…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun August 22, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. The Second Stone, off The Quantum Enigma (2014).

9. Kingdom of Heaven (A New Age Dawns Pt 5), off Design Your Universe (2009).

8. Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers Pt 4), off The Phantom Agony (2003).

7. Consign to Oblivion (A New Age Dawns Pt 3), off Consign to Oblivion (2005).

6. Delirium, off Requiem for the Indifferent (2012).

5. Edge of the Blade, off The Holographic Principle (2016).

4. Seal of Solomon, off Omega (2021).

3. Never Enough, off, The Divine Conspiracy (2007).

2. Kingdom of Heaven Pt 3 (The Antidiluvian Universe), off Omega (2021).

1. Victims of Contingency, off The Quantum Enigma (2014).

My Top 5 Favorite MID LENGTH Songs by Iron Maiden (6-8 minutes) …

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun August 08, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

5. Phantom of the Opera, off Iron Maiden (1980).

4. Infinite Dreams, off Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1986).

3. The Journeyman (*), off Dance of Death (2003).

2. To Tame a Land, off Piece of Mind (1983).

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name, off The Number of the Beast (1982).

(*) Yes, I love this song. Suck it, haters.

My Top 5 Favorite LONG Songs by Iron Maiden (8+ minutes) …

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun July 04, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

5. Empite of the Clouds, off The Book of Souls (2015).

4. Alexander the Great, off Somewhere in Time (1986).

3. Dance of Death, off Dance of Death (2003).

2. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, off Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988).

1. Rime of the Ancient Mariner, off Powerslave (1984).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun June 06, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. Lonely Winds of War, off Time to Be King (2010).

9. Return From Avalon, off Novum Initium (2013).

8. Spirit Never Die, off Masterplan (2003).

7. Far From the End of the World, off Time to Be King (2010).

6. Black in the Burn, off Aeronautics (2005).

5. Heroes , offMasterplan (2003).

4. Keeps Me Burning, off MKII (2007).

3. Sail On, off Masterplan (2003).

2. Crimson Rider, off Aeronautics (2005).

1. Falling Sparrow, off Aeronautics (2005).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun May 30, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. The Ten Plagues, off Exodus (2013).

9. All Over the World, off Signum Regis (2008).

8. Given Up for Lost, off Flag of Hope (EP) (2020).

7. The Voice in the Wilderness, off Chapter IV: The Reckoning (2015).

6. Unfold the Mystery, off Decenniumn Primum (2017).

5. A Memory, off The Seal of a New World (2019).

4. The Secret of the Sea, off Chapter IV: The Reckoning (2015).

3. Come and Take It, off Through the Storm (EP) (2015).

2. The Future King, off Decenniumn Primum (2017).

1. Living Well, off Through the Storm (EP) (2015).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun May 23, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. Open Your Eyes, off Save My Soul (2007).

9. Every Kind of Life, off The Chemical Chaos (2003).

8. My Favorite Delusion, off Symbiosis (1995).

7. Spiral of Fear, off Spiral of Fear (2016).

6. Grey to Green, off A Secret to Hide (2021).

5. The Longest Day, off Spiral of Fear (2016).

4. Walk Into Nowhere, off The Chemical Chaos (2003).

3. Point of View, off One in a Million (2001).

2. Flesh and Bone, off A Secret to Hide (2021).

1. Rain of Gods, off The Autumn Years (1996).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun May 09, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. Shoot All the Clowns, off Balls to Picasso (1994).

9. Tattooed Millionaire, off Tattooed Millionaire (1990).

8. Kill Devil Hill, off Tyranny of Souls (2005).

7. Freak, off Accident of Birth (1997).

6. Book of Thel, off The Chemical Wedding (1998).

5. Jerusalem, off The Chemical Wedding (1998).

4. Innerspace, off Skunkworks (1996).

3. Navigate the Seas of the Sun, off Tyranny of Souls (2005).

2. Road to Hell, off Accident of Birth (1997).

1. Tears of the Dragon, off Balls to Picasso (1994).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun May 02, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

This is a tough list. If I remade it next month, there might be a few changes, with some songs that didn’t make it this time coming forwards, depending on the day of the week. There is a large back-log of tracks that could be 10.1, 10.2, and so on. Metal purists might be aghast that I have not included their lengthy works Ghostship and Queen of the City of Ice. Both are great songs, but Ghostship feels a little too weighted by “interludes”; I could include certain parts of the song in this list, but it seemed wrong to break it up. Queen of the City of Ice would be a strong contender, except for the somewhat lengthy voice acting segment towards the back end of the song. Nothing spoils a music track more than voice over acting. Bands: stop it. If you need voice overs to communicate the story, put them between tracks, not on top of tracks. Also looking at you, Seventh Wonder and “One Last Goodbye.”

10. Crystalline Dream, off Carved in Stone (1995).

9. Question At Hand, off Shadow Gallery (1992).

8. Strong, off Digital Ghosts (2009).

7. The Dance of the Fools, off Shadow Gallery (1992).

6. Deeper Than Life, off Carved in Stone (1995).

5. Alaska, off Carved in Stone (1995).

4. Digital Ghost, off Digital Ghosts (2009).

3. The Archer of Ben Salem, off Room V (2005).

2. War for Sale, off Tyranny (1998).

1. Room V, off Room V (2005.

… that are NOT Bohemian Rhapsody!

… as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun Apr 25, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

So why not Bohemian Rhapsody? Well, much like Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, I am totally split between recognizing that it’s one of the best songs ever, and recognizing that I don’t need to hear that song ever again in my life. So if my Top 10 list is supposed to be based on musical impact, sure, it should probably be #1. If it’s supposed to be a list of the ten songs I’m most likely to want to hear at any given time, it should not be on the list. So rather than haggle with myself over that, I just left it out entirely! Hey, it’s my list, I can do what I want.

10. Fat Bottomed Girls, off Jazz (1978).

9. Hammer to Fall, off The Works (1984).

8. The March of the Black Queen, off Queen II (1974).

7. Keep Yourself Alive, off Queen (1973).

6. Breakthru, off The Miracle (1989).

5. Ride the Wild Wind, off Innuendo (1991).

4. You’re My Best Friend, off A Night At the Opera (1975).

3. Radio Gaga, off The Works (1984).

2. I Want It All, off The Miracle (1989).

1. Don’t Stop Me Now, off Jazz (1978).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun Apr 18, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

Thunderstone is really good at lead tracks and closing tracks. Five of these songs are one or the other (2 lead tracks, 3 closing tracks).

10. Forevermore, off Evolution 4.0 (2007).

9. Dirt Metal, off Dirt Metal (2009).

8. Virus, off Thunderstone (2002).

7. Barren Land, off Apocalypse Again (2016).

6. Tool of the Devil, off Tools of Destruction (2005).

5. Eyes of a Stranger, off Thunderstone (2002).

4. Land of Innocence, off Tools of Destruction (2005).

3. The Path, off Apocalypse Again (2016).

2. Without Wings, off Tools of Destruction (2005).

1. Evil Within, off The Burning (2004).

…as played on Mostly Metal, 103.1FM, Valparaiso, IN the week of Sun Apr 11, 2021.

(Sunday 8:00 – 10:00PM US Central, replay Wednesday at 10:00pm … stream on wvlp.org)

10. Send Me No Wine, off On the Threshold of a Dream (1969).

9. Your Wildest Dreams, off The Other Side of Life (1986).

8. I Know You’re Out There Somewhere, off Sur La Mer (1988).

7. The Afternoon, off Days of Future Passed (1967).

6. New Horizons, off Seventh Sojourn (1972).

5. Question, off A Question of Balance (1970).

4. I’m Just A Singer, off Seventh Sojourn (1972).

3. The Night, off Days of Future Passed (1967).

2. The Voice, off Long Distance Voyager (1981).

1. The Story in Your Eyes, off Every Good Boy Deserves Favor (1971).