Ranking the Iron Maiden Studio Album COVERS

Not a studio album of course, but my favorite Maiden cover is actually Live After Death. It really just doesn’t get cooler than Eddie launching himself out of an open grave, cry of rage clearly on his anguished face.

my favorites are somewhere in time & powerslave! robozombiecop eddie is so badass and is just the coolest thing ever & i love all the small details on the album. then you can’t go wrong with pharaoh eddie, it’s just too good

Somewhere in Time is easily my favorite, just from the sheer amount of hidden references. If you look in the window behind Eddie, there's a banner that says "this is a very boring painting" in reverse, which I always thought was cool. Maggie's revenge is the Women in Uniform single where Margaret Thatcher is about to ambush Eddie in revenge for him killing her on the Sanctuary single cover. Powerslave would be my second favorite. The worst would be X Factor with Dance of Death being almost as bad. I read that X Factor is a photo of an Eddie puppet with some digital enhancements.

X-Factor is a photo

Virtual x rubber eddie better than book of souls?😅😅😅

I like Killers the best as an album cover too. I always wished the content matched the cover.

17 - Dance Of Death: Obvious choice. Nonetheless, David Patchett's finished work here is really good (Eddie himself, the background and the hooded figures). Now this comes from a guy who's a designer and Illustrator that made a few original covers for bands. And being a Maiden fan it would be a dream come true to create an Iron Maiden cover. That being said, what Rod Smalhood did to this guy's work is, to say the minimum, OFFENSIVE. If I created a basic idea, send it to the band's manager and in the end, he'd THRASH it with Poser CGI generated garbage figures, I'd be livid! In the end, Patchett refused to be credited for the cover and I'd do the same. I can only imagine what this man felt when he saw the abomination they turned his work into. 16 - The Final Frontier: Not a bad cover, and to be fair I even like the Alien take on Eddie. That being said I'd prefer a cleaner version of the face (like the one in the middle of the sketches in the booklet). Plus, even taking into account the narrative of the video clip, I think Melvin exaggerated the number of scars and melting flesh. Yet what rubs me more in the wrong way is the goofiness of some of the body parts and its proportions and the color palete is too saturated. Still, decent enough. 15 - The X Factor: The sculpture is superb but the angle of its shot lacks depth. If it was the darker shot that's inside the booklet (partially used on Man On The Edge's single cover) it would work much better. Love the carved logo and overall creepy torture mechanism. 14 - Virtual XI: Mostly like this one despite using vibrant colors once again. But the bottom left corner... I don't know. Why the f** is the kid with the VR device crouched on top off a rock in the middle of a river? And I get the football match pun, but come on! It looks piss poor. To sum it up, three quarters of the cover is great while the other quarter could be muuuuuch better. 13 - Brave New World: The future London is really cool and detailed and so is "cloud Eddie". But overall, it lacks dynamics, movement, intensity. Yes, some other covers are also too stagnant, yet there's always something that makes you emote (either be something in Eddie's expression or whatever). This is the only album cover that's utterly devoid of that. Plus, those lightnings could better drawn. But in the end, it's still an enjoyable artwork to look at without any major fault as far as I'm Concerned. 12 - Iron Maiden: The first go on Eddie. Simple and full of impact. That zombie like, huge opened maw and punk hair is immensely expressive. I prefer the 1998's remake color palete, but Eddie's face is way better in the original IMO. 11 - The Book Of Souls: Amazing Illustration but the lack of background is desolating. Heck, give it a simple degrade or pattern like in Senjutsu. NOW, If they used the illustration of Eddie ripping out his own heart... Man, this would be EASILY at my top 5! 10 - Senjutsu: Despite having a grungy background I think it's once again too little. Nonetheless Eddies' illustration is top tier and all the details on the mascot's vest somewhat compensate the lack of background action. That being said, I prefer the digibook version's second cover (picturing Eddie with no helmet)! Once again, the expression... Man, Eddie's pissed here! 9 - No Prayer For The Dying: Let's get the few cons out of the way: the grave robber's face is a bit goofy and it's a version of Eddie explored before (Live After Death). Other than that, it's an excellent cover. Taking in account the 1998 remake I'd mash up the two versions: love the ground filled with skeletons and the nod to Live After Death craved on the tomb's ledge. Yet I prefer the notion of movement and dynamics Eddie's outstretched hand chocking the grave robber gives to the scene. I'd just redraw his face. 8 - A Matter Of Life And Death: A different drawing technique (mor cartoonish) but the result is awesome! Lots of details, all of them relevant resulting in a harmonious and imposing result. Yes, Eddie's small in the frame but stands at a commanding pose, immediately capturing one's attention. 7 - The Number Of The Beast: With hell's sky color being restored in 1998 to its original black/ gray, this thing looks killer! To this day I'd go with Run To The Hills as the album's cover but nonetheless I still love this one. 6 - Fear Of The Dark: Amazing new approach on Eddie. The Wicked look. And the way the light hits the various elements, the gooey entrails coming out of the trees... this thing's nuts! Only if the album was 1/10 as good as the cover... 5 - Powerslave: Glorious and monumental. Wow... just... wow! Always loved Egyptian culture and the way riggs integrated Eddie here is wild. Easily one of the most impactful covers in heavy metal history. 4 - Piece Of Mind: To begin with the lightwork is out of this world. Then Eddie's expression is disturbing. Plus, the lobotomized shaved skull... sick! Pure genius. The next three are virtually a tie but here we go 3 - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son: This is the wet dream of a Riggs and Dali fan (which I have been since tender age). I remember when it came out looking at it at the record shop and being utterly blown away! And the first three singles' covers are also perfect. 2 - Killers: Eddie's sadistic grin, the dynamics of the scene itself, the moment it captures and the sheer terror message it conveys as the mascot reaches for his next victim (you!) is bananas! Yet the most impressive element here is perhaps the light! Holy shit! Riggs has several illustrations featuring breath taking lightworks but Killers is on a league of its own in this department. 1 - Somewhere In Time: Sometimes less is more. Not in this case: this is a monument, a futuristic stravaganza and a treat for every Blade Runner fan. Cyborg Eddie may as well be my favorite full body incarnation of the mascot. Plus all the elements and easter eggs... pure insanity.

Dance of Death's cover was highly critized when it came out. Hated globally at the time.

Killers Fear of the Dark The Number of the Beast Somewhere in Time Piece of Mind Powerslave No Prayer for the Dying Iron Maiden The Book of Souls The Final Frontier Brave New World Senjutsu Virtual XI Dance of Death A Matter of Life and Death Seventh Son of a Seventh Son The X Factor