Iron Maiden tops HMV’s Jubilee best album poll

Please keep answers under 200 gigabytes. 

666 was apparently named after an innings by Essex skipper, Sir Graham Gouch.

Good album, not sure it is the best of the last 60 years.

I'd have said Piece of Mind, Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son would run it close. 

But still Iron Maiden on top?

Ever heard of Facebook?

A place of collective wisdom, perhaps. More to the topic – Metal Hammer now states:

It’s Official: Iron Maiden Are Better Than Led Zeppelin And The Beatles – ‘Number Of The Beast’ Voted Best British Album Of The Past 60 Years

I have to admit that for me it would be very difficult if not impossible to pick the best of the best. It could be Blue Lines, London Calling or The Stone Roses beside the obvious Beatles, Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin albums.

Number of the Beast was one of the first albums l bought and i've always had a bit of a soft spot for it . Maiden bigger then Zeppelin sorry i don't think so.

Older members may remember the annual NME polls, basically flavour of the month won.

I mean Dave Clark best drummer, George Harrison best guitarist , that sort of thing. 

What demographic does HMV represent?

As an aside it really depends on what is playing in the shop as to whether I stay and browse. 

Almost 55,000 people voted for their favourite films and albums online over the last month after HMV put two 60-strong longlists on the internet.

HMV said that the results of the poll are likely to have been influenced by loyal fans of bands such as Iron Maiden encouraging each other to vote on social media sites such as Facebook.

“As you can see, the power of social media means there are one or two surprises,” the retailer said.

HMV revealed that The Number of the Beast received over 9 per cent of all the votes cast, suggesting a concerted internet campaign by the Iron Maiden’s fans. A similar campaign is likely to have been behind the number two album, Violator by Depeche Mode, another album that does not usually feature strongly in ‘best of’ lists......

Perhaps due to the votes taking place via social media, the majority who took part were 34 or less with over a third aged 24 or under, while 60 per cent of those who choose their favourite film or album were male.

The fact that Harry Potter made two appearances in the top ten films tells you everything. If One Direction had been amongst the shortlisted albums, they'd have walked it.

> Maiden bigger then Zeppelin sorry i don't think so.

Maiden are definitely bigger than Zeppelin 

Proof:

Zeppelin = Plant, Page, Jones, Bonham (4 people)

Maiden = Dickinson, Murray, Smith, Harris, Burr (5 people)

But neither were as a big as the St Winifred's School Choir (lots of girls)

In terms of album sales, I have to concede it would be Zep with 37 million copies of their fourth album, whereas Maiden's masterpieces don't figure in the top 50. AC/DC are the top selling rock/metal band (a group I've never enjoyed).

However, I don't think popularity polls determine who is the best band in the land or Half Man Half Biscuit would top the lot  (most minutes/airtime on John Peel show).  This could of course develop in to another running order squabble, but no way am I going on at half past four after Crispy Ambulance

> The fact that Harry Potter made two appearances in the top ten films tells you everything

I think it tells us people like Harry Potter films, but not enough to vote three of them in. 

Where did my favourite film "La Grande Vadrouille" come? 

Not bad choices in my opinion (although I agree with Richard Thompson that Albert Lee is the master of guitar).

In the late 50s, Tommy Steele was voted best guitarist: later Tommy admitted he couldn't play it. Still he was a very convincing Toreador. 

So BigH, what Maiden album would have chosen as greatest of all time?