Nicko McBrain has shared his personal ranking of all 17 Iron Maiden studio albums, placing 2006’s A Matter of Life and Death at the top and the band’s 1980 self-titled debut at the bottom. The retired drummer revealed the rankings during a June 2026 “An Evening With CapnHarris” event held at his own Rock n Roll Ribs restaurant in Coconut Creek, Florida, as reported by Loudwire.
Placing last on McBrain’s list was Iron Maiden’s eponymous 1980 debut — one of three albums recorded with drummer Clive Burr before McBrain joined the band in 1982. “I’ll tell you what, the production on that wasn’t the greatest, but nevertheless, still a good album,” McBrain said. The other two pre-McBrain records — Killers and The Number of the Beast, also featuring Burr — fared only slightly better, landing at Nos. 13 and 12, respectively. Notably, that puts the widely celebrated The Number of the Beast, home to “Run to the Hills” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” outside McBrain’s top ten.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, A Matter of Life and Death — the band’s progressive, lyrically dense 2006 record — claimed the No. 1 spot. “That’s definitely my favorite album,” McBrain said, citing “Brighter Than a Thousand Suns” and “Lord of Light” as standout tracks. His first album with the band, Piece of Mind (1983), came in at No. 2, while 2021’s Senjutsu — among the band’s most ambitious and best-received late-career entries — ranked third.
Full ranking, from worst to best:
- 17. Iron Maiden (1980)
- 16. Virtual XI (1998)
- 15. No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
- 14. The X Factor (1995)
- 13. Killers (1981)
- 12. The Number of the Beast (1982)
- 11. The Final Frontier (2010)
- 10. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
- 9. Fear of the Dark (1992)
- 8. Somewhere in Time (1986)
- 7. Brave New World (2000)
- 6. Dance of Death (2003)
- 5. The Book of Souls (2015)
- 4. Powerslave (1984)
- 3. Senjutsu (2021)
- 2. Piece of Mind (1983)
- 1. A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
McBrain, who drummed with Iron Maiden from 1982 until he retired from touring in 2024, is set to release his autobiography, Hello Boys and Girls!, in October 2026. Speaking about the book, McBrain said: “It’s been a real honor to write my very own autobiography and have the chance to walk down memory lane…” A European book tour in support of the autobiography runs Oct. 26 through Dec. 3.
Iron Maiden are scheduled to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The band’s most recent album, Senjutsu, was released in September 2021 via Parlophone Records and BMG and debuted at No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart as well as charts in nine other countries, including Germany, France, Finland and Japan.
