Iron Maiden's worst song (AKA the Head to Head results thread)

Iron Maiden is one of the only bands where their reunion material is on par with their classic material. I honestly don't know which I prefer. I'll find out soon enough, as I'm ranking all the songs now.

The Flash said:
This conversation inspired me to come up with a full Maiden list and I've completed it a couple of hours ago. Revelations is 65th, Aces High is 67th while Caught Somewhere in Time is placed at 18.

Revelations is too repetitive. The main riff is nothing special (like you've said) and it gets repeated a lot. Lyrics and vocals are the things that keeps it in my Top 70 if its lyrics and vocals weren't as good, I doubt it would even be in my Top 100.
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You don't seem to put as much importance on vocals as I do. Bruce's vocals on CSIT almost single-handedly ruined the song for me, and Bruce's vocals were enough for me that at one time, this was a top 2 song for me.

I hear you about repetition, but here's the difference: the riff is more thematic. Like, you don't hear the exact same riff over and over again. There's variation of it, and there's stuff piled on top of it, and the riff just expands and expands. It's just a recurring theme.

And aside from the riff, what about it is repetitive?
 
LooseCannon said:
I think a lot of members of this forum are younger fans who came in during the 2000s, such as myself, and that means we look at the overall catalogue at once. Personally? I put Starblind and Paschendale ahead of all "classic" Iron Maiden songs, with the exception of Powerslave. Why? They're mature and epic. Starblind and Paschendale also speak to me on a very, very personal level, something few "classic" Maiden songs do.
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Yes i think that too,as i said before is weird for me to read Fear of the dark is the worst album or Xfactor is his best album ( wtf?).But as you say,many of you are fans from 2000s ( and you are as good fans as me,and viceversa) ,just curious how some albums or songs has changed his effect with the years.And curiuos how people put paschendale in the top 10,but its that all,curious and weird( for me)
 
The Flash said:
Revelations is too repetitive. The main riff is nothing special (like you've said) and it gets repeated a lot. Lyrics and vocals are the things that keeps it in my Top 70 if its lyrics and vocals weren't as good, I doubt it would even be in my Top 100.
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I agree very much. The theme even repeats itself during the solo parts. So many other songs have more melodic variation. More to digest from. Perhaps not lyrically, but certainly musically.

When I compare my own Top 50 (without That Girl because it was not featured here) with this one I see the following:

My Top 50 / Also in MF’s Top 50
01. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 1
03. Infinite Dreams 7
04. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 9
05. Powerslave 2
08. The Trooper 33
12. Alexander the Great 17
13. Caught Somewhere in Time 6
15. Afraid to Shoot Strangers 23
18. Brave New World 20
19. The Evil That Men Do 10
20. To Tame a Land 24
21. Transylvania 48
22. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 26
23. The Clairvoyant 35
24. Hallowed Be Thy Name 3
25. Dance of Death 11
26. Ghost of the Navigator 29
29. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns 18
30. Paschendale 4
32. Aces High 13
33. Isle of Avalon 36
36. 22 Acacia Avenue 47
38. Phantom of the Opera 5
39. Wasted Years 15
40. Starblind 19
46. Remember Tomorrow 34
49. Sign of the Cross 14

Naturally I am very satisfied with the no. 1 spot. I am not very excited about some of the differences between these Top 50s, though I must confess my surprise about The Trooper's place. 33 is low for such an incredibly catchy and aggressive song with such pounding bass lines, guitar riffs and solos. Also: this song features one of Bruce's better performances. It might be often in the setlist, but so is Hallowed. This song is much better than Run to the Hills, Iron Maiden, and imo also stronger than 2 Minutes, NOTB and Fear of the Dark. So being overplayed is something, but when the song is damned good, it's a less big issue.
BTW: some of my choices in my top 50 are controversial (or against popular opinion) and if people want to know why I made some of these choices they can see my top 50 here.

And now for something completely different:

My Top 50 / not in MF’s Top 50

02. Sea of Madness 65
06. Deja-Vu 58
07. The Unbeliever 111
09. The Duellists 70
10. Genghis Khan 64
11. Only the Good Die Young 52
14. Mother Russia 74
16. Prowler 55
17. Blood on the World's Hands 95
27. Virus 86
28. Run Silent Run Deep 72
31. The Fugitive 135
34. Fates Warning 103
35. Judgement of Heaven 115
37. Purgatory 68
41. Public Enema Number One 90
42. Lord of Light 89
43. Lightning Strikes Twice 108
44. Die With Your Boots On 54
45. Flight of Icarus 51
48. Childhood's End 92
50. Fortunes of War 109

What can I say: I find many songs from the nineties very underrated on this forum. Yes, some people may not like Bruce and Blaze's voices that much in the nineties, but for the rest these songs have lots to offer. I do not have the impression that people see this. I feel that many members are overfocused on the recent material and on the eighties instead.

And that's why we get a very unbalanced result. Lots of eighties and Three Amigoes songs at the top; hardly nineties material and also the Di'Anno albums are quite invisible. They deserve more credit.

To end positive again: Alexander beat Starblind!
 
That's 'cause AtG is better than Starblind! :D

I like quite a lot of stuff in your Top 50, which didn't make the MF Top 50 --& would agree most of it is underappreciated. Looking at most of them, they're all interesting & musically really decent tunes. There's a few late 90's tracks I don't agree with you on, but I certainly see why you like them. I mean, seriously, The Fugitive #135?! That's ridiculous. The old "played live" phenomenon has a lot to answer for.
 
LooseCannon said:
I think a lot of members of this forum are younger fans who came in during the 2000s, such as myself, and that means we look at the overall catalogue at once.
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I think that is very true. Most of the people voting in the head-to-head fit that profile. Not many had bought NOTB when it was new.
There were a lot of opinions I was surprised to read when I first started coming to this forum, things that just didn't fit with my preconceptions based on my experience in my peer group.
So I understand completely where Dickinson1978 is coming from. As in most areas of life, it was pretty refreshing to see so many new perspectives.
@ Foro — think I had 30 of my top 50 in the forum's top 50, a couple more than you.
@Flash — when are you going to reveal your rankings?
 
mckindog said:
I think that is very true. Most of the people voting in the head-to-head fit that profile. Not many had bought NOTB when it was new.
There were a lot of opinions I was surprised to read when I first started coming to this forum, things that just didn't fit with my preconceptions based on my experience in my peer group.
So I understand completely where Dickinson1978 is coming from. As in most areas of life, it was pretty refreshing to see so many new perspectives.
@ Foro — think I had 30 of my top 50 in the forum's top 50, a couple more than you.
@Flash — when are you going to reveal your rankings?
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Thank god someone belives in me! LOL
 
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