British metal Gods, Iron Maiden, are one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of all time. A career spanning over four decades has seen them collect a mountain of awards and sealed their place in history as one of the most prolific and influential bands ever.
Formed on Christmas Day, 1975 by bassist, Steve Harris, Iron Maiden’s lineup has cycled through a revolving door of 11 players over the years. Perhaps this functional dysfunction is all part of the magic though, considering the band have released a total of 38 albums to date, it doesn’t appear that they’ve let the hiring and firing slow them up one bit!
I Like: Iron Maiden is a playlist packed full of hard-hitting sonic power, just as likely to inspire an alcohol-fueled air guitar challenge as it is to push you through that grueling hungover session at the gym the next morning.
Let’s check out the highlights...
Run To The Hills
The first single from the band's third studio album, The Number of the Beast (1982), “Run to the Hills” is arguably Iron Maiden’s most popular song, ranked at No. 14 on VH1’s list of Greatest Hard Rock Songs. Bassist and founding member, Steve Harris, is credited as the sole songwriter, but vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, is also recognised as a major contributor, despite the fact that he could not be officially credited at the time due to contractual agreements with his previous band, Sampson.
References to literature, cinema, and history are as much a feature of Iron Maiden's signature style as Harris’ ‘galloping’ rhythmic bass playing, both are prominently on display in this song. Lyrically, the track depicts the conflict between European settlers and Native American tribes during the days of colonization, representing both perspectives throughout the song. Peaking at No.3 on the UK Album Chart, “Run To The Hills” remains current, featuring on the soundtracks of several video games, including SSX on Tour (2005) Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned (2009) and Rock Band (2007), in which it received an 'impossible' difficulty rating.
Next on the highlight reel, “The Trooper”, released as the second single from the band's fourth studio album, Piece of Mind (1983).
The Trooper
One of Maiden’s few songs to attract much radio airplay in the US early in their career, it peaked at No. 28 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart, and No. 12 on the UK Singles Charts. Also written by Harris and steeped in history, the song is based on the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava 1854 and inspired by Lord Tennyson's poem of the same name. The track has been the subject of much praise since its release, described as, “an all-time genre classic…”
The single's music video stirred up controversy by including clips of a cavalry battle from the 1936 film, The Charge of the Light Brigade, that the BBC refused to play, deeming it too violent. Unimpressed, the band's manager, Rod Smallwood, was quoted venting that, "Anyone would think we'd killed the horses ourselves instead of using an old Errol Flynn movie."
2 Minutes To Midnight
Moving down the list, brings us the epic 5-minute single ironically titled, “2 Minutes to Midnight” from the band’s fifth studio album, Powerslave (1984). Written by vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, and guitarist, Adrian Smith, featuring Maiden’s signature galloping rhythm and melodic power-guitar riffs, the song hit No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
It was written in protest to the impending threat of nuclear war. The title, "2 Minutes to Midnight" references the Doomsday Clock, created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, to represent the world’s proximity to global catastrophe. In 1984 the clock reached its most critical reading since its initial creation in 1953, inspiring Dickinson to address, "the romance of war" - which is as topical now as it was then, with the clock still sitting at 2 minutes to midnight in 2018.
Iron Maiden are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, selling over 100 million records worldwide, and receiving 9 awards from 14 nominations at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. With no signs of slowing down as they blast their way through Europe on the Legacy of the Beast Tour, we pray to the God’s of metal that the all-out masters of power will hit our shores soon!
For more Iron Maiden, check out our article Which Eddie Reigns Supreme? ranking their iconic album covers.
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