I don't get the hate for Invaders it's just what you want to open an album imo
I pretty much agree, but the thing you pointed out is kinda the problem too; Invaders is a good album opener and definitely not a bad song, but if you took it out of it's place as an album opener, it's not that great of a song. Sure, there's interesting stuff going on and all, but it's not that interesting, given how great songs they managed to do at that time.
So yeah, while I get that many love that one, I also get why many don't. I've never been a big fan of it, it's pretty much like Wildest Dreams: does what it needs to do and while I don't mind listening to it, it's not something I'd absolutely want to go back to.
Not quite Top 10 here, but here are some:
(Satellite 15...) The Final Frontier
Not a bad song and when the band did hit the right level of intensity, they managed to make it sound pretty great live. That being said, it's overall very underwhelming song, with some interesting themes and general idea behind it, but it's horribly underwhelming and somewhat uninteresting, given how much hype was built around it and the album back then... You know, something titled THE FINAL FRONTIER should be something more elaborate. It would not have required miracles to seriously improve this one and that's kinda the saddest thing here: TFF is nowhere near BAD ALBUM nor does it have any really BAD songs on it. It just fails to live up to what it could be and whether it is because the band pretty much just arrived to the studio, played the stuff and left, or just production, it sounds pretty lazy. The title track is therefore quite a good example of the main problem behind the whole album. Not bad, definitely interesting and all, but just not quite there. The Book of Souls wasn't a perfect album, but the level of intensity alone is much higher than it was here.
The Apparition
Uhm. I get it, there's a certain level of rock'n roll in this one and all, but it's just horribly medicore song you really don't want to listen to again. It kinda sounds like something that could have fitted for Bruce's Tattooed Millionaire, but no... Have they focused more on the general execution of many good ideas around that time, Fear of the Dark would have been pretty great album. Weekend Warrior isn't exactly the most beloved song around, but at least it has little bit of... something going on. The chorus isn't too bad either. The Apparition is just something that sounds... very, very uninteresting and doesn't have even that low level of
something that even Weekend Warrior had.
Sanctuary and Drifter
These songs do rock, no doubt. It's not their fault that they were played instead of some better stuff back in the day. I just find them very... anticlimatic. Definitely fun, but pretty uninteresting songs that I don't really like to listen, either studio or live versions. As I said, it doesn't make the song bad if it's played much or even too much, but it IS kinda annoying that instead of so many other songs you decide to close the set with Sanctuary. Or Drifter. Yeah, I doubt these will ever be played again, but I'm as disappointed as one can be if Sanctuary manages to fit itself into any future Maiden setlist. Wouldn't be that big deal if they still did around 20 song setlist like in the 90's, but at this point, it would be pretty much waste of space. I respect different opinions and Sanctuary is a fun live song, I get it, I just don't find it that effective or interesting anymore if I ever have.
