their ideas from Iron Maiden?

the first one! wtf?!

Yeah, who the hell snuck in here and voted for the debut without posting about it?

The debut's got some key songs ("Phantom of the Opera" especially), but aside from being an important NWOBHM record, it's probably the most flawed album of the band's 80s run. "Charlotte the Harlot" always struck me as being too goofy.

'remember tomorrow' was on the first one wasn't it? that's a great song. i also like opeth's cover of it.

charlotte's revisiting on number of the beast, '22 acacia avenue' makes up for the prequel's goofiness. laughable on a lyrical level, but about as rockin as maiden gets.

Acacia slays, alright...that one was a Smith leftover from Urchin. Great song.

The debut is great and all, but it sounds like a work in progress, like they're feeling their way around. Perhaps it's partially due to the production, which sounds stiff compared to Martin Birch's work. Killers was so much more confident.

agreed

may those who voted for the debut step forward for discussion :)

The debut is great and all, but it sounds like a work in progress, like they're feeling their way around.

That's what I like about it! I guess Killers is more consistent, but the songs I really remember are on the debut (Phantom, Running Free, Iron Maiden).

Killers but only slightily nudging Iron Maiden. The guitar sequences on both the first two albums were far more elctrifying than later Maiden albums and once Bruce Bruce took over vocals it pretty much became his show. He's a great vocalist but I think his voice overshadowed the rest of the band.

Somehwere in Time tied Piece of Mind???!! I think a pig just flew by my window.

Debut kicks ass Sanctuary and title song kicking the most.

Sanctury's a bonus track on the cd isn't it? Not originally on the album.

Sanctuary is the second song on the album

Rigged!

I guess that's the remastered version. The original 8 track album doesn't have Sanctuary on it.

Wikipedia says Sanctuary was on the original US release but not on the UK album until the remaster.

I voted for the debut for Running Free, Phantom and Iron Maiden. I've never been a big Maiden fan and I've hardly heard some of the later records so what the fuck do I know :)

I'm in the US. I didn't realize as late as '80 there would be different UK/US releases. Sanctuary was right after Prowler in the US. You learn something new every day.

Have Dennis Stratton and all his friends have been lurking here?

Will the Metallica poll have the same people moaning when the black album wins despite geir being the only one who said he voted for it and everyone else arguing over Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets?

I didn't know Sanctuary was on the cd as it's the original vinyl I have.

heh i forgot number of the beast was only 4th

poll results is crazy

i am probably alone in this but brave new world is fucking awesome

I'm sure I voted for the first album. My view of Iron Maiden will be forever colored by the TV bit with the headbanging competition and the live stuff from their "thank you" tour of small clubs after the release of their debut record. It's in black and white, I think that more than one of its elements was lampooned in Spinal Tap. But the Phantom in that bit destroyed me. It's a bonus feature on a Maiden two dvd set.

it's a great record, but come on - 15 for the debut vs. 8 for beast and only 3 (!) for piece of mind? it's crazy!

Some surprising results, these.

yeah I think we need a re-poll. seventh son only getting 1 vote? their most consistent album imo.

I'm just glad killers beat out number of the beast, that's enough justice for me

New album on the way by the way.

http://www.dogmaticblog.com/images/music/iron_maiden_final_frontier.jpg

First single:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ironmaiden?blend=2&ob=1

st*ve hu*y from allmusic can kiss my ass: "The weakest album from Iron Maiden's classic ‘80s period, Somewhere in Time is really the first true disappointment in their catalog, too often collapsing under the weight of their now-trademark ambition."

That's bullshit, maaaan. I've been re-listening to all the 80s Maiden stuff lately and this album still kicks ass. Seventh Son to me is where they fell off with some really bad songs. Can I Play With Madness blows with its catchy sing-song chorus. maybe the sort of retrospective lyrical themes in 'Somewhere' just resonate with me more. or that they didn't go crazy with the 80s synths like they did on Seventh Son. I get that these two albums were pretty O_o to Maiden fans back then.. like borderline selling out or w/e, but Somewhere sounds great now.

Also I think it's time for another poll.. well maybe after the new one is widely heard.

man i like dianno and all but these results are a challops of the beast

Are you really surprised that a bunch of older ilxors prefer the nwobhm era?

If there's another poll, how about excluding the Dianno stuff?

man i dunno, like i really dig the first album...dianno's got a kinda cool, more gutbucket 70s rock vibe to him, but to me, it's like damn dickenson is the man

also agreed about somewhere in time, which i totally love

See, I'm more a Dianno man. But not because I was into them at the time (i was like 7), I just like that more punky style.

Killers > Iron Maiden > Piece of Mind > Number of the Beast > Powerslave > Somewhere In Time > Seventh Son > all that other crap.

Powerslave > The Number of the Beast > A Matter of Life and Death > Somewhere in Time > Seventh Son of a Seventh Son > everything else

(I don't like the studio versions of the Piece of Mind songs, though I love 'em on Live After Death.)

Number of the Beast > Powerslave > Somewhere In Time > Piece of Mind > Seventh Son > Brave New World...everything else.

Love the D'Ianno albums but total, utter challops to put them ahead of Beast or Powerslave. I feel like they're a separate conversation, great as that stuff is. It's cool and it's punky and raw but it's also, well, it's not-yet Maiden. Like Priest when they were hippies...its not quite them, at least in my mind. For me, Dickinson gave Maiden their "Maiden-ness"...he's the only pilot that can fly the twin guitar attack plane :)

Blaze is ick.

I have to put Beast first because Clive <3. and Hallowed Be Thy Name. But Powerslave is almost tied for first bc it roolz :)

I think so little of No Prayer For the Dying and Fear of the Dark that I'd actually rank the Blaze era marginally ahead of those records.

I still have to re-listen to all of their earlier albums, but I guess mine would be Powerslave or Somewhere in Time > Number of the Beast > Matter of Life and Death > Seventh Son > earlier stuff, with Live after Death way the hell up there if we were including live albums.

Agree with Veg about Dickinson giving Maiden their Maiden-ness. He's probably also the reason I have never had a friend who shared my love of this band.

1980-88, I like 'em all, Paul or Bruce.

They should tour together.

we just saw them last week & they are still awesome. I never cease to be amazed by Bruce’s energy...well, all of them really. I still can’t stand Janick and his stupid “heavy metal jazzercise” antics but it’s nice they gave him a home I guess.