Iron Maiden's management: What went wrong?

And here's something interesting. My friend is a statistics nerd, he's tracking the sales results in different countries, including the United States. I've attached the file with the results of his "Maiden albums investigation". And here you are, the real sales of IM albums in the US, including results from all labels that released their stuff throughout the years.

Less than 18,000,000 in the biggest market of the world the last 45 years. Where "over 100 million copies albums worldwide" that everyone is talking about comes from? Can you ask your friend how many albums thinks Iron Maiden sold overall?
 
Where "over 100 million copies albums worldwide" that everyone is talking about comes from?

Well to be fair, Maiden album sales have often been more than double in Europe alone when compared to U.S sales, so they absolutely have sold significant amounts worldwide; in that sense, 100 million copies, live albums and other shit included, is not that big of a stretch. Not sure if chartmasters.org is totally reliable on this matter, but various other sources seem to offer similar numbers.
 
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Not sure if chartmasters.org is totally reliable on this matter, but various other sources seem to offer similar numbers.

I remember this site, someone mentioned it in a sales thread or something a few ages ago.
I think it could be reliable, there's a good methodology but still we are at ~60 mil. Add everything else together, Lives, Videos etc., and that's another 40 mil.? Quite far fetched.

**FYR, now Wikipedia gives 130 mil. total sales for Maiden I didn't even considered it when I posted before, quite ridiculous how those numbers keep rising unchallenged.
 
Few things that need addressing

1) how are guns n roses not metal? Paradise city is about as heavy as anything maiden have done

2) are rammstein really bigger? I don’t think so in the UK

3) it seems odd to call a band that will play in stadiums this summer non mainstream
 
I remember this site, someone mentioned it in a sales thread or something a few ages ago.
I think it could be reliable, there's a good methodology but still we are at ~60 mil. Add everything else together, Lives, Videos etc., and that's another 40 mil.? Quite far fetched.

**FYR, now Wikipedia gives 130 mil. total sales for Maiden I didn't even considered it when I posted before, quite ridiculous how those numbers keep rising unchallenged.
The reliable sources around (excluding Wiki) state "well over 100 mln" - the industry sources, Warner Music/EMI/Parlophone - everywhere. You may not believe that, but I may tell you I don't believe the sales figures of any band. If the figure was the lie, reliable data and studies done by industry and producers (big labels anyway) would falsify the data sooner or later.
 
Few things that need addressing

1) how are guns n roses not metal? Paradise city is about as heavy as anything maiden have done

2) are rammstein really bigger? I don’t think so in the UK

3) it seems odd to call a band that will play in stadiums this summer non mainstream
So, you may say the same about KISS, Van Halen, Def Leppard and any other hard rock band (even ZZ Top). One or just some songs may sound a little harder/faster, but GENERALLY G'NR is more hard rock/rock and roll vibe than metal, which - apart from music, is dark, dangerous, and not familiar to casual listeners. The images and aesthetics are significant. On the other hand, Ghost looks like a metal band, but their music is GENERALLY hard rock/AOR with pop melodies and choruses. This is it.
 
"What went wrong?"
It all went down the drain the very minute they scrapped the behind-the-curtains idea for the Three Amigos to dance Irish jigs throughout the entire concert. According to some insider sources, the three guitarists were actually pretty damn good at it. In fact, they were about to put Riverdance to shame. And yes—while playing guitar. Even during solos.
Sources say Rod was over the moon with how the stage show looked, all that intense dancing and energy. But, as always, Steve had to be the innovation/mood killer. He got paranoid that sooner or later he’d have to join that fast-footed spectacle himself. Because, as we all know, the more rigid your upper body and the more insane your footwork, the better.
So yeah—Steve is definitely, unavoidably, the root of all evil here. I mean, Bruce and Adrian literally wrote The Evil That Men Do decades ago. Hello? That track is clearly about that control freak character. And the fact they credited Steve on it? Pure misdirection. They were trying to confuse the very source of evil itself.
Anyway, I hope this explanation—based on reliable insider sources, of course—sheds light on the whole thing once and for all.
Huh. I'm so pissed off right now. Maiden could’ve been so much bigger. All those foot fetishists would’ve been totally on board with us. A terrible, terrible loss. :mad:
 
I remember this site, someone mentioned it in a sales thread or something a few ages ago.
I think it could be reliable, there's a good methodology but still we are at ~60 mil. Add everything else together, Lives, Videos etc., and that's another 40 mil.? Quite far fetched.

**FYR, now Wikipedia gives 130 mil. total sales for Maiden I didn't even considered it when I posted before, quite ridiculous how those numbers keep rising unchallenged.
I dont know how can someone complain. Maybe now they are as big as the 80s or even bigger. And they are not comercial.
 
I dont know how can someone complain. Maybe now they are as big as the 80s or even bigger. And they are not comercial.
It's like...what's the solution here? Did Rod fail the band by not pushing them to derail from Steve's "sticking to his guns" mentality and go commercial? Release their own Black Album?

Had that been the case, we'd have threads proclaiming Rod failed the band by doing exactly that instead of letting Steve stay true to his vision of the band.
 
It's like...what's the solution here? Did Rod fail the band by not pushing them to derail from Steve's "sticking to his guns" mentality and go commercial? Release their own Black Album?

Had that been the case, we'd have threads proclaiming Rod failed the band by doing exactly that instead of letting Steve stay true to his vision of the band.
The x factor is our black album. And that is a good representation of what they think. A dark depressive and weird album with a new almost unknown singer.
 
Maybe they don't need to be "more successful" than they are?
Maybe they don't define "success" purely in terms of numbers of units shifted?
Maybe the price of "more success" would have been unacceptable compromises of their own values?
Maybe what Rod actually did was to shield them from the pressure to be more "everyone else" and less authentically themselves: thus creating an envirnoment where Steve and co could thrive, achieving whatever success they might rightfully earn on their own terms?

Just a few thoughts ...
 
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Maybe they don't need to be "more successful" than they are?
Maybe they don't define "success" purely in terms of numbers of units shifted?
Maybe the price of "more success" would have been unacceptable compromises of their own values?
Maybe what Rod actually did was to shield them from the pressure to be more "everyone else" and less authentically themselves: thus creating an envirnoment where Steve and co could thrive, achiving whatever success they might rightfully earn on their own terms?

Just a few thoughts ...
I cant remember the words bruce said about what MTV think about them in the 90s. Something about old ugly and with grassy hairs are not what they want. But like bruce says that kind of things
 
The next level for them is Metallica, but maybe "the price of 'more success' would have been unacceptable compromises of their values"? If they wanted to be more and more acceptable to casual listeners, they would change the band's approach a lot. Image, lyrics, sound, just the name of the band could be one thing that stays as usual. They are not pretty boys with ballads and beach-themed rock 'n' roll for the masses. Maiden is Maiden and that's it! And remember, the more popular among casual listeners are artists, more people decide about the next moves in their careers, so finally, they transform into a media-oriented marketing product, completely unauthentic. Every rose has its thorn.
 
100% agreed here. These guys could be as big as Metallica if they had a more creative manager in touch with the changing popular music landscape.

Those late 80s albums, as great as they are, would have been the time for them to go in even further on synths and really work towards a hit (Wasted Years was a step in the right direction). Instead, they doubled back on that sound and tried to sound more "street" and "rock" on NPFTD and FOTD. Then the 90s were the perfect opportunity for them to embrace a darker, more aggressive sound - instead they went sad and proggy.

With a proper management team behind them they could have really increased popularity in the 90s. That would, unfortunately, probably mean we wouldn't have gotten the reunion with Bruce, but just think of the possibilities!
 
I cant remember the words bruce said about what MTV think about them in the 90s. Something about old ugly and with grassy hairs are not what they want. But like bruce says that kind of things
I will quote me. Maybe some of the old members remember this. I used google translator. He said something like

"some old men in thongs and with greasy hair is the opposite of what they understand by music"
 
Omg, the PUZZLES are finally starting to fall into place! Remember what the upcoming Maiden tour is called? Run for Your Lives? Yeah, you wish. The band’s clearly throwing some shade at their own failed management.

Because in reality, the tour’s true name is this:
ROD FUMBLED YOUR LEGACY TOUR.

I guess all those wild speculations about mismanagement... might’ve been spot on after all.
 
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