Haha, excellent but difficult poll Metantonie! For all the black metal, thrash or any other genre I listen to, none compare or ever will compare to Maiden. Personally for me it was very hard to choose but I also voted for Seventh Son. Moonchild is actually one (out of many) of my favourite Maiden tracks, very dark and awesome and Can I Pay With Madness, it was probably my most payed Maiden track ever, I can remember watching the video for this track over and over when I was of a young age, it was just hypnotic for me. The album was just full of hits, honestly can't say there were any fillers.
Rigg's cover art yet again was fantastic but definitely the strangest up until that point, though it fitted the epic nature of the album perfectly. To round my choice of my favourite live Maiden video came from the same period, Maiden England. I got the limited edition which came with the live concert cd, official EMI release but never mentioned, cracking album with all the seventh son classics on it.

Double post.

Triple post! WTF? Well I guess I will add a bit more then. The more I think of it this is one of the hardest polls yet, Revalations, what a track, the acoustic melody throughout is so simple but stunning, slow tempo but beautiful. Ides of March, god damn it, what an instrumental, could play on repeat over and over, so infectious. Murders in the Rue Morgue, a total overlooked classic, wish they would play it more. Phantom of the Opera, all I can say it was ahead of its time, so technical and fast, very fitting to the Lucosade advert for those that can remember....

What I will say on a personal note is, for me, Maiden are the cornerstone for heavy metal, ahead of Sabbath and Priest IMO. They very rarely disappoint, their back catalog is the best and most consistent of all, well apart fom the Blaze era, though when you hear Bruce sing the likes of Futureal it transforms the music into Maiden awesomeness. You just know when they hit the stage they are still playing for the fans and enjoying it. Take a bow Maiden you have more than earned it.

No! 'Quest for Fire' is a fucking great song, and it baffles me that people slog it so. The lyrics are stupid? Ok, maybe so, but the music itself kicks ass, and it's got one of Bruce's wildest vocal performances. It's so god-damn fun! Just like the movie itself.

Anyway, I voted for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'. While it doesn't contain their best song (which, in my opinion, is 'Caught Somewhere in Time'), it's such an extraordinarily great, cohesive album. When I listen to it, there's no moment when I find myself thinking, 'Oh, it's this song;' the whole thing just works marvelously well as a complete piece of music. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only Iron Maiden album to achieve that sense of unity.

Voted Powerslave simply because two of my all-time favorite songs from Maiden are Aces high and Powerslave.

close decision between SiT, 7th son and Killers but finally 7th son took the cake. "Infinite Dreams", "Moonchild" and mostly "The Clairvoyant" (!!!!!) being mainly responsible for that. However it was damn close. If I had been in a slightly other mood today, maybe one of the other two would have won.

I voted for Powerslave because quite honestly that was the first album of theirs that I heard. But it's not just first impressions, the song-writing is brilliant. Musically, it's captivating through and through, from the beginning with 'Aces High' to the epic 'Rime of the ancient...'.

I know how it would actually be difficult to vote for a favorite album because each of those albums have something good to offer especially the last three listed albums there.

what a hard poll, only someone fiendishly intelligent could've thought this one up


I made a quick choice, else I'd never be able to choose - Somewhere in Time, mainly because TLotLDR and the feelings it evokes. Also Alexander The Great,

"Marching on, marching on"

Voted Powerslave. That's just such an epic album with great songs.

the fucking choruses ruin most of seventh son for me. The same fucking line over and over again just really gets on my nerves. It's a shame as the music and the rest of the lyrics are really good.

In order IMO: Iron Maiden, Somewhere in time, powerslave, TNOTB, piece of mind, seventh son, killers.

The debut is pretty much the perfect trad metal album.

The Number of the Beast for me. It's the one on this list where I find all the songs likable, especially if "Total Eclipse" is on there.

The first Iron Maiden is the first Iron Maiden album that I bought by them. That albums will always hold a special place for me. I have always preferred Paul's vocals on the first two Maiden, over the two later singers that followed in his footsteps.

This was a difficult decision, I pretty much like all albums equally.
BUT, I decided to go for Piece of Mind. I don't really know why, any other one was as strong a contender.

7th Son because of tracks like Infinite Dreams, The Clairvoyant, and Only The Good Die Young

Love the mystical atmosphere created by the synths, Somewhere in Time and Powerslave come very close too though.

SiT does have the most underrated Maiden song ever : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo-1iAsqmQI

How is this not considered a classic Maiden track? fast as hell, amazing vocal performance, amazing leads...

Somewhere in Time is probably my favourite Iron Maiden album in general, although I'm a big fan of Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death, although they're not relevant for our purposes.

Somewhere in time feels that little bit sharper than the warm material before and after it - it's a little more abrasive and clear. Above the fact I love all of the songs on it, the album as a whole offers some of the band's most beautiful leads and moments of atmosphere, while at the same time being one of the most intense releases they've ever made.

I'm something of a heretic who finds Seventh Son to be quite underwhelming.

I'm not sure that Bruce writing a couple of tunes for Somewhere in Time would have made the album any better for you. From what I've read, all of Bruce's ideas got rejected by the band as they were all acoustic based and didn't fit in with what Steve and Adrian were writing. So he basically said, "Fuck it, I'll just sing on this album!" which is what he did.

You have no idea how mind-bogglingly happy I am to see Powerslave and Somewhere in Time tied for the lead, and taking a combined 50% of the entire vote. Remember when everybody hated SiT? Glad that shit's over, now all we have to do is wait for people to quit ragging on Number of the Beast so hard and take a step back and realize Seventh Son is only about 80% as good as most people seem to think it is. If I could erase a song from existence, it wouldn't be the Macarena or that awful shite by the Ting Tings that for some reason got popular over here. No, it'd be "Can I Play with Madness?".

LOL! I'm happy TNOTB is still last place!

Come on 7th son, I know you can do it!

All the hate for "Can I Play With Madness".

It breaks the tension after "Infinite Dreams"...

Based on my memory (I haven't listened to them in a long time), I'd say Somewhere in Time. Maybe Powerslave is the better overall album, but I remember when I heard the title track of Somewhere in Time when I was like 13 and being totally amazed.

There's really not much wrong with "Can I Play With Madness." It's just an average, catchy Maiden song - never got all the hate. Seventh Son is excellent.

I'm surprised that Somewhere in Time is so well regarded here. I thought this poll would be between Powerslave and Seventh Son.

I think the reason I hate it is because of what album it's on. If it was on basically any other album I wouldn't mind as much, but as it stands it's awful. Seventh Son is a huge, grand, ethereal sounding album with great atmosphere and an epic sense of foreboding, and then there's just this fucking stupid pop song shoehorned into the middle of it and it just shatters the flow and mood. Obviously I don't mind poppy metal or poppy Maiden, I'm defending Number of the Beast in this very thread, but the thing is that that album only really has one epic song and it's the very last one. Otherwise it's very song-oriented and radio friendly. Seventh Son isn't. It's really the most egregious (if not only) case of one song dragging an otherwise great album down.

Agree with Bastard regarding Can I Play with Madness. It's not a bad song per se, but it's massively underwhelming compared to the rest of the album both in the songwriting and atmosphere departments. It's a textbook example of a record scratch, if you catch my drift.

I always thought it was decent before I listened to the entirety of Seventh Son in one sitting. I love to hate it.

Also, I'll catch your drift anytime Xlxlx.

Powerslave got my vote simply because it's muthafuckin' Powerslave. 2 Minutes to Midnight, Aces High, Powerslave, Rime. Some of their best work IMO.

My favorites are Piece of Mind and 7th Son but I had to choose Powerslave for best.

Seriously, Powerslave is a huge milestone in metal history. A still aggressive and fierce Maiden mixed with their latter epic ambitions. It represents one of the best metal bands of all times at their very peak, breaking new grounds. It's also an absolutely timeless album.

My favorite Maiden album changes all the time between the first five featuring Dickinson but Powerslave is the only valid answer when thinking about the most important Maiden record, IMO.

I'm pretty sure this came out creepier than you intended

"Invaders", "Children Of The Damned", "Gangland", and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" are all great tunes ("Hallowed" might just be my fave Maiden song EVER), but the songs on the other half of the album are shockingly uninteresting and dull, for the most part; a cool part here and there, but for the most part, it sounds like Maiden wasn't completely ready to accommodate Dickinson into their sound and the accompanying changes they'd have to take, unlike the hella fine-tuned Killers which sounds so well-tailored to Di'Anno's style (since they'd had more time working with him at that point)... but it does make sense that half of Number would feel rushed, considering they released it barely a year after their final album with Di'anno.

Guess they really wanted to strike the irons (hah!) while they were still hot, but Piece always sounded to me like the better, more natural Dickinson-fronted record, after they had had some more time to get used to the new Bruce-fronted style; I mean, it doesn't have any highs quite as high as "Hallowed", but as a whole, it's a lot more consistent to me, and I enjoy almost every (if not every) single song on it. Not trying to complain too much here, as Number does have great work from Bruce, the last performance from my fave Maiden drummer, the good half of the album means I still have to like Number, and the band was so consistent and productive in their other 80's records that one mild letdown isn't a big deal, it's just that it's my 2nd least fave of their 80's efforts, and it gets SO much fame, that I just... well, you know.

You listed "Invaders" and "Gangland" as good tunes but not "The Prisoner," "22 Acacia Avenue" and the title track, i.e. the actual meat of the album? Those songs are the real reasons why I'm confused as to the NOTB hate here.

Exactly what I was gonna say. I'm one of the weird guys who loves "Invaders" but "22 Acacia Avenue" is third place behind "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" and "Flash of the Blade" for the title of their most underrated song. And if you can't dig the title track then I'm afraid there's just no hope for you.

Self-titled. I love the jammy feel of it.

"Invaders" and "Gangland" are hella catchy and intense, while the songs you listened just never held nearly as much interest for me. Again, I think the band showed a more consistent chemistry on Piece, due to the additional time they had with Dickinson as frontman.

It seems an unpopular answer but Killers is one of my favorite records of all time.

This one actually isn't difficult for me at all. It's the debut by a mile. Just pure classics stacked from end to end. It's their most visceral, their most sleazy, and for me their most endearing record. Prowler is one of my favorite songs of all time and really gives off an atmosphere. Aside from that nothing's fucking with Transylvania and Phantom of the Opera.

Love 'em all but had to choose Powerslave, I think It's their overall strongest album with some of my favourite tracks of theirs "Rime", "Aces High" "2 Minutes to Midnight " and the title track.

All this hate for Number of the Beast is retarded though, amazing album with no bad songs at all, some better than others sure, but I can listen through that thing over and over and not have to skip a song.

My thoughts entirely! Apart from Invaders and Gangland, the remaining 6 original tunes from '...Beast' have been played live on a regular basis by the band, and enjoyed by the majority of fans, it must be said, for 30 years. I'm quite surprised by all the hate for this album! 6 out of 8 ain't bad, is it? No, Sir!

I actually went with Piece of Mind mostly because I knew it would be the underdog to Powerslave, which I admit is probably their most consistently awesome album. Still, though, the first half of Piece... is definitely my favourite moment of Maiden, with Revelations being my #1 song. Just a shame the album dips in quality near the end.

Killers.
I love the ballsy sound & mean and borderline punkish attitude. Songs like "Murders In The Rue Morgue", the title track and "Purgatory" rock the fuck out, and even a mid-paced number like "Another Life" suddenly goes on a speed warp for a brief period. "Prodigal Son" stands out as quite a strange proggish tune, but damn it's good with stellar playing. Great opening too.
Also, it's one of the oldest LPs I still own from back in my youth (bought it in 84), so there's that sentimental angle. Discovered them when Piece Of Mind came out thanks to The Trooper video on MTV. Still a fan of all their 80s releases, but Killers will always be my favorite.

Number of the Beast in dead last. SMH. Noobs.

7th Son with NOTB in second place.

A hard question, of course. Just quality-albums all the way from -80 to -88. I voted for their S/T