Is Iron Maiden the biggest metal band in the world right now?

You remind me of Stannis
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Talking about "hard rock" in general (more than about "metal"), your point would function well with the examples of Van Halen or Kiss, who are huge -but really HUGE- in the US only, and only "very popular" elsewhere.

Having said that, as Number 6 said, it doesn't change anything to our appreciation of these bands and of how "deserved" each band's success is, in terms of numbers.

Take a look at Deep Purple(very influential band on Maiden). Their historic success in USA compared to the rest of the world is quite similar to Iron Maiden's success. Deep Purple had a mass popularity in Europe(they are one of the biggest classic rock bands in Europe), but they were far from that popularity in America. Deep Purple has sold over 100 million records worldwide, but in the US they've sold under 10 million records.
 
Take a look at Deep Purple(very influential band on Maiden). Their historic success in USA compared to the rest of the world is quite similar to Iron Maiden's success. Deep Purple had a mass popularity in Europe(they are one of the biggest classic rock bands in Europe), but they were far from that popularity in America. Deep Purple has sold over 100 million records worldwide, but in the US they've sold under 10 million records.
Yes, but they were the biggest selling act in 1973 (right when Gillan left and Coverdale joined). However, the setlist to the DVD Perihellion (2002 I think) clearly underlines that they became a nostalgia act long ago in the US. Their popularity faded in the late 80s there.
 
Were Hermética bigger than Rata Blanca?

Rata Blanca rock!


Inside Argentina yes, they are more popular than Rata Blanca although it's difficult to know exactly because the band doesn't exist anymore and it is more than 20 years now.
But yes, inside Argentina Hermética is the most popular local metal band.
But Rata Blanca are bigger in Latin America as as a whole.
 
Anyways seeing how well the last two Maiden albums have sold in the US (they were the best chart positions of the band's history in that country) and the fact that they have been touring very succesfully and for large crowds in the last few years in the US makes me think that there has been some kind of reconciliation between the US and Iron Maiden but it just came in the wrong era to make a big difference in sales.

Yet still not so popular in the US as they are in the rest of the world but I think they've gained a lot of ground anyways.
The thing is that we are in an era in which albums sales are very low so they won't make a big difference in their total albums sales in the US by now. That's why probably Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne will continue ahead in albums sales in that country.

If this surge in popularity in the US had come in an era where bands still sold millions of records maybe it would boost up their numbers in the US. But it just happened in an era in which album sales are low.
 
Inside Argentina yes, they are more popular than Rata Blanca although it's difficult to know exactly because the band doesn't exist anymore and it is more than 20 years now.
But yes, inside Argentina Hermética is the most popular local metal band.
But Rata Blanca are bigger in Latin America as as a whole.

Thanks. I was under the impression that Rata Blanca were the biggest/most successful metal/hard rock band in Argentina. They definitely are/were huge in other parts of Latin America.
 
Ghost is well known, but do they even count as metal?
Exactly.
Globaly speaking Korn and Slipknot are indeed big (though I'm not a fan) but to say that they're bigger than Megadeth almost a decade anda a half after the nu metal fever has ended is quite a stretch.
Hell... In the case of Korn (who basicaly invented the whole genre) perhaps it's true. Slipknot... mmmmm... not so sure.
 
In the case of Korn (who basicaly invented the whole genre) perhaps it's true. Slipknot... mmmmm... not so sure.
Slipknot is heavier than much of what Korn has released. I'd argue that Korn is one of the least metal bands in the nu metal genre.
 
If we stretch this conversation to Hard Rock and center the whole thing in record sales and popularity the answer is Led Zeppelin by thousands of millions! (+ or - 300 Million records sold and who doesn't know Stairway to Heaven?)
 
Slipknot is heavier than much of what Korn has released. I'd argue that Korn is one of the least metal bands in the nu metal genre.
Whether x is heavier than y that's not what point. As you mentioned and correctly Korn is nu metal. And we're discussing what's the "biggest" metal band in the world. So, since they sold more records than Slipknot and are way more popular (not to mention that without Korn there wouldn't be any Slipknot... Korn invented the whole downtuned, dissonant, mourning/screaming vocals with a spurt of rap here and there that zillions of bands started to adopt in thesecond half of the 90's). I don't even like both bands the slightest but I think it's plain to see. But hey... have it your way.
 
My bad, I thought you were saying that Korn and Slipknot shouldn't be considered "metal" given the post you were quoting. At any rate, here in the States (certainly where I live) Slipknot is as big if not bigger than Korn. That's not gonna be the same everywhere, obviously, but Slipknot are definitely still one of the biggest "metal" bands out there.
 
I think Killpop is a 10/10 song, and there's no question that ain't metal.
 
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