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The WORST song from each IRON MAIDEN album

Metal Pilgrim | February 5, 2026



Do you know what’s harder than ranking Iron Maiden’s best songs? Picking their worst ones.

So today, let’s do the unthinkable, and choose the weakest track from every single Iron Maiden album. Here you go!

Now, before the pitchforks come out, I simply have to point out that in case you guys don’t know, I’m a huge Iron Maiden fan, and I actually love each and every one of those records, including the underrated ones. So picking the worst track from some of those was simply a torture for me. But the cruel rules of these games clearly state that I simply have to choose the weakest song from each album, which doesn’t always mean that it is actually a bad song. Although, I do understand that in some cases, you might simply scream at me for it.

But all right, let’s do it.

00:00 – Intro
00:49 – The early days
03:41 – The golden era
09:41 – The ones without Adrian
12:21 – The Blaze Bayley era
13:58 – Reunion era Iron Maiden
17:29 – The latest chapter
19:25 – Thoughts?

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Background music: “Uberpunch” Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Written by Metal Pilgrim

Comments

This post currently has 39 comments.

  3. @MetalloverandGamer

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Weakest Song(Not Powerful)Not the WORST
    Charlotte the harlot
    Drifter
    Gangland
    Still life
    Back in the village
    The loneliness of a long distance
    The propechy
    Fates warning
    The apparition
    The unbeliever
    The educated fool
    The nomad
    Age of innocence
    The legacy
    Starblind
    The man of sorrows
    The parchment

  8. @artmooneyblog

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Gangland is an excellent song – just give a listen to the "Jordan Rudess version". The reason I didn't buy the 40 anniversary LP is the switch to Total Eclipse – which is one of the wekaest IM songs ever.

  13. @MagicalMoondoggie

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Nah, saying Gangland isn't a poor song and Invaders is a bad opener is just plain trying to be contrarian lol. Invaders is fast-paced, straight to the point metal to ease you in before the longer tracks. Gangland doesn't fit with the flow of the tracks and slows things down, should never have been more than a B-side. Also Seventh Son has to be Can I Play With Madness, it was a clear attempt at getting a commercial single that barely fits the progressive metal tone of the album it's supposed to be part of a concept album on. Evil That Men Do also fits this, but at least blends nicely with the tracks around it.

  16. @daviddavies3637

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    I've seen comments on the Writing on The Wall music video stating that it was crap because it "wasn't an Iron Maiden" song. I am actually happy that it's not. Some of the guitar work is far better than anything they created in their golden era. A criticism I've had of Maiden in the past is that they often showed no care for the solos. Just twiddle the fuck out of the guitars seemingly at random. They've shown they can do it properly. One of my all time favourites is the outro to Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. But they hit new heights with the solos for Writing on the Wall and the beautifully crafted guitar work in Hell on Earth.

  18. @mikatu

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Gangland and Invaders the weakests?? Total Eclipse is clearly the weakest!
    Quest for fire??? That song is amazing! Bruce even played it with his solo band some years ago.

    The X Factor album is better than Fear of the Dark, in my opinion!

  19. @fernandoerbin6751

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    The Apparition to me is the single worst song in their whole discography, and the only one that I would say is actually, definitely, 100% bad . Many other weak songs at least have maybe a cool riff, a nice beginning, a partially decent solo, an interesting sound, or a somewhat engaging chorus. The Apparition has none of that. It has no redeeming quality whatsoever, not a single note to save it from the trash can. It's just complete crap.

  21. @zuke-ci4vd

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    My first Iron Maiden album was Piece of Mind. I listened to it for three hours straight! The next day went back to the record store and got their first two albums, spent the next three day in an Iron Maiden Stuper! My next album was, of course, Numbers! I did not care for Somewhere in Time, just didn't resonate for me, nor did Seventh Son. Didn't pick up a new Iron Maiden album until Brave New World, which I put up there with Piece of Mind as one of their Masterpieces! Dance of Death…was …Ok…A Matter of Life and Death….meh. Your picks for "least good songs" from the albums I have listened to, are pretty spot on.

  23. @axel.lessio

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    The Number of the Beast was my first Iron Maiden album, so as you can imagine, Invaders was the very first I listened, and it is one of my favourite songs. I recognise it could be nostalgia speaking. I just love that song.

  27. @Primalvision1988

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Worst songs:
    Iron Maiden-Iron Maiden (overrated)
    Killers- innocent exile (still great)
    Number-children of the damned (one of the worst songs they’ve ever done).
    Piece of mind- quest for fire
    Powerslave- 2 minutes to midnight (wildly overrated).
    Somewhere in time-loneliness of the long distance runner.
    7th Son- the prophecy
    No prayer- bring your daughter
    Fear of the dark- wasting love.

    I stopped caring after that.

  28. @eamonahern7495

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Can I play with madness is the weakest song on seventh son in my opinion. It sounds more like pop rock than heavy metal and I don't like that synth guitar solo. Every other song is great on that album. I couldn't pick a weakest (or less strong to be more accurate) off of powerslave or somewhere in time. Better you than me in that task. I love the exotic sound of the music in the nomad. It gives vibes of a solitary mysterious man draped in dark robes, with a sword on his back and probably a gun at his waist inside his robe, on the back of a camel riding through the desert of the middle east or north Africa. Not the weakest on that album in my opinion.

  29. @atranfanatic

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Okay being a huge Iron Maiden fan myself and being they are my #1 Metal band of all time. This will be super tough. And I'm going to name the worst track and my favorite track on each album if I can. Here goes…..

    1. Iron Maiden [Self Titled] Worst: Charlotte the Harlot – Favorite: Between Remember Tomorrow and Strange World

    2. Killers: Nope just can't pick a worst or a favorite track

    3. The Number of the Beast: Worst: Gangland – Favorite: Children of The Damned

    4. Piece Of Mind: Worst: Quest for Fire – Favorite: Flight Of Icarus And this is my all time favorite Maiden album!

    5. Powerslave: Worst: 2 Minutes to Midnight – Honestly I can't pick a favorite track the album is great even the track I mentioned for the worst.

    6. Somewhere In Time: Worst: Heaven Can Wait – Favorite: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

    7. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son: Worst: Can I Play with Madness – Favorite: S.S.O.A.S.S.

    8. No Prayer For the Dying: Worst: Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter – Favorite: Hooks In You

    9. Fear Of The Dark: Worst: Chains Of Misery – Favorite: Childhood's End And are we related? This was the first album that got me into Maiden. lol I bought it on cassette in '93 when I was 18.

    10. X-Factor: Can't pick a worst or favorite as I haven't listened to it a whole lot.

    11. Virtual XI: Worst: The Angel and the Gambler – Favorite: The Clansmen

    12. Brave New World: Worst: The Mercenary – Favorite: The Ghost of The Navigator Also first time I saw Iron Maiden in concert in 2000 with Halford and Queensryche in Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavillion in Phoenix, Arizona!

    13. Dance Of Death: Worst: Wildest Dreams – Favorite: Paschendale

    14. A Matter of Life and Death and the albums till now: Haven't heard them enough to pick a worst or favorite track from them. I need to sit down and really listen to them to see what I can say.

  30. @VodShackldford

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    same here. i dont understand the hate for gangland. i think out of maidens golden years number of the beast is the "worst". not that its bad, i think invaders is a great song, i used to love the prisoner but i almost always skip it now. children of the damned is great lyrically, but i have a big issue with it and that is its too slow, not sure why thats a problem for me. 22 is an EMBARRESMENT to charlotte the harlot. like was sort of said before, gangland kicks fucking ass.

  31. @samusg2789

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    NOT BAD, just the ones I usually skip: Sanctuary, Drifter, Gangland, Sun & Steel, Back in the Village, Long Distance Runner, Can I Play w Madness, Hooks in You, Weekend Warrior, 2AM, The Angel & Gambler, Nomad, New Frontier/Age of Innocence (tie), Longest Day….THE REST I DON'T CARE, Too many mediocre songs after AMOLAD.

  32. @pierobass1623

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Interesting video. I agree on all selections except Sea of madness and Mother of mercy. The sooner's melodic power is moving, the latter perfectly depicts the atmosphere of a war front and the inner struggle of a soldier getting desillusioned.
    Up the irons from Italy!

  34. @rainmaker_6654

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    My List:
    1. Charlotte The Harlot
    2. Innocent Exile
    3. Invanders
    4. Sun and Steel
    5. The Duellists
    6. Deja-vu
    7. The Prophecy
    8. Run Silent, Run Deep
    9. The Apparition
    10. Look For The Truth
    11. Lightning Strike Twice
    12. The Fallen Angel
    13. Gates Of Tomorrow
    14. The Legacy
    15. The Alchemist
    16. Shadows Of The Valley
    17. Lost In A Lost World

  35. @gustavo4475

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Between first album and Fear of the dark is hard to pick bad songs. Invaders, Quest for Fire and Assassin maybe. The others can’t be called “bad songs”

  36. @SamuelDavidDeLuce

    February 5, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Charlotte the Harlot

    Another Life

    Children of the Damned/22 Acacia Ave

    Quest For Fire

    2 Minutes To Midnight (only because I've heard the song a gazillion times that album is perfect)

    Deja Vu

    Only the Good Die Young

    That's where it ends for me. Every album following Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was garbage. Steve had the audacity to replace Smith with Gers!!!

Comments are closed.

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