A lot of people complain about certain "classics" being overplayed by bands with vast catalogs, be it live or on the radio. As members of an Iron Maiden forum, we're probably all very familiar with this. But what songs do you still enjoy whenever they come on no matter how "overexposed" they may be?
For me it would be:
Rush - Tom Sawyer (or anything from Moving Pictures side 1); There's something about this track that still excites me as much as I did when I first heard it. It's not Rush's best song but it deserves the high praise and "classic" status. I love how the drums build in intensity over the course of the song until they explode in the legendary drum solo before the final chorus. The 7/4 bridge is also lots of fun and reminds us that Rush hasn't lost touch with their proggy side. Plus the way that song starts with the blast of synthesizer and that infectious drum beat. Great song.
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast, The Trooper; These songs really cement why Iron Maiden is my favorite band. From Bruce's stellar vocal performances to the incredibly tight performances from the twin guitar attack of Dave and Adrian, it's all here. The riffs and melodies of these songs are timeless and nothing here is dated. These songs could be written today and they'd still be awesome.
Judas Priest - Electric Eye; Maybe this one is a case of sentimental value, as Screaming For Vengeance was my first Priest album. Electric Eye was unlike anything I had heard before. It's surprisingly cinematic for being such a relatively straightforward song, but I think this has most to do with the production and the lyrics, which captivated me at a young age. Love this song.
Kiss - Strutter; There are a lot of Kiss songs that could fit this bill but I'm going to go with this one because it never fails to hold up for me. Every band member is doing something interesting here and the shortlived unity of this band really shows. Peter Criss' drum intro sets the tone perfectly and some of my favorite bass playing from Gene Simmons is on this track. Plus that unforgettable riff after the chorus. Simplicity at its best.
Cheap Trick - Surrender, I Want You To Want Me (Live); Cheap Trick had a unique brand of hard rock that blended the edge of Punk with the hooks and melodic nature of power pop in a way that no other bands that I can think of did. While neither of these songs are among my favorites from the band, I still have to turn up the radio whenever they come on.
For me it would be:
Rush - Tom Sawyer (or anything from Moving Pictures side 1); There's something about this track that still excites me as much as I did when I first heard it. It's not Rush's best song but it deserves the high praise and "classic" status. I love how the drums build in intensity over the course of the song until they explode in the legendary drum solo before the final chorus. The 7/4 bridge is also lots of fun and reminds us that Rush hasn't lost touch with their proggy side. Plus the way that song starts with the blast of synthesizer and that infectious drum beat. Great song.
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast, The Trooper; These songs really cement why Iron Maiden is my favorite band. From Bruce's stellar vocal performances to the incredibly tight performances from the twin guitar attack of Dave and Adrian, it's all here. The riffs and melodies of these songs are timeless and nothing here is dated. These songs could be written today and they'd still be awesome.
Judas Priest - Electric Eye; Maybe this one is a case of sentimental value, as Screaming For Vengeance was my first Priest album. Electric Eye was unlike anything I had heard before. It's surprisingly cinematic for being such a relatively straightforward song, but I think this has most to do with the production and the lyrics, which captivated me at a young age. Love this song.
Kiss - Strutter; There are a lot of Kiss songs that could fit this bill but I'm going to go with this one because it never fails to hold up for me. Every band member is doing something interesting here and the shortlived unity of this band really shows. Peter Criss' drum intro sets the tone perfectly and some of my favorite bass playing from Gene Simmons is on this track. Plus that unforgettable riff after the chorus. Simplicity at its best.
Cheap Trick - Surrender, I Want You To Want Me (Live); Cheap Trick had a unique brand of hard rock that blended the edge of Punk with the hooks and melodic nature of power pop in a way that no other bands that I can think of did. While neither of these songs are among my favorites from the band, I still have to turn up the radio whenever they come on.