Is the current Iron Maiden lineup band's "classic" lineup?

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Night Prowler

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Or is it the POM-SSOASS one without Janick? This one has been around for 16 years and produced 5 albums, while the 80's one was around for just 6 and produced 4 albums. IMO it's the former, but I think the reunion-era-haters will lean towards the latter :p
 
Or is it the POM-SSOASS one without Janick? This one has been around for 16 years and produced 5 albums, while the 80's one was around for just 6 and produced 4 albums. IMO it's the former, but I think the reunion-era-haters will lean towards the latter :p


Well classic and best are not necessarily the same thing. I think the 80's line up without Janick is still concidered the classic one, but I prefer the new line-up ;)
 
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I'd go for the 82- 89 lineup.

EDIT: 83-89

Although I also think the 3 first albums are super classic too.
 
I suppose a lot of people consider Steve - Bruce - Dave - Adrian - Nicko the classic lineup, but we have the added bonus of Janick too now. He's played and continues to play too big a role to be discounted.
 
Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Nicko McBrain = the classic lineup. Since that lineup is currently intact, Janick is also currently part of the classic lineup. He's an added bonus.

Thus, the "classic lineup" has been together for 22 years and counting.
 
Both lineups have made music that is equally amazing and I could put mix any of the reunion albums right in with the 80's stuff and it would go great mixed in and vice versa. To me, it's all "classic".
 
To the general public and history books, the '83-88 lineup will always be seen as the classic lineup, but I think the post-reunion lineup is probably better overall. But that's just me. ;)
 
83-88 and 99-present are equally classic in my opinion. I love all eras of the band, and every album is important (whether viewed as good or bad by people, every album has had something pivotal in Maiden's history) but those 4 studio albums from 83-88 are for me the most crucial. Besides the incredible songs, sounds and performances, there is just something magical about all of them that can't be put into words. Having said all that, for me the reunion lineup is just as important. They did something bold by bringing back not just Bruce, but also Adrian and keeping Janick. Having 3 guitars has brought Maiden to a entirely greater level. And for me, Bruce's voice is just as enjoyable as it was in the 80's so often times I will rather listen to/watch live recordings from the reunion era over the classic era. As a 6 piece, they have accomplished so much. They have become more popular now then back in the 80's. They play places they never got to in the past, or rarely could thanks to the ever growing fan base and Ed Force One. They are not content to just rely on the same old songs like other bands do (some would argue that but if you compare them to other bands Maiden has a lot more varied setlists, tour themes, etc) or phone in creativity by releasing one or two ok/good albums. They have released 4 spectacular albums and The Book of Souls is sure to be another masterpiece. Recently I watched and read some interviews from 1999 where they stated their goal was essentially not just to rehash old glory but to push ahead and really make something special and it is such a nice feeling to see that they accomplished their mission. Now that Bruce is on his way to full recovery, I am sure we are all in for many special things to come in the band's future!
 
I think in terms of "classic" then one would consider the 80s line-up the zenith.
Mainly because it was when the band became hugely successful...
 
For me you can't beat the Live After Death line up, to this day that is my most watched VHS/DVD so nostalgia has the new line up beat but i like the 3 guitar wall of sound & they can do great stuff with harmony guitar lines that they couldn't do with a 2 guitar line up.
 
It's the lineup that's done the most albums, so I suppose yes.
Otherwise the most classic lineup in the true sense of the word would be the lineup on the first album...
 
Current line-up is the classic one. Twenty-first century Maiden is the best Maiden thanks to the combination of great new albums and album tours plus amazing history tours. They're more popular and beloved now than they ever were. This is classic Maiden.

If the 80s were their only glory days, sure the 83-88 line-up would be the classic one. But Maiden defied the odds and returned bigger and better than ever. These are the golden years of Maiden. It's pretty miraculous, really.
 
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