Choose your favourite Iron Maiden albums
 

Okay, I did a search and am surprised to find no-one posted a poll about this before, so here goes. Like my Genesis post in the prog rock subforum, you can vote for more than one album if you like.

Live After Death which I have talked about on here before. It's the whole reason why I am still listening to music 26 years later. It also forged a friendship that is still strong for the same amount of time.

I think I would maybe just be a casual listener of music if I hadn't asked what the guy kicking a football against a wall was listening to on his walkman.

Nostalgia aside I love Killers, dislike most of The Number Of The Beast, think that some of their most under appreciated tracks are on Piece Of Mind, put Stranger In A Strange Land from Somewhere In Time as one of their best ever tracks and constantly play A Matter Of Life And Death from their 're-birth' era.

Great story, Lee. Surprised you don't like NotB though.
For me, it'll always be that one, as not only was it the first Maiden album I bought, but the first metal one, which started me off on an epic journey and opened up a whole new world to me, which I still enjoy to this day.

PoM coming after it of course gets a vote, but I always have an abiding love for SSoaSS, Maiden's first real foray into the world of progressive metal. With only 8 tracks, each is a gem and there are no weak tracks, unlike some other Maiden albums I could name.

And of course I love love love BNW.

A Matter of Life and Death was the first Iron Maiden CD I owned. So, naturally I choose that one. Not to mention it blew me away every time I listened to it.

Here's a question: If I were going to check out one Iron Maiden album which one should it be?

Some background you should know before you answer:

• I have heard a decent amount of Iron Maiden in my life, just never an entire album. I've had several friends who were fans, plus an older cousin who has been into them for pretty much my entire life.
• The biggest reason I've never been able to get into them is the bombastic vocals and the fact that their music never seemed to have as much balls as it seems like it should.

I would like to give them a decent listen though, since they're so well-regarded.

The X Factor and Virtual XI should be banned from any "best" poll.

The Number of the Beast, quite simply because its a landmark metal release. A lot on here criticize it as people often do with such revered albums, it does have a badly thought out song order at times but it is a defining metal album and when people say Maiden are the greatest metal band ever, its normally down to the fact that the basis of the Maiden sound with Dickinson was born here, so a great place to start.

Had to post a vote for Piece Of Mind. I think we had this discussion the other day when Howard was praising Powerslave. Piece of mind really resonated with me as a teen. I burned through two cassettes and one lp of it, because its sheer heavy metal brilliance. Nobody was as cool as Maiden back then, although there were some close seconds.

I of course have to agree (see my feature on it in my "Albums that changed my life" slot), but then again, you could try "Powerslave", as you're something of a fan of the semi/neo-classical instrumental music, and although it's not all instrumental, I feel that "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" might be right up your street.

Definitely avoid the two Blaze Bayley era albums, as suggested above ("Virtual XI" and "The X factor") and perhaps consider Dickinson's comeback album, "Brave new world".

Though again, "Seventh son" is a great prog-metal album.
Why not just download my "Iron Maiden starter" on the Beginner's Guide thread?

I fully agree, but there's probably someone out there who rates them. Mind you, I'm not sure how they'd listen to the albums; have to undo the ol' straitjacket, but still... :rofl: