The first album I bought was Seventh Son back in 1988. I was actually introduced to Maiden in 1983 when a neighbour used to have NOTB belting out of his stereo in the summer. I saw him walking around with his denim jacket with a huge NOTB badge on the back and thought he looked really cool.
A friend at school let me take his Live After Death double album on vinyl (God remember that) and I took it home and played it constantly for a week. For some reason though I then entered a wildnerness where I was listening to a lot of other stuff like Peter Gabriel, Queen, Wet Wet Wet (?!?!?) and it wasnt until I saw Top of the Pops one night and they were playing the Can I Play With Madness video. The song was Maiden's first offering since the Somewhere in Time offering and the UK public were really hungry for Maiden as it went straight in at number 3 or 5 I think.
It was a pivotal moment in my music listening life and I went out and bought Seventh Son as soon as it was released. I followed that up with LAD, NOTB and Killers.
17 years later and still going strong although I must admit I did feel a little past it this year at the Reading festival, right up the front bouncing up and down for over an hour.