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Is Iron Maiden the biggest metal band in the world right now?
- Thread starter Where Eagles Dare
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CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Is Bill Laswell mainstream?
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Yeh, because all those free-Jazz albums with Zorn are in everyone's collection...
Who was Zare even quoting anyway?
Who was Zare even quoting anyway?
Magnus
Pica Serdica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bova apparently
ManuelMaiden95
Trooper
Metallica is the biggest metal band in terms of sales and show attendances but if we counted only among metalheads then it would be much closer since Iron Maiden has a lot of fans inside the community whereas lots of Metallica fans are not metalheads.
However I would say that Metallica makes the big difference in the United States. They are much more popular in their home country than Iron Maiden and have sold millions of records there.
I'm not saying they're not bigger than Maiden in the rest of the world because they are, but nowhere else is the difference in popularity so huge as in the states.
For some odd reason Maiden never really caught up there, they never had a number 1 record in the US but they've been number one in Europe, Latin america and even Asia.
It never stops surprising me why Iron Maiden is so far behind in the US compared with the rest of the world.
For that reason I noticed that many people in the US think that Metallica is waaay bigger than Maiden and are surprised when they realize that the gap is not that big in other parts of the world.
For example in Argentina where I come from, Metallica is more popular as in most of the world but Maiden comes close, it is not a big difference. It is the same in most Latin America and many countries in Europe.
Why the big difference in the US is a mystery to me.
Maybe some fans from that country could clarify or tell us their opinion on why that happens.
However I would say that Metallica makes the big difference in the United States. They are much more popular in their home country than Iron Maiden and have sold millions of records there.
I'm not saying they're not bigger than Maiden in the rest of the world because they are, but nowhere else is the difference in popularity so huge as in the states.
For some odd reason Maiden never really caught up there, they never had a number 1 record in the US but they've been number one in Europe, Latin america and even Asia.
It never stops surprising me why Iron Maiden is so far behind in the US compared with the rest of the world.
For that reason I noticed that many people in the US think that Metallica is waaay bigger than Maiden and are surprised when they realize that the gap is not that big in other parts of the world.
For example in Argentina where I come from, Metallica is more popular as in most of the world but Maiden comes close, it is not a big difference. It is the same in most Latin America and many countries in Europe.
Why the big difference in the US is a mystery to me.
Maybe some fans from that country could clarify or tell us their opinion on why that happens.
AncientMariner_Essex
Ancient Mariner
I suspect the reason Metallica are bigger in the US than Maiden has a lot to do with being a US band. Americans seem to cling on to anything homegrown more than they do anything created outside of their country. Of course their are a few exceptions however everything from sport, to manufacturing to entertainment Americans as a whole will always prefer homegrown stuff more than anything from overseas.
ManuelMaiden95
Trooper
Yes, I suspect that is true.
However, it surprises me that for example Ozzy Osbourne or Judas Priest at least in the 80's have sold more records there than Iron Maiden.
That seems to be an exception from most of the world.
I mean, in Latin America Ozzy Osbourne cannot compare to Iron Maiden in record sales and show attendances.
Simply Iron Maiden is much bigger, however in the US Ozzy has sold more records.
The same with Judas Priest in the 80's. In most of the world Maiden was selling more records while in the US Judas was bigger.
Although in this case this has reverted and now Maiden is more popular in America than Priest, but it took many decades.
Even if it's true that Americans like mostly homegrown bands, it seems that Maiden really never clicked with the american public anyways.
I've always wondered why.
AncientMariner_Essex
Ancient Mariner
It doesn’t surprise me as to why Ozzy and Priest were more popular in the US than maiden. They tailored their sound to fit the US market. Same with Def Leppard. Maiden have always remained quintessentially british and kept that overall NWOBHM sound.
ManuelMaiden95
Trooper
Yeah, it's true.
I guess the US is just a world on its own and have a different mindset.
Once a guy told me that Iron Maiden was like football/soccer, it is big in most of the world but not in the US.
I guess it's an exaggeration because Maiden is pretty big in the states anyways, but it has its share of truth.
WildRanger
Nomad
I can't agree.
How then when it comes to classic rock, in the US non-American bands as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Pink Floyd are bigger than any their, domestic rock band?
WildRanger
Nomad
Deep Purple has always been a way bigger band in Europe than America.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I don’t know if that’s true when it comes to rock music, though. If I recall correctly, U2 and Coldplay has some of the highest ticket sales in the US last year. If anything, Metallica is bigger than Maiden in America because they have been played every hour on every rock radio station for the past 25 years.
WildRanger
Nomad
When it comes to Europe Rush could be called a POPULAR band only in Britain, there they are well known and have a very solid fanbase. They didn't crack most of Europe, but they cracked Britain due to their frequent touring in the 70s and 80's, while they've toured very little outside of Britain.
I could bet Rush is pretty much the unknown band in the most of mainland Europe.
WildRanger
Nomad
Yes, pretty much this you said. With Black Album Metallica has broken into an American mainstream, Maiden has never done it. In America if you're not commercial and in the mainstream you don't have a mass popularity. In Europe and the rest of the world the mainstream works differently than in America and it's not so relevant for popularity of certain music acts. And USA is a huge music market compared to any European country.
Iron Maiden gained their big fanbase in the USA due to their relentless tours since the 80's till these days. They are a popular band in the USA, but they don't have a mass popularity, Metallica has it.
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Deleted member 7164
Guest
Perfect Strangers was big in US as in Europe. But you're generally correct.
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Deleted member 7164
Guest
Maybe because US never had anything remotely in the league? For sure, nobody did. No country like UK in music. I mean Metallica is more akin to Maiden than Doors is to Pink Floyd. Metallica compares to Maiden and who can compare to Beatles, from US, from that era? They don't call it British Invasion for nothing...you've listed two from that movement, then you have AC/DC which is an exception to any rule, Zeppelin the short lived pioneers and about the last one...
Hey, if you like Pink Floyd, listen to XY they're like Floyd, but better.
Said no one ever.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Could the band name also be a key factor? Metallica has "Metal" right in the title, whereas "Iron Maiden" does not. Both are bands that are easily accessible and recommending to new metalheads, but Metallica seems to be the first choice for someone looking for them, and I think part of the reason might be because of the name itself.
Not true. Rush are huge in Germany.