Jupz's Top 50!

Innocent Exile
Weekend Warrior
The Apparition
Hooks in You
Holy Smoke
26. Lord of Light
This song was a large grower for me, much like The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg, but it has grown to be a better song in my eyes. The intro sets a great mood and the main riff is awesome  :shred: Bruce does a great job vocally here with one of the best performances on the album, which is already swelling with great vocals. The lyrics are also great on this song, much like the rest of the album as well. This track is something different for Maiden, and it seems to be kind of a prelude to "Starblind" musically.

25. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
Into the top half of the countdown we go, with a pick I'm guessing will be pretty controversial.
Seeing this song live really gave me a great appreciation for it, though honestly it would be pretty high on my list already. It just works great live, especially with the intro playing over the speakers, then the band jumps on to start the riff.
The intro took a while to grow on me, but it was well worth it in the end. It creates a great sense of atmosphere. The second half just ROCKS! The riffing is awesome, the solo is incredible and Bruce sounds great. I was a bit wierded out the first time I listened to this song, but when the riff kicked in I knew it was gonna be a great album. The song tells a fun story aswell.

24. Caught Somewhere in Time
Finally, a pick I'm sure most people will agree with. This is one of Maiden's best album openers, and it couldn't have opened Somewhere in Time in a better way. The guitar tune at the start gives me a sense of the ethereal and fantasy. I love that feeling. The verses are awesome and Bruce's vocals when he belts out the "CAAAAUUUUGGHHHT SOOOMEWHEEEEERREE IN TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMEEEE" are some of my favourite Maiden vocal sections. The solos are fantastic aswell.
I would really love to see this one live one day, its one of my most wanted tunes to see live.


11. The Number of the Beast
This is where there is a huge gap in the album countdown, because I find The Number of the Beast far superior to Dance of Death. All the albums from here to #6 are pretty well even. Anyway, this one has some huge classics but is let down my some of Maiden's weakest songs (Invaders, Gangland). A few just above-average songs (Run to the Hills, 22 Acacia Avenue, Total Eclipse) land it at the bottom of this pile of albums.
 
Sat15 The Final Frontier is one of my least favorite Maiden songs. And remember to put empty spoilers.
 
Lord of Light is the discarded first draft of Starblind. It's got some interesting stuff, but doesn't grab — 122
I love the clean fist-pumping simplicity of TFF — 33
CSIT is a good track that I like less than most people seem to — 86
 
Lord of Light and Caught Somewhere in time would probably land somewhere around those spots for me as well, but Satellite 15... The Final Frontier is probably my least favorite from TFF. It would at least land in the 90s or higher for me. The Number of the Beast is in my top 3 maiden albums. A very interesting list Jupz, thanks for updating it so quickly. Keep up the good work  :ok: I look forward to reading the rest.
 
No problem, good to know you're interested :)
23. To Tame a Land
Piece of Mind has a lot of classics, and this is one of them. The song gives off a middle-eastern vibe, especially with the lyrics being about the desert. I can't really relate to the lyrics as I've never read "Dune", but it doesn't reduce my enjoyment of the song one bit. The guitar work in this song is exceptional, with many awesome leads and melodies. This is also one of Steve's best performances ever too, his bass is just phenomenal in this track, giving a sense of building up to something which is released by the guitars. Bruce puts in a good performance, and the instrumental second half is great.

22. Phantom of the Opera
I really don't know how this one ended up so low, as I love this track. Everything about it is really perfect - awesome guitar leads, and Paul's vocals which suit this track well in my opinion. This track is just a juggernaut, and I expect it to move up in my list fairly soon. It also has one of Maiden's best guitar solos in what is also one of their best instrumental sections (I might go as far to say second to Powerslave). I'm starting to feel now that I misplaced this one, and it should be higher on my list :p

21. Still Life
The last entry before we get into the top 20, here is another classic from Piece of Mind, although probably the least lauded out of the 6 classic tracks. Anyway, this song is short but I wouldn't really class it as a "rocker". It has an excellent flow and some of Maiden's best vocal melodies, pretty much throughout the whole song. The solo is awesome aswell. The melodies at the start are awesome, and the lyrics tell an interesting story. I was always fascinated by those pools in The Lord of the Rings. I can't really think of too much else to say about this track, so I'm gonna leave it there.





10. Virtual XI
This is a really solid and severely underrated album. I agree Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger and The Angel and the Gambler are blown out a bit, but everything else rules. Futureal is an awesome opener, The Clansman just rules and Lightning Strikes Twice, When Two Worlds Collide and Como Estai Amigos really complete the album.
 
Ah, one of my favorites from the 80s for sure! The favorite section is that progressive one: "The time, will come..." where Bruce builds up to epic "He has the power to make it all EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNND!!!", Oh, and a great solo after that!

#22 - Friggin' champion. 'nuff said.

Still Life is a solid track, but my 2nd least favorite from POM (that doesn't mean it's bad). Really great melodies, but I love To Tame A Land more...
 
To Tame a Land : 8th
Phantom of the Opera : 5th
Still Life : 17th

All 3 songs get a 10 rating from me now (Still Life is my lowest 10 song). But really, there's very little separating it from the 20 songs below it, my rankings are just jam packed that close together these days.
 
Into the top 20!

20. Mother Russia
This is an epic track from No Prayer for the Dying. This one echoes back to the previous albums title track, but surpasses it in my opinion. If this was about 9 minutes long with an extended instrumental section after this version finishes and then finishing off with another chorus it would probably be about #11 or #12. The melodies in this song are great, and the clean guitar bit with the choir in the background really enhances the epic feeling. The lyrics don't do too much for me but don't let the song down. The solo is awesome and Nicko's beat during that section is insane :edmetal: The ending is great too. Fantastic, underrated song.

19. The Clairvoyant
Another short but epic track, this one creates a feeling unlike any other song I've ever heard. The guitar lead at the start is one of my favourites ever, and Steve's work on this track is awesome. Bruce puts in a fantastic performance with both great vocal melodies and lyrics. Parts like "But for all her powers coudn't forsee her own demise" sound so powerful and emotional to me. This one is a great example of the "larger than life" feeling Maiden has on some of their songs :)
 
Jupz said:
Into the top 20!

19. The Clairvoyant
Another short but epic track, this one creates a feeling unlike any other song I've ever heard. The guitar lead at the start is one of my favourites ever, and Steve's work on this track is awesome. Bruce puts in a fantastic performance with both great vocal melodies and lyrics. Parts like "But for all her powers coudn't forsee her own demise" sound so powerful and emotional to me. This one is a great example of the "larger than life" feeling Maiden has on some of their songs :)
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Really glad to see Clairvoyant make your top 20. It's my top 3, probably tied with the Prisoner for Number 1 actually.
 
Mother Russia ahead of still life and To Tame a land?  Holy shnikies.  That blows my mind. Still Life to me is the top Maiden/Metal classic ever.  I feel like the album art for Piece [padded cell/straight jacket Eddy] could be single art for Still life.  It defines the band for me; seamless, powerful and flawless.  Still life is #1 on my list.  Nice love for the clairvoyant, a great under appreciated gem off SSoaSS.
 
bornless1 said:
Mother Russia ahead of still life and To Tame a land?  Holy shnikies.  That blows my mind. Still Life to me is the top Maiden/Metal classic ever.  I feel like the album art for Piece [padded cell/straight jacket Eddy] could be single art for Still life.  It defines the band for me; seamless, powerful and flawless.  Still life is #1 on my list.   Nice love for the clairvoyant, a great under appreciated gem off SSoaSS.
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Agree on Still Life as well, though not my #1 - definitely top 10 for me, though, and I agree that it defines the band. Took them to a new level on the POM album.
 
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