Well, we've come to the end of our long journey. Hopefully after fifteen entries, you have some idea of why Iron Maiden rules. This final entry is just for fun - if I've learned anything from the internet over the years, it's that people love lists so here's a lot of them!
First up are my picks for the band's top 26 songs. Yeah, that's right. Everyone does 25, so let's mix it up a little.
26. Out of the Silent Planet (Brave New World) - Catchy riffs and vocals with an extended finale that's pure headbanging joy.
25. Man on the Edge (The X Factor) - A driving song with blistering solos and lyrics about societal alienation that seem to grow more potent with time.
24. Dance of Death (Dance of Death) - An old-fashioned campfire tale given vibrant life by amazing instrumentation.
23. Heaven Can Wait (Somewhere in Time) - The uplifting epic about a man who discovers a love for life after journeying just shy of death's door.
22. Powerslave (Powerslave) - Makes the list primarily for its amazing middle section. Iron Maiden has done lots of extended instrumental sequences, but very few reach the heights of this one.
21. Remember Tomorrow (Iron Maiden) - A hugely influential classic of early metal with a sublime sense of dread.
20. No More Lies (Dance of Death) - I'm biased about this song...but its haunting melodies and sincere emotion make it worthy.
19. The Nomad (Brave New World) - Masterful atmosphere, multiple great riffs and a face-melting chorus. The nine minutes feel like three.
18. The Talisman (The Final Frontier) - A shockingly emotional epic with amazing coordination between the three guitarists.
17. Wasted Years (Somewhere in Time) - Legendary guitar work and a theme that manages to be both simple and profound.
16. Children of the Damned (The Number of the Beast) - The grandest demonstration of Bruce Dickinson's talent.
15. Wrathchild (Killers) - All the band members were at the top of this game while recording this thrilling early Maiden classic.
14. The Clansman (Virtual XI) - An intensely emotional epic filled with great melodies, affecting lyrics and Blaze Bayley's greatest vocal performance with the band.
13. Die With Your Boots On (Piece of Mind) - An irreverent takedown of fearmongering that is bursting with energy.
12. The Legacy (A Matter of Life and Death) - A massive, mature epic with the kind of apocalyptic grandeur that makes metal so powerful.
11. Purgatory (Killers) - Easily the best song of the Paul Di'Anno era. If music was evaluated with a formula of awesome riffs per minute, I think it would be unbeatable.
10. The Clairvoyant (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son) - From the beautiful bass intro right to the finale, this song is a haunting classic.
9. 2 Minutes to Midnight (Powerlsave) - A classic anti-war tirade driven by pure frothing at the mouth rage. Killer riffs too.
8. The Evil That Men Do (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son) - Once that amazing introduction ends, this song is pure momentum and it kicks your ass.
7. The Trooper (Piece of Mind) - Perhaps the most famous guitar work in the band's career and with very good reason.
6. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Powerslave) - A towering epic that successfully adapts a difficult source, this song is a timeless classic.
5. Fear of the Dark (Fear of the Dark) - A thrilling masterpiece which proved that even turmoil among the band couldn't totally stop them from producing amazing work.
4. Run to the Hills (The Number of the Beast) - Holy shit, those drums! That bass! The solo! That chorus! To listen to this song is to be in awe of the band's talent.
3. Aces High (Powerslave) - It's hard to find a song that's more consistently enjoyable. Great riffs and a legendary chorus.
2. Hallowed Be Thy Name (The Number of the Beast) - The best metal song ever written? Could be. Eight minutes of sheer power that never gets old.
1. Paschendale (Dance of Death) - Can somebody say upset? In the end, I had to go with the song that had the most stunning emotional impact in addition to the requisite brilliance on all the instruments. This isn't just Iron Maiden's best song, it's...
"Hey, wait a minute guys! Where's The Number of the Beast?!" It's a classic song and always a fun listen, but most serious Maiden fans will tell you it's not among the band's best work. In fact, if I were to rank every song in the band's discography in order from best to worst, this would probably land right in the middle somewhere.
On the other end of the spectrum, here's the bottom five!5. Invaders (The Number of the Beast) - The verses prove there is a such thing as "too fast," the lyrics are terrible and the whole thing is a massive hunk of stinky cheese.
4. From Here to Eternity (Fear of the Dark) - Iron Maiden is not AC/DC and there's no reason they should aspire to that.
3. Fear is the Key (Fear of the Dark) - Rambling nonsense with aimless melodies and incoherent socio-political commentary.
2. Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter (No Prayer for the Dying) - Get it away! Iron Maiden is not a stupid shock rock/hair metal group that writes whole songs based on stupid sex puns. The band is thoughtful, intelligent, interesting - everything this song isn't.
1. Weekend Warrior (Fear of the Dark) - Six minutes wasted on totally inane subject matter. Commits the worst sin of all...it's boring.
That's all the negativity we need, so let's start breaking it down further!
Some songs with great bass:Remember Tomorrow
The Phantom of the Opera (Iron Maiden)
The entire Killers album (seriously)
The Number of the Beast
Run to the Hills
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Die With Your Boots On
The Trooper
To Tame A Land (Piece of Mind)
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Wasted Years
The Clairvoyant
Blood on the World's Hands (The X Factor)
Paschendale
When the Wild Wind Blows (The Final Frontier)
Some songs with great riffs:
The Phantom of the Opera
Charlotte the Harlot (Iron Maiden)
Wrathchild
Innocent Exile (Killers)
Purgatory
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Die With Your Boots On
The Trooper
Aces High
2 Minutes to Midnight
Moonchild (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son)
The Evil That Men Do
Holy Smoke (No Prayer for the Dying)
Afraid to Shoot Strangers (Fear of the Dark)
Childhood's End (Fear of the Dark)
Fear of the Dark
Man on the Edge
Futureal (Virtual XI)
The Clansman
The Educated Fool (Virtual XI)
The Wicker Man (Brave New World)
The Nomad
Out of the Silent Planet
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (Brave New World)
Rainmaker (Dance of Death)
Montsegur (Dance of Death)
Paschendale
For the Greater Good of God (A Matter of Life and Death)
The Alchemist (The Final Frontier)
Starblind (The Final Frontier)
The Talisman
Damn...might have been easier to list the ones that don't have great riffs.
Some songs with great solos:Running Free (Iron Maiden)
The Phantom of the Opera
Strange World (Iron Maiden)
Wrathchild
Children of the Damned
The Prisoner (The Number of the Beast)
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Flight of Icarus (Piece of Mind)
The Trooper
Aces High
Powerslave
Moonchild
2 A.M. (The X Factor)
The Angel and the Gambler (Virtual XI)
Lightning Strikes Twice (Virtual XI)
The Clansman
Blood Brothers (Brave New World)
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Wildest Dreams (Dance of Death)
Dance of Death
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (A Matter of Life and Death)
Paschendale
Starblind
The Talisman
When the Wild Wind Blows
A few great examples of great rhythm support during solos: (Seriously, this is an important part of what makes Maiden kick so much ass)
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Aces High
Powerslave
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Man on the Edge
Paschendale
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
The Talisman
Songs with great drums:Running Free
Iron Maiden
Wrathchild
Purgatory
Run to the Hills
Gangland (The Number of the Beast)
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Where Eagles Dare (Piece of Mind)
The Trooper
Aces High
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Caught Somewhere in Time
The Lonelieness of the Long Distance Runner (Somewhere in Time)
Alexander the Great (Somewhere in Time)
Infinite Dreams (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son)
The Evil That Men Do
Childhood's End
Fear of the Dark
The Unbeliever (The X Factor)
The Wicker Man
Ghost of the Navigator (Brave New World)
Wildest Dreams
Paschendale
Face in the Sand (Dance of Death)
Lord of Light (A Matter of Life and Death)
The Legacy
The Man Who Would Be King (The Final Frontier)
The Talisman
Songs with great lyrics:Hallowed Be Thy Name
Die With Your Boots On
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Heaven Can Wait
Infinite Dreams
Holy Smoke
Man on the Edge
Look for the Truth (The X Factor)
The Edge of Darkness (The X Factor)
The Clansman
Brave New World
No More Lies
Paschendale
Journeyman (Dance of Death)
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
The Legacy
El Dorado (The Final Frontier)
Coming Home (The Final Frontier)
Starblind
The Talisman
Some songs with great vocal performances, sorted by artist:Paul Di'Anno
Remember Tomorrow
Killers
Purgatory
Blaze Bayley
Sign of the Cross (The X Factor)
The Unbeliever
The Clansman
Bruce Dickinson
Children of the Damned
Run to the Hills
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Flight of Icarus
Die With Your Boots On
Aces High
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Lonelieness of the Long Distance Runner
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Holy Smoke
Fear of the Dark
Brave New World
Dream of Mirrors (Brave New World)
The Nomad
Rainmaker
No More Lies
Paschendale
Journeyman
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
The Pilgrim (A Matter of Life and Death)
When the Wild Wind Blows
Guess that's enough. If you happen to be in the mood for more music discussion, my brother has a very similar series on his blog for the great progressive band Porcupine Tree. Check it out here.
Up the Irons!
