Here's How Nicko McBrain Ranked Every Iron Maiden Album From Worst to Best

Longtime Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain recently ranked the band's entire catalog — and the results might not be what you'd expect.

McBrain, who played live and on record with Maiden from 1982 until his retirement from touring in 2024, offered his thoughts on Iron Maiden's 17 studio albums during last month's "An Evening With CapnHarris" event at his Rock n Roll Ribs barbecue joint in Coconut Creek, Florida.

As each album was revealed in non-chronological order, McBrain gave his brief feedback and placed it on a leaderboard, shifting them up and down as their counterparts were unveiled.

Nicko McBrain's Favorite + Least Favorite Iron Maiden Album

McBrain made a bold claim with his pick for least favorite Iron Maiden album: the band's 1980 self-titled debut.

"I'll tell you what, the production on that wasn't the greatest, but nevertheless, still a good album," said McBrain, who didn't drum on Iron Maiden. (The band's first three albums featured Clive Burr behind the kit.) McBrain's bandmates have also expressed dissatisfaction with the debut album's production, though its title track remains their most-played song live with nearly 2,500 documented performances on setlist.fm.

And what about McBrain's favorite Iron Maiden album?

That honor went to the band's 2006 opus A Matter of Life and Death. "That's definitely my favorite album," McBrain enthused, while highlighting long-form epics such as "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns" and "Lord of Light" as standout tracks.

On his way to reaching his final ranking of all 17 albums, McBrain delights attendees with anecdotes from each record, serving up some laughs along the way.

Watch the video and see the complete ranking directly below.

Watch Nicko McBrain Rank Every Iron Maiden Album

Nicko McBrain's Full Iron Maiden Album Ranking, Worst to Best

17. Iron Maiden
16. Virtual XI
15. No Prayer for the Dying
14. The X Factor
13. Killers
12. The Number of the Beast
11. The Final Frontier
10. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
9. Fear of the Dark
8. Somewhere in Time
7. Brave New World
6. Dance of Death
5. The Book of Souls
4. Powerslave
3. Senjutsu
2. Piece of Mind
1. A Matter of Life and Death

What's Next for Nicko McBrain?

McBrain will spend a lot of time revisiting his Iron Maiden tenure as he releases his autobiography, Hello Boys and Girls!, in October. He'll promote the release with a European book tour that runs from Oct. 26 through Dec. 3.

"It's been a real honor to write my very own autobiography and have the chance to walk down memory lane, revisiting all the experiences that have made me who I am and brought me to where I am today," McBrain said in a statement. "And I'm thrilled and delighted to be taking those stories on the road and share them all with you. I feel truly blessed to be able to say Hello Boys and Girls to you all in person later this year. We're going to have a lot of fun together, so come and join me for a great night out. I've got a LOT of stories I want to tell you all!"

See how WE ranked every Iron Maiden album below!