Best Iron Maiden Opening Album Cut

Although I adore "The Ides Of March," it's hard to vote for what is essentially an extended instrumental intro. Had the band just said it was part of "Wrathchild," it would have been a no-brainer for me.

As is, I love "Prowler," "Where Eagles Dare," "Aces High" and "Tailgunner" and think it would be a big surprise if something other than those took this poll other than "Invaders" which some people love but I always thought it was the weakest song on a great album, and I guess "Caught Somewhere in Time" will have devotees.

I think I have to go with "Aces High" just ahead of "Prowler" but I'll wait to vote pending seeing what other people post here as I can be swayed...

biased because it was the first Maiden song I heard ever, but "Aces High" p easily for me.

"Prowler" not far behind - that simple two chord riff w/ the wah lead is simplicity done right.

"Caught Somewhere in Time" not far behind - shame the rest of the album didn't match up to that one.

xpost lol

Haha, great minds think alike!

I love "Invaders" but to me "Children of the Damned" is the "I have arrived motherfuckers" song for Bruce so it loses a little steam due to that.

"When Eagles Dare" is fuckin dope too.

ahh man I forgot "Moonchild". pretty killer opening, that, though I know not everybody loves SSoaSS as much as me.

Since "Wrathchild" not being lumped in with "Ides of March", it's definitely "Caught Somewhere In Time" for me.

Not a bad song on the list, though. "Be Quick or Be Dead" is probably my least favorite. I actually get "Sign of the Cross" stuck in my head pretty frequently, and I was humming "Different World" just today.

I had "Tailgunner" inexplicably stuck in my head on the train ride home from the Iron maiden show I saw a couple weeks ago and they didn't even play it!

Aces High. Didn't have to think about it for more than 5 seconds.

I still wanna hear the Feelies cover it.

Aces High. Didn't have to think about it for more than 5 seconds.

I still wanna hear the Feelies cover it.

Aces High. Didn't have to think about it for more than 5 seconds.

I still wanna hear the Feelies cover it.

Dammit, sorry.

Yeah, "Aces High" for sure.

"aces high" might be the best opening album cut ever by anyone

\m/

"Aces High" made me go from "this band frightens me" to "holy shit this band rules" based on one listen

"Aces High" made me go from "this band frightens me" to "holy shit this band rules" based on one listen

that's what "the wicker man" did for me. i was no longer scared to go back and listen to their earlier stuff. when i heard powerslave i realized finally they're as awesome as zeppelin, sabbath, yes, and rush

I'm going with "Caught Somewhere in Time" because of the hours 14 year old me spent trying to get it right on the guitar.

Aces High. Didn't have to think about it for more than 5 seconds.

The Wicker Man 4EVA

Wrathchild could've been a contender but otherwise yeah, Aces High.

Objectively: "Aces High"

Subjectively: "Moonchild" because as a dweeby 15 yr old KISS fan in 1988 I'd gone to the Seventh Son tour stop in Atlanta FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF CATCHING OPENERS FREHLEY'S COMET and promptly had my musical universe upturned by all these amazing songs that were neither "Run to the Hills" (which I hated esp bc Headbangers Ball played it every week) nor "Can I Play with Madness" -- they opened with "Moonchild."

Alarmingly I almost didn't go, as Maiden canceled, announcing it only after Frehley's Comet left the stage, so we had to come back the next night (or thereabouts); I would be very displeased with myself in retrospect if I'd missed out on that.

It seems like "Where Eagles Dare" needs the support, so I'm going with that.

xpost ha ha when I saw Maiden The Vinnie Vincent Invasion opened.

I've been pretty lucky with Maiden openers.

2003: Motörhead, Dio
2003: Arch Enemy
2005: Ozzfest w/Black Sabbath
2008: Lauren Harris, but I showed up late
2010: Dream Theater, but I showed up late

I've had

Alice Cooper
Megadeth
one of the band members' kids bands (didn't see them)
Ghost

Aces High.

I do love "Ides of March" though. What an overture. And I really like "Sign of the Cross", a very underrated track.

Sign's great, the live version with Bruce gr8er

sad taht Different World wasn't a cover of the Cosby Show spinoff

this seems to obviously be aces high to me

"Wicker Man" was ruined for me because someone told me prior to hearing it for the first time that the pre-chorus was Green Day's "She" and I couldn't unhear it from the jump.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Man, the drum intro to "Where Eagles Dare," the riff to "Aces High," I would have voted for "The Ides Of March/Wrathchild" if they were combined for that bass intro, but went with first impulse.

Come on this is Aces High

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

That's a mandate. From now on all opening cuts will be Aces High.

Wicker Man wuz robbed. Your time will come.

the piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way

I luv "invaders." a terrific opener for their greatest album, yet i I don't get why its not at all popular with fans and the band itself. Maybe this has changed, but last I checked the band had only played on the Beast tour in '82/'83. Is it that the song is just too Maiden for Maiden?

"only played it"