I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: for the most part, Iron Maiden’s long and lengthy career can be categorized into two separate eras: “punk Maiden” and “prog Maiden.” Each era just happens to be associated with their two best-known singers, Paul Di’Anno and Bruce Dickinson.
It was Di’Anno who fronted the band during their “punk Maiden” period, which included two albums: 1980’s self-titled debut and 1981’s “Killers.” And despite Di’Anno’s time in the band being brief, both albums proved quite
significant, as they served as an obvious inspiration for the thrash metal movement just a few years later. Here, we count down five of the very best Di’Anno-sung Maiden tunes.
For the most part, the material that comprised Maiden’s first two albums was quite succinct in the songwriting department. But there were certainly a few exceptions, most notably “Phantom of the Opera,” “Transylvania,” and the title track from “Killers,” which, looking back, served as a preview for the direction the band would embark on starting in 1982.
Although rightly thought of as one of the leading heavy metal bands of the era, Maiden would also turn down the volume on their amps from time to time, such as on this standout from their debut. Regarding the meaning of the song’s mysterious title, Di’Anno once explained it was part of a saying from his grandfather: “You never know what is going to happen, remember tomorrow, it might be a better day.”
One of Maiden’s all-time great anthems was located early in the track list of their sophomore effort. It would also serve as an opening tune even before the arrival of the LP, as evidenced in the popular home video “Live at the Rainbow,” which was filmed in late 1980. Similar to such tunes as “Innocent Exile” and the aforementioned “Killers,” this ditty kicks off with Steve Harris’ bass.
Perhaps no other Maiden tune showcases the group’s merger of metal and punk as glaringly and gloriously as the tune that kicks off album #1. Featuring one of Maiden’s best riffs filtered through a wah-wah, the tune is also one of their speediest tempo-wise, once again inspiring such soon-to-be-formed thrashers as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax.
One of Maiden’s all-time great anthems is undoubtedly this ditty, which was Maiden’s first-ever single and preceded the arrival of their full-length debut by two months. It also continued to reside in the setlist long after Di’Anno’s exit in 1981, as evidenced by its placement in the 1985 live album “Live After Death.”
And before we finalize this list, how about some bonus food for thought? Lyrically, how many tunes did Maiden have about being on the run from the law despite being innocent when you take into consideration this song, as well as “Sanctuary” and “Murders in the Rue Morgue”?
