First off, i'm going to say that i did not think of this list by myself, the podcaster Mike C. from the Maiden Fan Podcast gave me the idea after his latest podcast. The list will comprise of the top ten songs I want Maiden to play live. Some of these songs i know for sure that they will never play live, and some of them i will still hold on to the last bit of hope i have. I have seen Maiden twice now and i was lucky enough to see them on their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, where they played many songs that i thought that i would never see played live. On to the list.
10. Chains of Misery
This song might be a big surprise for some people, just because it's not a song that most would pick to see Maiden play live. It's not one of their best, but it just has a catchy quality that some Iron Maiden songs have, and Bruce Dickinson sings the living hell out of this song on the album. It's off the 1992 album Fear of the Dark. Which also happens to be the last Iron Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson until 2000's Brave New World
9. Tailgunner
Coming back to more late Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden albums. This is off their 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying. This song has a special place in my heart for Iron Maiden, because it happens to be my first favorite song by Iron Maiden. Now that's not saying much because my favorite Iron Maiden song revolves more than Connor Boyd's group of friends revolves with girlfriends(inside joke) It starts off with a thumping guitar, and it continues with the Air Raid Siren himself Bruce Dickinson singing the living hell out of the chorus'. The guitar solo's aren't half bad either.
8. Alexander the Great
This song being this low on the list might surprise the major fanatics of Iron Maiden. I put it here because I only really started listening to this song about 2 months ago. Every time i tried to listen to it before, the speech by Alexander's father threw me off and i would always skip it. After a few listens i realize why Maiden fans want them to play this song live so bad, it flat out kicks ass. But the reality is that the man of Iron Maiden Steve Harris(bassist) said that they would never play this song live, ever. The lyrics would be quite difficult to sing for Bruce Dickinson, so for all the Maiden fans holding out hope to hear this, it's a very grim chance that you'll hear it.
7. Virus
Now to some Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden. Blaze Bayley was the replacement singer for Iron Maiden when Bruce Dickinson left the band in 1993. The 1996 greatest Hits compilation called Best of the Beast was the only album to feature this song. Blaze Bayley really puts emotion into the song especially into the chorus of the song, which you really have to listen to to experience. The solo screams Iron Maiden, but sadly I don't think that Iron Maiden will ever play this song live unless Blaze rejoins the band, which is at a percentage of 0.
666. 22 Acacia Avenue
This is the fourth track off of the classic Maiden album Number of the Beast. Iron Maiden usually plays some songs off this album in their usual concerts. But the second song off of the Charlot the Harlot quadrilogy of songs(Charlot the Harlot, 22 Acacia Avenue, Hooks in You, and From Here to Eternity) they never seem to play, actually come to think of it, they don't play any of these songs anymore. Now that's what i wish, for them to play all 4 of them in a row, as a story. Now the latter two songs only mention her vaguely, but still that would be awesome. The song is sung quite well by Bruce, and it's one of Maiden's heavier songs.
5. Still Life
Off of 1983's classic Piece of Mind, this song starts the beginning of the 4 songs that most people don't recognize off of this album. I think of The Trooper and Die With Your Boots On when i think of this album, but after The Trooper comes this song, with the backwords opening of drummer Nicko McBrain criticizing the backwards words on other songs. After the slow beginning, it goes to classic Maiden with great dual harmonies and Bruce Dickinson singing like a madman. I just wish that Maiden would do what some metal bands are doing today, and just play all the songs off of one album, like Piece of Mind for example.
4. The Prisoner
Based off of the TV show of the same name, The Prisoner is off the 1982 album Number of the Beast, this song is hard and heavy right from when the drums kick in. It keeps kicking your ass all the way to the end of the track. I know that Iron Maiden has played this song live before, but it hasn't been in my lifetime and i would love to see them play this, it's just a magical song that Bruce sings like crazy, and the interlude into the solo will make you shit your pants from awesomeness.
3. Holy Smoke
Back to the 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying, this song is the second track and it follows the hard and heavy WW2 track of Tailgunner, with more classic Iron Maiden. This song is about TV avengelists, which are the priests that go on TV and try to get your money. It's about the crooked and unjust priests that take the money for their own pocket or do crazy stuff outside of TV that you wouldn't expect a priest to do. To get the full experience of the song, you have to watch the music video which is just hilarious. But this song i think would be perfect live, to replace Wrathchild(which is overplayed as hell in my opinion) on their setlists, it's only three and a half minutes long and it's a classic short and sweet Iron Maiden song.
2. Tie, The Clansman and Futureal
These two songs off the 1998 album Virtual XI(11) are, in my opinion, the most classic Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden songs. These two songs are very different, but they are both classic and i can't take them apart. The Clansman might be the most epic song i have ever heard. It's about the scottish clans fighting for their freedom, and is supposedly written about the movie Braveheart. The chorus of this song has to be experienced by every metal fan in the world. Futureal is a short but sweet song(Iron Maiden has a lot of these) and whether it's sung by Blaze or Bruce, they both sing the shit out of it. Both these songs should be in Iron Maiden's setlist everytime they go out on tour.
1. Stranger in a Strange Land
Now on to the final song of the list. This track off the 1986 album Somewhere in Time, is truly a masterpiece of Iron Maiden. The song, written by Adrian Smith(guitarist), is really the best song that Iron Maiden never plays. They've played it a few times, but it really should be apart of every setlist, the solo for this song is the best Iron Maiden solo they've ever written and performed. Bruce Dickinson once again puts everything he has into singing this song. Adrian Smith shreds the solo to pieces, please, PLEASE Iron Maiden play this song live. But sadly, Adrian Smith said that he would never play this song ever agian.
That's it for the list, hope you liked it.
UP THE IRONS
Bye bye
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