17. Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind(1983)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking

British heavy metal titans Iron Maiden return to my ranking/rating series with their fourth studio album, Piece of Mind, so here comes my ranking, as usual, starting with my least favourite song and finishing with the one I love the most: 

9. Quest for Fire- 7(OK)

8. Sun and Steel- 7.5(Good)

7. Die with Your Boots on- 8.5(Very Good)

6. To Tame a Land- 9(Great)

5. Still Life- 9

4. Flight Of Icarus- 9.5(Fantastic)

3. Revelations- 9.5

2. Where Eagles Dare- 10(Stellar)

1. The Trooper- 10

 

 AVERAGE RATING- 8.88

There is no surprise regarding the winner- The Trooper is an absolute classic, a flawless track that doesn't need a chorus to active greatness- its galopant rhythm takes my mind on a journey to the battlefield, as this is just one of the history-inspired tunes Maiden have delivered throughout their long, spectacular career.

The second 10 for me, Where Eagles Dare, opens the album in a highly dynamic, energetic manner- a superb heavy metal tunes that doesn't drag for a single second of its six brlliant minutes.

The 3rd and 4th placed songs, Revelations and Flight Of Icarus, are also excelent. catchy, mesmerizing tunes; they slow down the pace a little, especially Revelations, a song which, just like The Trooper, shows that Iron Maiden are capable of creating mind-blowing songs even without a chorus. More greatness is achieved in the tracks ranked from 5 to 7 in my preference list, but there are also two less amazing tracks, which are not bad by any means, they're not just as exciting as the others, at least in my opinion.    Sun and Steel and Quest for Fire are tracks that I would never skip when listening to Piece of Mind, as they both have their strong moments.

With a respectabile average of 8.88, Piece of Mind has managed to beat the only Maiden I have ranked before, The Number of the Beast. which had an average rating of 8.62, but there are still plenty of outstanding Maiden albums that I have to rank, in the 80s as well as starting with the year 2000, when Bruce Dickinson returned to the band, but I'm quite sure that, after I finish ranking those albums, Piece of Mind will occupy a high position in my ranking of Iron Maiden records. I will always have a high regard for Piece of Mind, a remarkable album from a legendary heavy metal band!

 

16. Def Leppard- Pyromania(1983)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking

British hard/glam rockers Def Leppard are the newcomers on my album track ranking/rating serirs with the hugely successful Pyromania, so here is how I rank and rate the tracks from this record:

10. Action! Not Words- 8(Solid)

   9. Stagefright- 8

   8. Die Hard the Hunter- 8.5(Very Good)

   7.Billy's Got a Gun- 8.5

   6. Rock of Ages- 8.5

   5.  Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)- 9(Great)

   4. Too Late for Love- 9.5(Fantastic)

   3. Comin' Under Fire- 9.5

   2. Photograph- 9.5

   1. Foolin'- 9.5

    AVERAGE RATING: 8.95

A fierce battle was fought for the title of my favourite Pyromania track. Eventually, Foolin', an enthralling tune alternative slower parts in the verses with an intense and ecxeptional chorus, took the winning slot. Photograph, one of the English band's biggest hits, took the second spot. Even if I can include it in the category of tracks I have heard way too often, I can't deny its catchiness and appeal to the masses. It's an outstanding pop metal tune which exemplifica Def Leppard's shift from the hard'n'heavy sound of their first two albums to a more commercial approach that proved to be the recipe of big success for Def Leppard în the 80s.

Comin' Under Fire, a deep cut and one of the heavier tunes on Pyromania, takes the 3rd place ahead of the part ballad, part heavy track Too Late for Love, both of them being awesome tracks, which could climb to even higher positions if my preferences slightly changed one day. Rock of Ages, another massive hit from Pyromania, doesn't fascinate me as much as the songs from my Top 4, but I still appreciate its excelent chorus, so it's an enjoyable track too. In fact, there is no skippable material on this great album, as the other tracks also contain hooks and parts that are guaranteed to keepthe listeners engaged.

With an avergae of 8.95, Pyromania is a strong contender for the title of my preferred Def Leppard album, but it has some strong competition in the other album released by the band from Sheffield in the 80s, and I will analyze th as well to see who the winner is. Until then, I will close this post by saying yhat Pyromania is one of the catchiest hard/glam rock albums I can think of, and its huge success in the charts back in the 80s was fully deserved!

10. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power(1992)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

My ranking journey continues wih my first plunge into groove metal and its most famous reprezentative, the mighty Pantera. Here is my rating and ranking of the tracks from one of the Texan band's most successful albums, Vulgar Display of Power:

11. Rise- 8(solid)

10. No Good(Attack the Radical)- 8.5(very good)

   9. Live in a Hole- 8.5

   8. Regular People(Conceit)- 9(great)

   7. F***ing Hostile- 9

   6. This Love- 9

   5. Walk- 9

   4. Hollow- 9.5(fantastic)

   3. By Demons Be Driven- 9.5

   2. A New Level- 10(stellar)

   1. Mouth for War- 10

    OVERALL RATING: 9.09

   

The two masterful tracks which are 10 out of 10 for me, Mouth for War and A New Level, are interchangeable. They are both super heavy, have outstanding riffs and guitar solos, and they are empowering tunes, perfect to listen whenever you need to boost your morale and find that remarkable combination of strength and determination that only great metal songs can generate.

By Demons Be Driven lands in 3rd place thanks mostly to its fabulous chorus, while the semi-ballads Hollow and This Love get really high marks as they Pantera's somewhat more melancholic side, but they still have kickass heavy parts which are in great contrast with the slower, ballady sections.

As for Walk, probably Pantera's biggest "hit", it's only in 5th place on my list because it's less complex than the tracks above it, but still its main riff and anthemic chorus stick to my mind for quite a while after hearing it.

There are obviously no bad tracks on this awesome album, a unique blend of energy, agression and catchiness. No wonder it helped Pantera become hugely popular and carry on the flag of heavy music during the 90s, a dark period for metal otherwise. Vulgar Display of Power remains for me an essential listen, a staple of groove, thrashy metal which I will always enjoy hearing from top to bottom!

Ranking Rock/Metal Albums: #5. Judas Priest- British Steel(1980)

Legendary British heavy metal act Judas Priest makes its debut in my ranking series with 'British Steel', the album which marks a shift towards a more commercial sound and achieved chart success, so here is my ranking of the tracks:

9. Metal Gods- 7.5(good)

8. Living After Midnight- 7.5

7. United- 8(solid)

6.You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise- 8.5(very good)

5. The Rage- 8.5

4. Steeler- 9.5(fantastic)

3. Grinder- 9.5

2. Rapid Fire- 9.5

1. Breaking The Law- 9.5

OVERALL RATING: 8.66

'Breaking the Law', one of the major hits of the album, wins a very tight race for the first place thanks to its iconic riff and simple but efective chorus which stick to my mind for a long time after hearing it. It's one of those overplayed hard rock/metal tunes I rarele skip, unlike the other major hit, 'Living After Midnight', another simple song with a catchy chorus, but which, as you can see from my rating, doesn't have the same appeal to me(probably because living after midnight and rockin' till the dawn is not recommended for our health if we do it frequently!).

The next three tracks with a high rating of 9.5, 'Rapid Fire', 'Grinder' and 'Steeler', are also eloquent examples of heavy greatness with sharp riffs, fast pace and the unmistakeable voice of Rob Halford sending listeners to the stratosfera, so ranking them was really tough and the order can change after more auditions.

The second half of my ranking includes mostly mid tempo tracks, which doesn't mean that I don't enjoy listening to them, I just do it to a Lester extent than those from the top 4. Even the often maligned 'United' is quite a likeable tune in my opinion, as I often find myself singing în my mind its chorus.

To summarise, I consider 'British Steel' to be a remarkable album, whose more commercial approach played an important part in raising heavy metal popularity and showing younger bands of that time that you can achieve access by playing fast, loud, energetic music as long as it has enough melody and hooks to attract a wider audience. Rock on wherever you are!