Maybe not quite, but Maiden has closed the ticket sale gap with Metallica really well, I guess in most places except USA. Some markets Maiden may be neck and neck or even better.
OK, but Iron Maiden are playing more concerts (generally), and you must realize Metallica doubled the shows with 80% the same people in the audience both nights! This could be called a monopolization strategy in the concert markets (money-grabbing anyway). The final results are fewer shows, more big venues, and more people, just because of their strategy to sell two shows at the same stadium(s) to the same people and even give them "free CDs".
What’s the point of countless setlists? Lists of favorite bands and their albums? Who’s bigger (on a monetary scale) is just another list — that’s how I see it.
They didn't do like Metallica - mainstream stuff for casual radio-friendly listeners and a commercial (musical) approach. Maiden is Maiden, they have always been on their own way. If Metallica didn't do something like Black Album, Load, Reload, and more full of ballads and radio-friendly rockers they would never have been as big as they are. Generally, I'm not a fan of "metal for everyone", I'm old school and just appreciate this kind of approach.
Among the casual listeners who repurchased them in the days of some ballads and hits for radio-friendly mainstream society. They are a trendy metal band for people who really don't like metal. Maybe "Fear of the Dark" album is not so heavy-sounding but way more metallic and sharper in my ears, but remember - it's definitely not the best Maiden album, just compare Metallica efforts from '90s to the other releases from an era from classic metal bands: Judas Priest, Pantera, Slayer even a few Megadeth albums - Metallica started to sound and look as pop band for "everyone". And finally - this thread is not about Metallica's career as I recon... End of the topic!
Metallica is bigger because people liked more. Maiden is better live than metallica.
