Top 10 Best Iron Maiden Albums

I remember hearing Aces High on my boom box and immediately riding my bmx bike to the mall and buying this cassette. I listened to this everyday during that wrestling season. I'm still listening to this album 30 years later. Beautiful balance of grit and polish on the production. Aces, 2 Minutes..., Back in the Village and Flash of the Blade have ripping guitar riffs. Losfer Words is a fantastic instrumental with twin guitar harmonies. So much has been said about Mariner, but it truly is Iron Maiden's epic apex, the epic metal song by which all other epic metal songs are measured.

When the sun sets on Maiden's career there can be only one album that stands out as their greatest and that is Poweslave by a long shot. There is simply no better opening one-two punch in all of metal music than Aces High and 2 Minutes to Midnight. Powerslave is their best titled effort to date and Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the best song ever written by any band over 13 minutes in length. Flash of the Blade and Back in the Village are under rated classics that beg to be listened to over and over again. Losfer Words is I believe their only instrumental to date and is a wild roller coaster ride of changing beats and timings mastered by two of the greatest guitarists ever. Some of you are thinking that I forgot the duellists! I have simply saved the best for last. I truly believe this is my favourite track on the album. Yes this is very subjective of course but for me this song defines Maiden at their apex in the mid 80s. The raw emotion, passion and writing in this song are way ...more

NOTB is a great album; the title track, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Children Of The Damned standing out in particular, but that album also had the poor Total Eclipse and the relatively average Gangland.

On Powerslave, when the worst song is an instrumental that sets the mood of the album perfectly (and is better than about 2 or 3 songs on NOTB), you know you have gold, especially with the four fan favourites this album houses, along with underrated classics like Flash Of The Blade, The Duellists and Back In The Village. This is my favourite album of all-time and stands head and shoulders above Maiden's other great albums.

Sure there is Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which are great songs, and Powerslave is my favorite Iron Maiden song in any album, but there are more than four tracks in this album worth listening to. The Duelists is a really great song, better than Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, AND Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and in my top 5 favorite Iron Maiden songs of all time, in My Opinion.

The definitive Iron Maiden Album. I would actually say that Power slave is better to listen to but tracks "Number of the Beast" and "Run to the hills" are all time classics and were so important for metal and Maiden at the time. "Hallowed be thy Name" is an absolutely fantastic track also. If you want to get into Iron Maiden, get this and Power slave and you will be hooked. Guaranteed.

Clive Burr, Clive Burr, Clive Burr. His exquisite sound, touch and groove is the beating heart of this album, and Bruce is already a tour de force. So many heavyweight classics here we can overlook Gangland. Last of the warm, woody classic production. Such maturity in the groove, arranging and lead guitar work. Had they chosen Total Eclipse instead of Gangland this would be maybe unbeatable.

I'm not really into iron maiden was mostly curious to check out the list. I give this album my vote because it includes the only songs I really like with iron maiden; the number of the beast, run to the hills and hallowed by the name.

Any real maiden fan knows that this is their greatest album, no coincidence it's their most successful. From the frantic opening and underrated invaders to the pivitol of all maiden epics in hallowed this is one of the most important albums in the history of heavy metal.

This album is not from this earth, it comes from another world far away from here. It is perfectly fixed in a time and space, forever standing there. The first time I heard it, it transported my soul into another dimension, I have never felt a more intense emotion as when I heard the interlude in the title track. You hear the first 6 albums and you think that Iron Maiden reached their peak, and then you realize they got EVEN BETTER. The songs, lyrics, harmonies, vocals, even the artwork are beyond human capability. This is a true metal masterpiece. Immortal. In my opinion, it is the best album of any music genre of all time. EVER.

You could say, The Number of the Beast is the best album, because there are amazing songs, and the best Maiden Song ever: "Hallowed be thy Name".

But Seventh Son of a Seventh son is more than just good songs. I always get that awesome feeling I cannot describe. The album is just perfect. Every song is great and supporting the next one. They push each other.

My favourite song is "Infinite Dreams"! Awesome track, but even better, when you listen to the whole album.

Fantastic album. Most of the time, even with Iron Maiden albums, there are a couple songs I think "oh, that could have been better." Not so here. Every song was perfectly placed, perfectly timed, perfectly executed. While I did not like some songs as much as others (Only the Good Die Young), they just felt right when listening to the album as a whole. This is Maiden at their finest, and that is saying something.

This is not only the best Maiden album (which is, by itself, very difficult to state) but also one of the best heavy metal albums of all times. If you had to explain to an alien what heavy metal is, giving him SSOASS shoul be enough. Great concept story, great cover, perfect harmony in instruments in every song, dark and smart lyrics... Just perfect. And with all the elements it leaves a part for your imagination making you part of the album... Can it get any better?

Easily the most consistently great album. Not a single song that isn't fantastic. Seventh Son is in general, so unappealing to hear and the choruses and synths and guitars just don't mix well. The Number Of The Beast has 4 amazing songs; the title track, which isn't even that amazing, it's pretty overrated but still great; Run To The Hills, which is rightfully considered to be a great metal classic, 22 Acacia Avenue, an extremely underrated and incredibly epic tune, and of course Hallowed Be Thy Name. Powerslave is a solid, great metal album, as well as Killers.
1) Somewhere In Time
2) Powerslave
3) Killers

Somewhere in Time was the first Iron Maiden record I ever owned and probably my first experience with a true album outside of The Beatles. My tastes in music have changed over the years, but this album always appeals to me... All the way through. In fact, in my own personal dictionary, Somewhere in Time is the very definition of the word "album".

This is also the Maiden album that has "Alexander The Great" on it, which is in my opinion one of the best tracks of all time by anyone.

This is Adrian's album. Every solo, every song is amazing. Maiden experimented with synth guitars, and they succeed.
Bruce's lyrics are absolutely great specially on the closing track Alexander The Great. This album also has the more-mainstream track ever "Wasted Years" which happens to be my favourite. This is definitely Maiden moving forward from the early 80's straight forward rocker anthems onto something more progresive. 1 step closer to the magnum opus 7th Son of a 7th Son.

I Find it very difficult when rating songs from a band that has such an amazing breadth of work like Maiden. to pick solely one song and regard it definitely is almost impossible. But Alexander the Great is one of the rarities. This song is THE most underrated/obscure Maiden song, period. And the more than 3 minutes of just absolutely phenomenal guitar work from 4:00 to 7:10 is THE best they have ever composed, period.

From the moment I heard this album I fell in love with it! From the awesome drum intro of Where Eagles Dare (what a fantastic baptism of fire for Nicko! ) Right through to the last strains of To Tame A Land it's a masterpiece throughout! I also have to add that this is my favourite production of any Maiden album! The levels are perfect, everything can be heard clearly and the guitars just chime throughout! Also this album contains my favourite Maiden song EVER in Revelations!

I vote Piece of Mind because it has that classic sound, it made me really get into Maiden and it's all killer, no filler. Besides, it has some of the best metal songs of all time: Revelations, The Trooper, Still Life and least but the best, To Tame A Land.
This is the one Maiden album I can listen to whenever, the rest are not as enjoyable at all times like this one (7th Son bores me and Number of the Beast is a bit overrated). This album+Powerslave+Brave New World= Metal Bliss.

As good as Powerslave apart from the slightly woolly bass guitar sound. Maiden's sound is beginning to develop into something darker and more menacing, yet the melodies are disgustingly catchy. Vibrant and exciting all the way through. This and Powerslave comprise Bruce's career peak, and Nicko brings new power and conviction to the sound. So many cracking tunes it's unfair.

This was a hard decision...
Piece of Mind was my first Iron Maiden album. It's got some of my favorite songs, including Revelations (my all time favorite), Sun and Steel, Still Life and To Tame a Land (I love Dune, the book that inspired it).
For me, close second and third are Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Honestly, Number of the Beast is kinda overrated I feel. Good, but overrated.

RANK : That album is XXIth century Maiden done right. I'd generally put it in 5th place right behind TNOTB and Powerslave and both Di'Anno's albums but it really depends on my mood as it's almost a different genre.

STYLE : If you accept that yes in XXIth century Maiden choruses are repeated a lot, you can just enjoy the riffs and solos and the awesome sound. It has less cheesiness than 7th son and than the more recent ones, imho, along with a better voice than most albums I'd say (I don't like it when Bruce sounds like a rockin' grandpa-goat).

SONGS : NOMAD's instrumental middle section have made it my favourite for years, I would just close my eyes and bounce my head around. Now DREAM OF MIRRORS is my key takeaway, with a more interesting structure and convincing storytelling, GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR being a good song when you appreciate these aspects, and THIN LINE being a weaker version with the soft parts being less convincing ; I used to skip SILENCE PLANET because ...more

This is the best Maiden album and greatest album ever in my opinion. Every song here is amazing, The Wicker Man, Ghost of the Navigator, The Mercenary, Out of the Silent Planet, and freaking The Thin Line Between Love and Hate are my favorites, but the rest are great too. Bruce sounds incredible, the drums still great, riffs and solos are amazing, and the songs have this emotional power no other album has.

Renewed energy. Kevin Shirley a sublime fit, and the first to truly capture the full weight and passion of Nicko's drums. Not a bad song on this. Epic and progressive like Seventh Son, raw and exciting like the early stuff, but bigger sounding than either. If the playing was as tight as the early days it would rate even higher for me.

How would anyone dislike this album? Every song on this album is absolutely amazing and there is no filler whatsoever. My favorites have to be "Out of the Silent Planet" and "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate". This album is what signified the return of Iron Maiden, and is in fact better then their old albums.

This album might just be my second favorite studio album of all time with the first being the first Rush album. Paul Di'Anno's vocals on this album are so much more raw and so much more powerful than Bruce Dickinson's ever were, the bass hit harder than ever and even drove the music back then as opposed to Bruce Dickinson's overproduced vocals driving the music, the drums were big and punchy, and the guitar had one of the most amazing tones that lent itself superbly to the music. Easily my favorite Maiden album.

At the time of it's release this was a new sound and served notice that Maiden was to be reckoned with. While the Dianno era and Dickinson era are almost two entirely different bands, this album is raw, unadulterated power. Decades after it's release, the music sounds as fresh as it did the day it was released. Outstanding effort all around. Up the Irons!

Great songs. Years of playing and touring went into this album and it's construction. The sound of a band that wanted to be heard. The production is a little dry due to Will Malones lack of interest in this great band. However, the music shines through and is still selling. Iron Maiden is a great place to start listening to the best band on the planet.

The Di'anno era was amazing, and this album is a perfect example of such. It has great songs such as Prowler, Charlotte the Harlot, and also, the most popular song on this album, Phantom of the Opera. It also contains Transylvania, a wonderful instrumental. Oh, and not to forget the band's signiture song: Iron Maiden. Overall, an outstanding album.

I'd actually put it #1 as it's the last album that blew me away (probably because I skipped it for a long time while the other ones feel more known and expectable).
I didn't like it at first but later I was amazed by this album's energy and amazing solos and riffs. I'm really appreciating the singing now, too. I was SO PUMPED UP the whole time.

Both instrumentals and KILLERS are my favourite songs, belonging in my top20 Maiden songs ever (because I'd save room by picking only 1-2 classic anthems), but the cohesive energy along the album is another highlight. I don't feel there's a real filler here, which is rare in Maiden albums.

Easily the most underrated album. I prefer PD's voice over Dickinson but you can tell he had reached the ceiling. Song for song, no album can match this one. And looking at the heavy hitters = Killers, Wrathchild, Murders...and my personal favorite, Drifter - they match the top 4 of any other album. I must say that just after 1 listen thru The Book Of Souls there is a strong possibility that this album gets bumped to #2 for me.

A 23 year old Clive Burr drumming with more maturity and precision here than Nicko would ever summon. Amazing tunes and atmosphere, slick and surprisingly bluesy guitar work, the groundbreaking twin lead sound fully realised here. Such a fun album with lovely warm, clear production. Paul the wrong vocalist for the band, but the right vocalist for Killers. A treat.

As much as I respect Bruce Dickinson and Blaze Bayley, and as much as I love Somewher in Time and The X Factor, I must say that Killers is truly killer. Phenomenal album. Paul Di'Anno is rampages across this album with ferocious yet seemingly contained punk-influenced vocals slightly ahead of typical Iron Maiden instrumentation. However, this is some of there best instrumentation as well.

I have listened to many an Iron Maiden album, and like any album by any band, there are songs on each that I don't care for (ironically, most of them tend to be the title track). In fact, most Iron Maiden albums net me three, maybe four songs that I listen to again and again. I love 'em, but they're not perfect.
That being said, Book of Souls is the closest thing to perfect they've ever made. EVERY song I enjoy to some degree. EVERY track has a reason to be here. While The Book of Souls may not necessarily contain the BEST songs Iron Maiden has written, it contains no bad ones. Even the big ones like Number of the Beast or Somewhere in Time have at least one track that I can't stand to listen to. The only complaint I can bring against Book of Souls is that some of the songs go on a bit too long. Yes, my one and only gripe is that Book of Souls contains TOO MUCH Iron Maiden.

This album is pure Maiden with a 2015 kick in the pants. The band truly gets better with age. I dare any metal fan to listen to the guitar run offs on "The Red and the Black" and not get chills. From the opening track "If Eternity Should Fail", which by the way is their strongest opener since "Two Minutes to Midnight" off of Poweslave, to the last track masterpiece "Empire of the Clouds" this is classic Maiden. I fully expect this album to stand the test of time and cement itself as one of the top 3-5 Maiden efforts of all time. As I listened to this for the first few times, I was transported back to junior high in the mid 80s all over again and feeling absolute joy in knowing these heroes of my youth are still here to save the music world.

The variety of songs, the energy, the melodies, the storytelling, and the EPIC length and quality make this perhaps the best Maiden album of recent years even since SSOASS. Contains their longest song ever in Empire of the Clouds. And even the second longest song on this album The Red and the Black is almost exactly the same length as their previous longest song Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. But although the songs are long, they are some of their best material. No fillers here!
In addition this is their first double album! And how cool is Speed of Light? Some say it is the weakest song on the album. It is very catchy, but so different than the rest. I love it!

The best post-Blaze album yet. Book of Souls is their longest album yet, for those who didn't know, and none of it is filler. Every song works well with the rest of the album, and nothing is left to be desired. It may not have any amazing classics like Number of the Beast or Powerslave, but with The Red and the Black, Speed of Light, Empire of the Clouds, and the title track, this is a masterpiece. Certainly deserves to be higher on the list than Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death, and Final Frontier, but I guess that's just because it's so new.

This is the best album by Iron Maiden! I've been Maiden-fan since 1980 and I still remember the day when Killers came to record store as their latest album. So, I have "some" background. The Final Frontier is an exceptional, quality prog-influenced album from the band that has been able to put well their experince as a musician and as a composer to this record. Really great compositions and arrangements, like masterpiece Isle of Avalon that has great instrumental piece in the middle and like Mother of Mercy that has really dramatic vocal melodies and much much more. As well know, Bruce was influence by Peter Hamill of VDGG and that really shines through. Not a single weak moment in this album.

Iron Maiden are decent at capturing the atmosphere of progressive music but these songs repeat themselves too much and are too simply structured to be called progressive. Starblind, for example has the same verse-chorus before and after the instrumental section. The addition of some guitar parts in the second time and the way these songs are structured justifies their length for some listeners including me, it's just that it doesn't really fall under the progressive category, with the possible exception of The Man Who Would Be King where the verse-chorus part only takes up 1/3 of the song

Edit: I wrote this before I was a prog metal fan, and now regret it a bit

This album is too long to fully enjoy in one sitting, but after a couple of listens, it really starts to grow on you. I would say the Final Frontier is up to par with the golden three: The Number of the Beast - Powerslave. There are no songs that stand out on their own as well as much as for example, The Number of the Beast, but every song is great. All in all, a fantastic album.

Flawless. More diverse and more consistent than their "classic" albums (which I love to bits mind you) there are so many different soundscapes, from the dark and brooding (mother of mercy, end part of When the wild wind blows) to the exotic (Isle of Avalon, Middle section of The man who would be king) and space (title track and Starblind) but it doesn't feel unfocussed either.

Maybe #3-5th best for me, but #1st most uneven album for my taste.
While the title track is a classic, 2 weirder songs have become my favourite I'm songs ever : "Childhood's end" and "Afraid to shoot strangers". I've gradually adopted "Fear is the key" too.
But the rest of the album doesn't really speak to me.

I have to vote for fear of the dark. I think this is very good album overall but way too underrated. This album contains so many good songs like fear of the dark, afraid to shoot strangers, be quick or be dead and so on. If you haven't listened this album or just once or twice, you should definitely get to know this album better it deserves it.

Often my favourite album to listen to for the overall tone and the guitar work as much as I love Adrian Smith, Janeck Gears influence on this album is greatly welcomed by me! Production wise it's the right amount of atmosphere and cleanliness without being overproduced or sterile. Of course the title track remains Maidens most singable song.

Definitely one of my favorite Iron Maiden albums. I think it deserves a higher place on this list for it's brilliant vocals, song structures and guitar riffs. My personal favorites off of this album are Be Quick Or Be Dead, From Here To Eternity, Afraid To Shoot Strangers, Childhood's End and Fear Of The Dark.

I think that Iron Maiden has been at its best since Bruce and Smith came back in 1999. Their albums recorded during the first decade of the century have just been epic and at another level. All Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death and Final Frontier are Maiden playing luxury heavy metal. Dance of Death is perhaps my favorite, but AMOLAD and Final Frontier are equally as good. All epic songs that take you places. I love ALL Maiden albums, but in my opinion Seventh Son of A Seventh Son is the only album that can compare to their latest 3 albums.

My absolute favorite? Maybe, maybe not. But a phenomenal record nonetheless. Whether it be kick ass songs like 'Wildest Dreams', epic guitar solos in 'Rain Maker', progressive epics like 'Dance of Death', or the acoustic experimentation of 'Journeyman', this album is something else - in a great way. Also, song writing credits from everyone in the band, making this the only Maiden album to do so. Very balanced and overall incredible.

A band that was considered done and dusted by many followed up Brave New World (Excellent album also) with this fantastic album produced by the "Caveman" Shirley. A band that is so much bigger than one person. Together they are great mates and fantastic musicians who know what the fans want. Great Rock! This album delivers in spades.

This album has received a lot of hate concerning its cover. I am not the one who will defend it as I also believe it to be truly awful. However, I will defend every song from this album because they all rock!

In conclusion: Fabulous music, horrible cover. It still gets my vote though.

Awesome album. This is Iron Maiden making exceptional elite music. It surely sounds darker and different than most Maiden albums, but this band's sound is unmistakable and you still recognise the unique Maiden playing. Of course Blaze is a different kind of singer than Bruce, but he does an excellent job here. The album's darker music and production go great with his voice.
Choosing a best Maiden album is too hard for me. In my opinion, this is their best album of the 1990s (yes, even better than Brave New World), and one of their all time best. From the 1980s, their best work is without a doubt Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Picking their best album from the 2000s is harder, as they are all among their best of all time. It's a close pick between AMOLAD and Final Frontier, although Dance of Death is also spectacular. Incredibly, Iron Maiden have overall been more prolific, sound tighter and write better music in the 2000s than any other time in the band's long history.

It's ridiculous that the x factor is this low. Steve Harris himself stated that this, along with SSOASS and Piece of mind are his favourite albums. Out of 11 songs there are only 2 of them that don't make you feel chills. Come On! Sing of the cross! Fortunes of war! Lord of the flies! Look for the truth! Judgement of heaven! The edge of darkness! This is heavy metal! Please vote for this epic, dark album

This album is nowhere near as bad as everyone says. Sure, Blaze might not have been as good as Dickinson, but that isn't enough to straight out say it's terrible. It has amazing tracks such as Sign of the Cross and Fortunes of War and is worth a listen to.

One of the most underrated albums ever!
Its dark, cold, depressed, epic! Just a masterpiece! And Blaze is the man! For sure the all times most underrated vocalist. He had a different voice, more like a David Lee Roth, but darker.
Most people hate it just because its not Bruce on vocals...

Of all the live metal albums out there this is arguably one the best if not the best. It really captures their live show perfectly. Put this album on your turntable, sit back and close your eyes and enjoy a live performance of one of the best metal bands there ever was.

I get that many won't rank a live album with studio stuff, hence the low rating. But if you are a true Fan of the band, you know this one got played in your stereo more than at least 1/2 the records listed higher! Top 3 for me!

One of metal's greatest live CDs. From the album artwork, to Churchills speech, Rime of the ancient mariner, all just amazing. Iron maiden rule live, and this album captures that amazing raw energy. One of those bands that have some songs sound better live.

I understand why it doesn't get the same attention as the studio albums (at least these days), but this captures the band at its absolute peak with many of the best songs from my favourite period.

Masterpiece from start to finish! Full of melody and emotion. My favourite songs are the Parchment, Hell on Earth, Stratego. It's in my opinion better than Book of Souls as a whole album. And it's a grower, took me a few listens to really appreciate the awesomeness of the songs. Brilliant album, I give it 10/10.

Interestingly, despite an entire catalogue of ablums, LPs, and EPs from Iron Maiden from the past, this is the first which I've fully listened to (all 10 songs listed). All songs have a mystical feeling, epic guitar solos and opening coupled with Bruce and Steve's powerful vocals make this a solid hit in my book. I'd give this perfect 10/10.

Brilliant album! It's one of their best in my opinion.

Top 5 iron maiden album.

As much as I love most Iron Maiden albums, this one takes the prize. While it can be repetitive, it's also very rewarding to listen too; the repetition also can establish a good groove/vibe, such as with 'The Angel and the Gambler'. Blaze's performance is excellent as usual, Steve's bass clicks it's way along the record with straight-up rocking bass lines, and the guitar duo delivers memorable riffs yet again. Oh, and did I mention Nicko's simplistic (not overdone) but always great drumming? Fantastic album. It definitely grows on you and has stood the test of time.

Lastly, don't like Blaze? Check out his solo versions of 'Futureal', 'Sign of the Cross', etc. - Blaze's voice is doing better and he can just go all out, and it sounds awesome.

One of the most underrated albums ever! (2)

Futureal, one of their best songs ever (along with Virus from Best of the Beast)! I also love The Angel and the Gamble (its different from typical Maiden, cause its more Rock n Roll dancing vibe like ZZ Top, Bruce Springsteen and Thin Lizzy), Como Estais Amigos, Educated Fool, don't look to the eyes of the stranger, When Two Worlds Collide, Lighting Strikes Twice, and of course The Clansman!

This is much better than Brave New World, Dance of Death and Final Frontier, on my opinion. Sounds more enigmatic, fresh and not so mechanical like these albums.

Blaze is the man!

I actually love Como Estais Amigos, Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger, and The Educated Fool. Admittedly, Virtual XI isn't their best album, but it is definitely their most underrated one. It deserves much more applause than it ever receives.

Definitely not their best, but FAR from their worst. This is really good. Don't stop yourself from checking this out, just because all the hardcore fans hate this. Listen to Futureal and The Clansman, and you'll see what I'm talking about

ROCK IN RIO! Amazing setlist choice and amazing overall performance by the best band in the world. Rock in Rio is their best live album in my opinion and it always will be. Up the irons!

Good yes yes me like

At the age of 6, I heard Number of the Beast and didn't get it. Next year, I heard the Trooper and gradually became obsessed to where I am today. I know every Iron Maiden song or studio album, but this was my first Maiden CD. I got it for Easter and my dad and I would always drive around listening to the album over and over again. A great album and one with a lot of sentimental value to me. UP THE IRONS!