THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

666-Iron Maiden-Can I Play with Madness.

1988-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.42. As the old saying goes,’It’s heads down and I’ll see you at the other end.’ At least I think it’s an old saying, although it is just possible I made it up myself.

Iron Maiden are a ‘Heavy Metal’ group, who were formed by Steve Harris, in Leyton, East London, in 1975. In total there have been 19 different members come and go, with the classic line up probably considered as Steve Harris, (bass and keyboards) Dave Murray, (guitars) Adrian Smith, (guitars and keyboards) Bruce Dickinson, (vocals) Nicko McBrain, (drums) and Janick Gers (guitars.) Steve Harris chose the name Iron Maiden from a film adaptation of ‘The Man in the Iron Mask,’ (1939) from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, as the title reminded him of the ‘Iron Maiden torture device.’ Iron Maiden have used a mascot called ‘Eddie’ for over 40 years. ‘Eddie,’ who is also known as ‘Eddie the Head,’ has appeared on all of the groups Album covers, and nearly all of their singles, and in their merchandise, which includes T-shirts, posters and action figures. ‘Eddie’ also appears at all Iron Maiden live performances, and cannot be missed, as he muscle-bound, and stands around 10 feet tall.

Iron Maiden are one of the best selling groups of all time, with record sales in excess of 130 million worldwide. Their discography includes 17 studio Albums released between 1980-2021, and 47 singles released between 1980-2022, there are also five box sets, plus 13 official live Albums, and seven compilation Albums available. In the UK, Iron Maiden have achieved 35 top 40 singles, with ‘Bring Your Daughter… to the Slaughter,’ reaching the Number 1 spot in January 1990, they have also had five of their Albums reach the Number 1 spot in the UK. In America on Billboard, Iron Maiden have never had any of their singles chart within the ‘Hot 100’ top 40, but 13 of their Albums have made the ‘Billboard 200’ top 40 Album chart.

‘Can I Play with Madness’ was the first of three singles released from Iron Maiden’s seventh studio Album ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,’ from April 1988, the song was co-written by the band members Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, and Steve Harris, with the production being by Martin Birch, who was born on December 27, 1948, in Woking, Surrey, England, he died on August 9th, 2020, at the age of 71, the cause of death was undisclosed. Martin Birch produced 10 Iron Maiden studio Albums, and officially announced his retirement in 1992, after producing the Iron Maiden Album ‘Fear of the Dark.’ Birch was one of the most important names in ‘Heavy Metal,’ producing for several of the genres top acts, including Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath.

‘Heavy Metal’ is a genre of ‘Rock Music’ that developed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, largely in the United Kingdom, and the United States. Most music historians would agree that the genre became popular through the British groups Led Zeppelin, (see also best songs 135 and 66) Black Sabbath, (see also best songs 814) and Deep Purple (see also best songs 550 and 89.) ‘Heavy Metal’ which has it’s roots in ‘Blues Rock,’ ‘Psychedelic Rock,’ and ‘Acid Rock,’ was developed with the adding of distorted guitars, and extended guitar solos. By the end of the 1970’s the next generation of musicians, including Iron Maiden, who had been heavily influenced by those that came before them, were keeping the genre alive, in what the music press dubbed, ‘the new wave of British heavy metal.’ There are music critics who point to the May 1968 song, ‘Born to Be Wild,’ (Billboard Number 2 & UK Number 30) by the Canadian-American Rock band ‘Steppenwolf,’ as ‘the first’ ‘Heavy Metal’ song, with the genre taking it’s name from that songs lyrics in the second verse,’heavy metal thunder.’

‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,’ is a concept Album, with ‘Can I Play with Madness’ being part of it’s theme of mysticism surrounding the folklore concept of being the ‘seventh son of a seventh son,’ it is also the first Iron Maiden Album to include the use of keyboards. The songs music video is significant for it being the final appearance of the ‘Monty Python’ actor, and comedian Graham Chapman, (1941-1989) before his death. ‘Can I Play with Madness’ tells the story of a young man wanting to learn his future from an old prophet with a crystal ball. The young man is suffering from visions and nightmares, and thinks he is going mad, but when the young man thinks that the prophets advise is lies, they become angry with each other.

‘Give me the sense to wonder, to wonder if I’m free. Give me a sense of wonder to know I can be me. Give me the strength to hold my head up, spit back in their face.’