The Ultimate Overplayed Iron Maiden Songs List

matic22

matic22

Ancient Mariner
Since we usually rant about that problem, I decided to make a new thread in where every user can vote for 3 (in his opinion ) most overplayed songs. We all know there is a thin line between a live staple and an overplayed song. So this thread is there to determine that.

Remember, The Book Of Souls Tour (2016 and 2017 legs) can not be discussed here. You might know what's in the setlist and you can make your choices upon that, but please do not give hints or speak about it without the spoilers (The Ban-Hammer might fall on you).

I will try to regulary watch this thread and when enough votes are in we might get an ultimate overplayed songs list.

So, what songs do not deserve to be played as often as they were in the last, let's say 18 years?
Here are mine:

3. Wrathchild
There are so many better songs than it.

2. Two Minutes To Midnight
There are other tracks on Powerslave.

1. Fear Of The Dark
Only exclusion: The Early Days Tour, that says it all.

So, please vote for your 3.


NO TBOS TOUR SETLIST DISCUSSION!
 
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I think I will never get tired of 2 Minutes to Midnight or The Evil that Men Do.

My choices of songs that, in my humble opinion, have been played too often since the reunion:

3. Wrathchild
Only exclusions: Give me Ed tour...'Til I'm Dead (2003), A Matter of Life and Death tour (2006), Somewhere Back in Time tour (2008), Maiden England tour (2012, 2013)

It has not been played as often as some other material, but the fact that it is sometimes used to replace a more interesting song makes it join my top 3! :lol:

2. The Trooper
Only exclusions: A Matter of Life and Death tour (2006), The Final Frontier Tour (2010)

1. Fear of the Dark
Only exclusion: The Early Days Tour (2005)

I could have replaced The Trooper with The Number of the Beast (only exclusion: A Matter of Life and Death tour (2006)).
 
I don't care how often they play The Trooper, it's always an awesome experience of any live show.

I also can't quite call The Evil That Men Do overplayed, as I still quite enjoy the song, and it doesn't hurt that I've only seen it live one time. ( It was also excluded from the 2010 leg of the Final Frontier tour.)

I'll go with:

3) Wrathchild - It's not as bad as many people around here make it out to be, but it always feels like kind of a lazy decision by the band when it gets played in place of something much more interesting.

2) Fear of The Dark - Cool song to experience live for the first time, but this song is the definition of overplayed.

1) The Number of The Beast - One of the classics that never did anything for me. I would actually much prefer hearing Run to the Hills in its place.
 
It's important to distinguish the great songs that happen to be overplayed (e.g. Hallowed, FOTD, Trooper) and songs that do not possess the quality that justifies being played so often. I don't think the former is a big deal, but the latter definitely is.

Wrathchild, Sanctuary and Running Free are great examples. If you want to play something from the Di'Anno era, there are way better choices.
 
The Flash said:
It's important to distinguish the great songs that happen to be overplayed (e.g. Hallowed, FOTD, Trooper) and songs that do not possess the quality that justifies being played so often. I don't think the former is a big deal, but the latter definitely is.

Wrathchild, Sanctuary and Running Free are great examples. If you want to play something from the Di'Anno era, there are way better choices.
Click to expand...
Well, that's why I made this thread :D . For me, for example FOTD is a live staple, but crosses the line of being overplayed. I've seen Maiden 7 times now, and the last 3 it was kinda dull seing it again. I mean the atmosphere is amazing and all, but still... They could at least exclude it from one leog of SBIT and ME tours.

P. S. Switching my vote from TETMD to Wrathchild. Forgot about it.
 
I love seeing Fear of the Dark live. Here's my list...

- The Trooper
- Run to the Hills
- Number of the Beast
- Wrathchild
- Running Free
 
Ok,

Wrathchild - The problem here is not so much the frequency, as the fact that it usually replaces something more interesting in the set (BTATS in 2010, Clairvoyant in 2014)

Running Free - Same formula as Sanctuary, but nowhere near as memorable

Run to the Hills - Decent singalong, but has appeared on recent setlists without much reason (Maiden England, BNW, DoD)
 
Without overanalysing: Trooper, RttH, TNotB. Granted, FotD can qualify as overplayed, but I'm more forgiving when it comes to this one. I guess that's because it's not as one-note as the other songs I mentioned. Same for Hallowed. If I could add a fourth track, I would probably pick Running Free. I'm not a fan of this song and it has grown to become an uninspired choice for a closer. But it's just a closer. Trooper, RttH and TNotB could make space for some interesting choices anywhere in the setlist. I'm pretty much sick of Wrathchild too, but at least it's short.
 
Iron Maiden. The Number Of The Beast. Sanctuary.

Great song but there are so many better ones, one of rare songs they can't perform as well as they did when they were younger and a song that's really not good enough to be played so often, respectively.
 
RTTH, Hallowed, NOTB

These songs are played constantly and they don't sound good live anymore.
 
Iron Maiden (song)
Iron Maiden (song)
Iron Maiden (song)

I really don't care about tradition. The song just isn't special in comparison to most in the catalogue. Soooooo plaaaayed.
 
IRON MAIDEN
Run to The Hills
The Number of the Beast

I'd be absolutely fine with never hearing any of these again live. Surely they can find another song to have Janick fight with Eddie.
 
Run to Hills
Iron Maiden
Fear of the Dark

All of these are very overplayed. I realize the special magic FOTD still creates but I have seen it very, very often and do not mind if it makes room for something else. Also: the fast part is played too slow. Sounds tired for people who have witnessed it at more energetic pace.

I also realize the iconic position of Iron Maiden (song), but: see FOTD, and I think I would survive a gig if Maiden tried out something else. Run to the Hills: still nice, but not as interesting as all others.
 
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matic22 said:
let's say 18 years?
Click to expand...
The time frame is interesting to focus on. What you are aiming at is "since this line up".

From all songs mentioned, I'd like to put more focus on the frequency of three songs:
TOUR SETLIST SPOILERS
Running Free was played in 2005 and between 2010 and 2013.
The Early Days Tour (2005)
The Final Frontier World Tour (2010)
The Final Frontier World Tour (2011)
Maiden England Tour (2012 & 2013) (not 2014!)
So it was not played between 1999 and 2004, not played between 2006 and 2009 and also not played from 2014 and onwards. That's not that overplayed.

Sanctuary
Brave New World Tour (2000-2001; not in 2002!)
The Early Days Tour (2005)
Somewhere Back In Time Tour (2009) (not 2008!)
Maiden England Tour (2014) (not 2012 & 2013!)
Not played in 1999, not played between 2002 and 2004, not played between 2006 and 2008, not played between 2010 and 2013 and also not played from 2015 and onwards.

In this whole current line-up era (1999-now) Wrathchild was overplayed, but not so much in the last seven years:
The Final Frontier World Tour (2011) ==> not played!
Maiden England Tour (2012 & 2013) ==> not played!
Maiden England Tour (2014) ==> 10 gigs only!
The Book of Souls World Tour (2016) ===> not played
The Book of Souls World Tour (2017) ===> Iiiiiit's back
 
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Sanctuary & Running Free - just weak songs that should have been dropped forever at Killers tour already
Fear of the Dark - Foro is right, it sounds old and tired today

On the other hand, I could never tire of TNotB, Trooper or 2MtM, and then there's that special excitement when first bars of IM are being played :wub:
 
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