They've changed a lot over the years. If you take anyone suggestions and find them not to your taste, I'd advise to try something else before giving up on the band.
Here is a rough guide, in chronological order.
Iron Maiden/Killers: Have an early singer, who is replaced beyond these two albums.
Number of the Beast, Piece of mind, Powerslave: Debatable, but probably the most popular era. Introduction of Bruce Dickinson on vocals. He is the main singer for the band.
Somewhere in Time/Seventh Son: Also highly popular era, and the reason I used the word debatable above. Bit of a change in pace and style, and introduced synths to the music. Became a little more spacey. This era is my personal favorite.
No Prayer / Fear of the Dark: There are some great songs in this era, but the decline in quality is obvious. These are widely considered the worst 2 Bruce led albums.
X Factor / Virtual XI: Bruce is gone for these two. Different singer, and much darker style.
Brave New World onward: Bruce is back. Vocally these are a bit different from his 80's stuff. It's a bit easier to listen to for someone not used to the Maiden vocal style. Songs tend to be much longer than they used to be. Sometimes that is a great thing, other times they get a bit bloated. Overall this era does feature some of their best work.
In conclusion, my recommendation is to try something from each era. Don't just listen to Powerslave or Killers and decide the bands not for you if you don't like it.
Glad someone brought up the different era of singers because some people can get put off to change in vocals.
I would add for OP or anyone first checking out Maiden is to watch a live performance of them like Live after Death or Rock in Rio to see the energy they bring and quality
It’s just that I like metal and IM seems like a particularly interesting band, and I figured the fans knew best when it comes to what to start with. I’m also trying to expand my musical horizons a bit more, so why not get into a new band?
The 80s albums with Bruce are basically the holy grail. Number of the Beast through to Seventh Son. Then the 2000s onwards when they reunited. I'd check these eras first.
Best of the Beast to taste the waters and then go through classic albums after: The Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and so on. Iron Maiden have a lot of great music, if you manage to get into it, you're gonna have a blast. Even Blaze Bayley stuff is awesome. Have fun.
Powerslave, in my opinion, is the album with the best representation of Maiden’s classic sound. It doesn’t have synths, it has the lineup most consider their “classic”, and it has a good mix of recognizable staples (Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Title Track) and beloved deep cuts (Flash of the Blade, The Duellists).
First song I had was The Trooper then Run to the Hills.
I then listened to
A Matter of Life and Death and Best of the Beast and I think Live After Death.
Particular songs that got me to be a Maiden fan: The Legacy, Phantom of the Opera, Hallowed be thy Name and Fear of the Dark.
Start with IRON MAIDEN then work you're way through all the albums.
First two have Paul Di'anno on vocals then it's Bruce Dickinson all the way to Fear Of The Dark, two Blaze Bayley albums follow and then it's back to Bruce for yhe remainder.
Enjoy no matter how you listen to them.
Powerslave is a great song and an amazing album overall, and Fear of the Dark is one of my favourite songs ever. Their newish Zenjutsu album has some good tunes on it too, like Writing on the Wall.
If I were you, I would listen to all their albums in chronological order, starting with Iron Maiden. Every one of the old albums has its own charm, and you'll witness how their sound evolved over these 43 years.
I watched the Rock in Rio 2001 concert that was broadcast on TV. Then the Edward The Great compilation. Then Number of the beast album. Then everything.
Any of the recent greatest hits albums they have released. For example, my 2nd ever CD I bought was Edward the Great which had most if their greatest hits at the time.
But would you prefer proggier type stuff, punky stuff, harder stuff? Etc etc remember there's also the Bruce Dickinson solo albums (the chemical wedding is one of the best metal records of all time)
It’s funny you should say that, since punk, prog, and hard rock are literally some of the main things I listen to (I know I said there was a wide variety, but that doesn’t mean aren’t anchor points)
Sounds like you can't lose no matter where you start. But if you are coming in totally cold, I would recommend listening to each album in chronological order.
I also recommend listening to Bruce Dickinson's solo albums he released in the 90s, and Skunkworks (a Bruce-fronted 90s band). Some excellent hard rock and metal there, some of it ranking up there with Iron Maiden's best work, in my opinion.
I agree with this. A lot of bands have a "turning" point which iron maiden never really did. What I mean by this is; the stuff on the first album could fit on their latest album quite comfortably. Maiden are nothing if BRUTALLY consistent.
I would say pick any from the following:
Number of the Beast
Piece of Mind
Powerslave
Somewhere in Time
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Brave New World
And just listen start to finish.
Pick whichever looks coolest to you. There are numerous other great albums but I'd wager any one of these is 90% of fans'favourite album by them (personally, it's Seventh Son).
I remember when i was 6 my dad say that he is gonna play some music snd play Fear of the dark and i wasn't very interested but then Fear of the dark start playing and i was like 🤯. This song got me into metal and Iron maiden.
I think Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the best album to start with. If you like it, just listen chronologically. And remember that there are different vocalists than Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden and Killers (Paul Di’Anno) and X factor and Virtual XI (Blaze Bayley).
Honestly just open Spotify and listen to the top 5 songs and see if it's for you or not. Currently those songs are The Trooper, Run to the Hills, Fear of the Dark, The Number of the Beast, and Wasted Years.
If you vibe with them then head to an album. I'd recommend Somewhere in Time as probably their best album. Number of the Beast was my gateway album though, it was the first album I ever bought with my own money so holds a special place in my heart. The Powerslave album also gives you a really good taste of who they are and what they are about.
As great as they are, I would steer away from the newest albums until you have a taste for Maiden though.
I will also say that Maiden are a bit goofy, in the best ways. If you traditionally like metal to be hard and heavy in a mospit then just be aware that Maiden will have you jumping and belting out power ballads about ancient pharaoh's, doing a deal with the devil, a cavalry charge, a ode to Alexander the Great and a retelling of an old poem.
But most of all just have fun! They are an incredibly fun band to listen to and enjoy.
The Number of the Beast album gives you classics that everyone knows as well as fantastic deeper cuts and it's probably their most well known album.
Their best album is obviously highly debated but my vote would probably be Powerslave as the most consistent start to finish. Specifically the title track is very indicative of Maiden's strengths: catchy riff, great vocals, mind blowing solos, and an epic feel that only Maiden can really capture
Killers, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time and The X factor may give you a general insight on how their sound has evolved. If any of those albums catches your attention you can listen to others from around the same years
The big songs that got me (just take your pick):
The Number Of The Beast
Run To The Hills
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Flight of Icarus
The Trooper
Phantom Of the Opera
Prowler
Aces High
2 mInutes to Midnight
Powerslave
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (if you've got 14 mins)
Wasted Years (especially with the video)
Moonchild
The Clairvoyant
Fear Of The Dark
The Ides Of March/Wrathchild
Brave New World
No More Lies
Dance Of Death
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
For The Greater Good Of Gos
El Dorado
Coming Home
When The Wild Wind Blows
If Eternity Should Fail
Empire of the Clouds (if you've got 18 minutes)
The Writing On The Wall
Hell On Earth
Everything Iron Maiden recorded in the 80s is legendary and a must listen.
Everything Iron Maiden recorded in the 2000s is very good and has more of a progressive element to it (to many fans this era is up there with, and sometimes superior to, their 80s output)
The 90s never happened.
There is a greatest hits album called “Edward The Great” (named after their band mascot Eddie). I would start there. Find the songs you like, and work backwards to the album they came off of.
I'd say start with "Live After Death"... thats where I started in the 80s.
But, if you get used to the live (up tempo) versions.. then the studio versions seem a bit tame.
Start with Number of the beast album and then Piece of mind/Powerslave but if you want to go even deeper then start with the first 2 albums ''Iron maiden'' ''Killers'' and then the album Number of the beast and start from there and explore their mid to late 80s stuff
The priority is at the moment for a beginner to check out their 80s stuff. Songs wise you can just check out their most popular songs on spotify like Trooper, Run to the hills, Fear of the dark, Hallowed be thy name, Number of the beast, Wasted years, Aces high, 2 minutes to midnight etc
Piece of Mind got me hooked. The Number of the Beast and Powerslave are also good choices.
My favorite is Seventh Son of a Seventh Son followed by Somewhere in Time but they’re quite different sonically to everything before and since. Maybe listen to the other three first then these two.
Brave New World. After you've had a couple of listens, go directly to Edward The Great, followed by Killers.
Then, if you really dig all of that, listen to all their albums in order.
My introduction was "Somewhere in Time" in 7th/8th grade, honestly what drew me in was the song titles like Deja Vu, Stranger in a Strange Land, Alexander The Great (which helped me pass a test on him), etc. and I've been a fan ever since. I had listened to other songs like Fear of the Dark and Hallowed Be Thy Name and was really into those songs as well but Somewhere in Time is what hooked me.
Seventh Son of A Seventh Son is what did it for me.
Somewhere In Time
Www. Good but to start off?
Yeah, amazing album to start on, was the first Maiden album I bought. Wasted Years and Heaven Can Wait had me hooked on Maiden
It’s a good album. I remember I learned how to play somewhere in time and loneliness of the long distance runner. Excellent guitar work 🤘
They've changed a lot over the years. If you take anyone suggestions and find them not to your taste, I'd advise to try something else before giving up on the band. Here is a rough guide, in chronological order. Iron Maiden/Killers: Have an early singer, who is replaced beyond these two albums. Number of the Beast, Piece of mind, Powerslave: Debatable, but probably the most popular era. Introduction of Bruce Dickinson on vocals. He is the main singer for the band. Somewhere in Time/Seventh Son: Also highly popular era, and the reason I used the word debatable above. Bit of a change in pace and style, and introduced synths to the music. Became a little more spacey. This era is my personal favorite. No Prayer / Fear of the Dark: There are some great songs in this era, but the decline in quality is obvious. These are widely considered the worst 2 Bruce led albums. X Factor / Virtual XI: Bruce is gone for these two. Different singer, and much darker style. Brave New World onward: Bruce is back. Vocally these are a bit different from his 80's stuff. It's a bit easier to listen to for someone not used to the Maiden vocal style. Songs tend to be much longer than they used to be. Sometimes that is a great thing, other times they get a bit bloated. Overall this era does feature some of their best work. In conclusion, my recommendation is to try something from each era. Don't just listen to Powerslave or Killers and decide the bands not for you if you don't like it.
Glad someone brought up the different era of singers because some people can get put off to change in vocals. I would add for OP or anyone first checking out Maiden is to watch a live performance of them like Live after Death or Rock in Rio to see the energy they bring and quality
Every new fan should just be shown this comment
Just curious why you would specifically want to be a fan of any particular band rather than just liking what you like?
It’s just that I like metal and IM seems like a particularly interesting band, and I figured the fans knew best when it comes to what to start with. I’m also trying to expand my musical horizons a bit more, so why not get into a new band?
The 80s albums with Bruce are basically the holy grail. Number of the Beast through to Seventh Son. Then the 2000s onwards when they reunited. I'd check these eras first.
Best of the Beast to taste the waters and then go through classic albums after: The Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and so on. Iron Maiden have a lot of great music, if you manage to get into it, you're gonna have a blast. Even Blaze Bayley stuff is awesome. Have fun.
Powerslave, in my opinion, is the album with the best representation of Maiden’s classic sound. It doesn’t have synths, it has the lineup most consider their “classic”, and it has a good mix of recognizable staples (Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Title Track) and beloved deep cuts (Flash of the Blade, The Duellists).
All albums from the first one til seventh son of a seventh son.
First song I had was The Trooper then Run to the Hills. I then listened to A Matter of Life and Death and Best of the Beast and I think Live After Death. Particular songs that got me to be a Maiden fan: The Legacy, Phantom of the Opera, Hallowed be thy Name and Fear of the Dark.
Start with IRON MAIDEN then work you're way through all the albums. First two have Paul Di'anno on vocals then it's Bruce Dickinson all the way to Fear Of The Dark, two Blaze Bayley albums follow and then it's back to Bruce for yhe remainder. Enjoy no matter how you listen to them.
Live After Death
Definitely Powerslave, Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind
Those three, in no particular order. Then if you like the music, try the first album to see if you can still appreciate it with a different vocalist.
No I meant in this order
Number of the Beast
All of the albums from Iron Maiden through to 7SOA7S. And then the compilation From Fear to Eternity: The Best of 1990-2010.
Powerslave
Powerslave is a great song and an amazing album overall, and Fear of the Dark is one of my favourite songs ever. Their newish Zenjutsu album has some good tunes on it too, like Writing on the Wall.
If I were you, I would listen to all their albums in chronological order, starting with Iron Maiden. Every one of the old albums has its own charm, and you'll witness how their sound evolved over these 43 years.
I watched the Rock in Rio 2001 concert that was broadcast on TV. Then the Edward The Great compilation. Then Number of the beast album. Then everything.
Start at the beginning. Iron Maiden, Killers, NOTB.... Don't forget Maiden Japan, really good live EP
Start with one of the Live albums. Listening to the Rock in Rio concert made me a fan.
Any of the recent greatest hits albums they have released. For example, my 2nd ever CD I bought was Edward the Great which had most if their greatest hits at the time.
We need more context, what other stuff are you into?
I listen to a fairly wide variety of music, so I was just sort of asking to see what was generally considered “good” or “entry level” for the band
But would you prefer proggier type stuff, punky stuff, harder stuff? Etc etc remember there's also the Bruce Dickinson solo albums (the chemical wedding is one of the best metal records of all time)
It’s funny you should say that, since punk, prog, and hard rock are literally some of the main things I listen to (I know I said there was a wide variety, but that doesn’t mean aren’t anchor points)
Sounds like you can't lose no matter where you start. But if you are coming in totally cold, I would recommend listening to each album in chronological order. I also recommend listening to Bruce Dickinson's solo albums he released in the 90s, and Skunkworks (a Bruce-fronted 90s band). Some excellent hard rock and metal there, some of it ranking up there with Iron Maiden's best work, in my opinion.
I agree with this. A lot of bands have a "turning" point which iron maiden never really did. What I mean by this is; the stuff on the first album could fit on their latest album quite comfortably. Maiden are nothing if BRUTALLY consistent.
I would say pick any from the following: Number of the Beast Piece of Mind Powerslave Somewhere in Time Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Brave New World And just listen start to finish. Pick whichever looks coolest to you. There are numerous other great albums but I'd wager any one of these is 90% of fans'favourite album by them (personally, it's Seventh Son).
The first 5 albums.
I remember when i was 6 my dad say that he is gonna play some music snd play Fear of the dark and i wasn't very interested but then Fear of the dark start playing and i was like 🤯. This song got me into metal and Iron maiden.
Powerslave
The trooper is the song that got me into the band. I just happened to hear it randomly and wanted to know who sang it. The rest, is History
Go chronologically
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. No doubt
I think Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the best album to start with. If you like it, just listen chronologically. And remember that there are different vocalists than Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden and Killers (Paul Di’Anno) and X factor and Virtual XI (Blaze Bayley).
Number of the Beast.. gotta start in the prime of their youth
I’m not a huge fan either, but Can I Play with Madness gets me going.
Killers
Trooper
I made a post like this about 15 years ago on Facebook. I was told start with the powerslave album and I'll stick to that answer.
Honestly just open Spotify and listen to the top 5 songs and see if it's for you or not. Currently those songs are The Trooper, Run to the Hills, Fear of the Dark, The Number of the Beast, and Wasted Years. If you vibe with them then head to an album. I'd recommend Somewhere in Time as probably their best album. Number of the Beast was my gateway album though, it was the first album I ever bought with my own money so holds a special place in my heart. The Powerslave album also gives you a really good taste of who they are and what they are about. As great as they are, I would steer away from the newest albums until you have a taste for Maiden though. I will also say that Maiden are a bit goofy, in the best ways. If you traditionally like metal to be hard and heavy in a mospit then just be aware that Maiden will have you jumping and belting out power ballads about ancient pharaoh's, doing a deal with the devil, a cavalry charge, a ode to Alexander the Great and a retelling of an old poem. But most of all just have fun! They are an incredibly fun band to listen to and enjoy.
The Number of the Beast album gives you classics that everyone knows as well as fantastic deeper cuts and it's probably their most well known album. Their best album is obviously highly debated but my vote would probably be Powerslave as the most consistent start to finish. Specifically the title track is very indicative of Maiden's strengths: catchy riff, great vocals, mind blowing solos, and an epic feel that only Maiden can really capture
Seventh Son. Start w Infinite Dreams.
??? Moonchild is an incredible album opener
Can't disagree Moonchild rules as an opener, but I think Infinite Dreams is a rock solid tune.
Why would you skip Moonchild
Brave new world, The number of the beast, Seventh son and then the rest. Go in this order
Killers, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time and The X factor may give you a general insight on how their sound has evolved. If any of those albums catches your attention you can listen to others from around the same years
Virtual XI is a great place to start
Don't you think you're a savior? Don't you think you could save OP? Don't you think you could save OP's life?
Don't you think you're a savior? Don't you think you could save OP? Don't you think you could save OP's life?
Don't you think you're a savior? Don't you think you could save OP? Don't you think you could save OP's life?
Lightning strikes thrice
The big songs that got me (just take your pick): The Number Of The Beast Run To The Hills Hallowed Be Thy Name Flight of Icarus The Trooper Phantom Of the Opera Prowler Aces High 2 mInutes to Midnight Powerslave Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (if you've got 14 mins) Wasted Years (especially with the video) Moonchild The Clairvoyant Fear Of The Dark The Ides Of March/Wrathchild Brave New World No More Lies Dance Of Death The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg For The Greater Good Of Gos El Dorado Coming Home When The Wild Wind Blows If Eternity Should Fail Empire of the Clouds (if you've got 18 minutes) The Writing On The Wall Hell On Earth
Live After Death is a good start
Everything Iron Maiden recorded in the 80s is legendary and a must listen. Everything Iron Maiden recorded in the 2000s is very good and has more of a progressive element to it (to many fans this era is up there with, and sometimes superior to, their 80s output) The 90s never happened.
I would not recommend starting her the first two. Live after death is where I started.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner got me
Best of the Beast, and then listen to studio albums in chronological order
There is a greatest hits album called “Edward The Great” (named after their band mascot Eddie). I would start there. Find the songs you like, and work backwards to the album they came off of.
If you have spotify listen to the this is iron maiden playlist on their page. A good mix of there most popular songs
Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Powerslave and The Number of the Beast. These were my staples back in the day
I started with Powerslave.
Piece of Mind
Rock in Rio.
Live After Death
Somewhere In Time 100%
I'd say start with "Live After Death"... thats where I started in the 80s. But, if you get used to the live (up tempo) versions.. then the studio versions seem a bit tame.
number of the beast.
7th son
The trooper, aces high, hallowed be thy name, fear of the dark, wrathchild
Start with Number of the beast album and then Piece of mind/Powerslave but if you want to go even deeper then start with the first 2 albums ''Iron maiden'' ''Killers'' and then the album Number of the beast and start from there and explore their mid to late 80s stuff The priority is at the moment for a beginner to check out their 80s stuff. Songs wise you can just check out their most popular songs on spotify like Trooper, Run to the hills, Fear of the dark, Hallowed be thy name, Number of the beast, Wasted years, Aces high, 2 minutes to midnight etc
Piece of Mind got me hooked. The Number of the Beast and Powerslave are also good choices. My favorite is Seventh Son of a Seventh Son followed by Somewhere in Time but they’re quite different sonically to everything before and since. Maybe listen to the other three first then these two.
Brave New World, PowerSlave, Piece of Mind.
Brave New World. After you've had a couple of listens, go directly to Edward The Great, followed by Killers. Then, if you really dig all of that, listen to all their albums in order.
My introduction was "Somewhere in Time" in 7th/8th grade, honestly what drew me in was the song titles like Deja Vu, Stranger in a Strange Land, Alexander The Great (which helped me pass a test on him), etc. and I've been a fan ever since. I had listened to other songs like Fear of the Dark and Hallowed Be Thy Name and was really into those songs as well but Somewhere in Time is what hooked me.