Per my latest rankings of December 2022:
17. Killers (1981) - The worst Maiden album bar none. It's also the only album that I don't in some way love. I like a handful of the songs, but it's also just stuffed with B-side fodder. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a contender for the Di'Anno era's best song, "Drifter" is straight up the worst Maiden song overall. And then you have a song like "Wrathchild" that sounds absolutely lifeless in its studio form. Birch's production isn't bad here, but the material is not yet suited for his more polished sound. This is still street metal, and frankly a lot of it could have been left out on the streets. D
16. The Final Frontier (2010) - The least consequential Maiden album of the 21st century, but we've stepped up big time from the lows of Killers. I do really like this album. A lot of the songs are strong - "The Final Frontier" is an underrated rocker, "Coming Home" is a killer ballad, "The Talisman" is flat-out amazing and Janick's to-date best contribution to the band. The only songs on here I'm not too fond of are "Mother of Mercy" and "The Man Who Would Be King", which just don't grip me much at all; beyond this my criticisms boil down to production (and occasionally arrangement) issues. The guitars sound great on this album, but Bruce's voice is so damn dry it takes off some of the edges of the material. I'd love to fully hear him soar SiT-style on something like "Isle of Avalon". But I still enjoy this one for what it is and it's a lot of fun to sing to. C
15. No Prayer for the Dying (1990) - The problem with this album is that while most of the material is good, none of it rises to the heights of Maiden crowning achievements. Instead we get a solid, consistent record that never steps outside of its comfort zone to attempt transcendence. It's good for what it is, but it's also the easiest Maiden record to forget about. C
14. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) - For many the pinnacle of Maiden's career; to me, the first step towards the band's '90s material. After the breadth of both Powerslave and Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son takes a bit of a step back and tries to reign itself in. It's one of Maiden's shortest records, and while these songs have a lot stitched together within them, it still comes across as not fully playing out the story that they're going for. Also has some radio friendly tracks which clash with the scope. But as a whole the material is still strong, although "Only the Good Die Young" is one of the band's worst album closers. C+
13. A Matter of Life and Death (2006) - Back-to-back with Seventh Son and another controversial low-placer, my issue with AMOLAD is that it's a bit too much all at once, which hurts in the long run as the middle tracks just don't hit the standard that Maiden are trying to set here. There's so much good happening in this album, "For the Greater Good of God" is amazing, "Different World" is a killer opener, "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" is heavy as shit, but a lot of the other 'highlights' here don't quite finish themselves out in the way that others seem to think. "Out of the Shadows" is fine but too repetitive with little in the way of making it worthwhile; "The Longest Day" has some of the best build-up in the whole discography and then becomes a bore. Frankly listening to bootlegs of the tour are more fun than the album itself - but at the same time I'm being a bit harsh. I do still love the bulk of the material, it's just not the be-all-end-all post-reunion Maiden album. It tries too hard sometimes. C+
12. Iron Maiden (1980) - The one that started them all! If it's a little spotty material-wise, it makes up for in search excitement. It's a young and hungry band just going for it in the studio. The raw production perfectly suits the material, and a killer track like "Phantom of the Opera", for many bands, comes just once in a lifetime. For Maiden it was just the first of many. B-
11. Virtual XI (1998) - Yes, it's flawed. There's no getting around that. And yet VXI has such an invitingly warm sound, almost mournful at times, that it's hard to say no to it when the pipers are calling. The guitar melodies between Janick and Dave are some of the best in the whole discography, and I really don't hate most of the repetition here. Of course "The Clansman" is awesome, but also album closer "Como Estais Amigos" is the band's most emotional tune. "The Educated Fool" is the only weak song here, and even it has its moments. Overhated. B
10. Dance of Death (2003) - A bit inconsistent, but like VXI it too has a very inviting tone to it. A lot of these tracks are just straight-up underrated. "Gates of Tomorrow" and "New Frontier" are excellent rockers; "No More Lies", "Face in the Sand", and "Journeyman" are awesome weighty balladish tracks; and of course the big epics are fantastic - "Dance of Death" and "Paschendale" both rank among the band's very best. Some of the other material is iffy, but there's a lot to dig into here, and it's always rewarding to come back to it. B
9. Fear of the Dark (1992) - The inconsistencies continue, but for me the best songs on the album are often the most maligned. Obviously "Fear of the Dark" and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" are both great, but "The Apparition" and "Weekend Warrior" are also great, great tracks to me. ("Judas Be My Guide" is the real MVP though.) The issues crop up more in places like "Childhood's End", and that stupid fucking bridge in "Fear Is the Key", marring an otherwise strong song. It's clear that the band were trying to be more creative after the rut that was No Prayer for the Dying... but not all of it worked out. An interesting snapshot from a band that doesn't quite know what it wants to do and is heading towards a schism. B
8. The Number of the Beast (1982) - Although not quite the band's best, it is an eternal classic. Maiden upped the ante here big time; Bruce's vocals are a god-send, turning the material into some of the best heavy metal you'll ever fucking hear. The guitars are fiery, Steve's direction is cinematic, and above all it's just super strong through and through. Some of it might get overplayed, but then songs like "Run to the Hills" or "Hallowed Be Thy Name" kind of deserve that, no? The album's sole issue seems to be that it doesn't exactly thrill me in the ways that it did when I was 15. And you know what? I think I'm okay with that. B
7. The X Factor (1995) - It's slipped a bit (a couple years back this was ranked at #2), but I still really dig The X Factor and its dark and brooding vibe. This is a band trying to figure itself out, but they're crafting some really tight material. Yeah there are flaws, but the good outweighs the bad here. For instance, the record starts with right off with brilliance. "Sign of the Cross" is a tremendous mammoth, and "Lord of the Flies" is among the band's best rockers. And then the deeper into it you go, the more intense things get - but it's always a rewarding journey from start to end, and has helped me at dark times in my life when I needed it most. Also Blaze is overhated. B+
6. Piece of Mind (1983) - With Nicko in the fold on the drumkit, Maiden seemed pretty much unstoppable. The first six songs on the album are sheer fire. "Where Eagles Dare" is an amazing opener, "The Trooper" and "Flight of Icarus" are great singles, and deeper cuts like "Die With Your Boots On" and "Still Life" are fantastic, the latter being one of my favorite tracks overall. The quintet loses their way in the last three songs, although "To Tame a Land" attempts "Hallowed"-esque excellence, but doesn't quite get there. That aside, the album's biggest issue is that I'd rather hear "Flight" and "Revelations" on Live After Death, which firmly showed how good this material truly is. Otherwise a strong album but not quite hitting that level that we were about to see come 1984. B+
5. Senjutsu (2021) - Frankly it feels crazy to rank this record so high up, and yet its consistency is its strongest factor and I just have not been able to get these songs out of my head since its release. Maiden allow themselves time here, with most of the record being comprised of slow-burners that wait till the end to hit you with the payoff. From the heavy opening title track through the final notes of "Hell on Earth", this is yet another example of how the greatest band in the world still fucking has it. And "The Parchment" is among the most definitive examples of why I love Iron Fucking Maiden. A-
4. The Book of Souls (2015) - As great as Senjutsu is, its direct predecessor makes the same grandiose statement and then some. Journeying through space and time, watching civilizations rise and fall, Maiden really sprung back to life after The Final Frontier and created what I think of as a modern Powerslave. Everyone was on fire here, as H focused in on killer rockers, Steve dabbled in the epic, and Bruce overshot Steve completely with an eight minute overture and then an eighteen minute coda. Everything about this record is joyous Iron Maiden magic, and it was both a perfect celebration in the wake of Bruce's cancer battle and the perfect set-up for one of the band's coolest tours. Magnificent. A
3. Somewhere in Time (1986) - Awash with reverb and '80s synth extravaganza, this is easily the most futuristic Iron Maiden production job, and still holds up as one of the best. Bruce has been ousted from the creative room but Steve and Adrian have come guns blazing with excellent material. The guitar on this album is fantastic and it probably has the highest ratio of excellent solos. From beginning to end it's a unique record that expands on Powerslave and heads into even wilder dimensions. A
2. Brave New World (2000) - Maiden returned to world domination with this fantastic comeback record. The whole feels energized despite them not changing all that much in the songwriting department. Finally it just seems like everything has come together with production, vocals, instruments - they aren't backing down, they're fighting on their terms, deal with it. The best 21st century Maiden album and yet just a sign of things to come. A+
1. Powerslave (1984) - As good as every Maiden record is, Powerslave just completely trumps them all. Every single song is perfect, every single song is straight fire. Maiden's most energized record by a sheer mile. The band's best guitar album - the riffs, the solos, my god. Bruce's most insane vocals! Nicko's drumming is so fucking good and Steve's bass is the cherry on top of (or underneath?) it all. And also it finishes out with "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", the best metal song ever. Releasing an album this good should be a crime - Maiden is the monopoly that other bands tremble before. And this is their finest hour. S
But, Bruce singing on some records doesn't mean these records are artistically more interesting than Blaze's ones. 