First Ten Years Iron Maiden

Samson's best album, 1981's Shock Tactics, was the last to feature singer Bruce Dickinson (then known simply as Bruce Bruce). The band's songwriting had improved and was comparable to other up-and-coming British heavy metal bands at the time, such as Saxon, Diamond Head, and Iron Maiden…

The man (and the band) who first brought shock rock to the masses, Alice Cooper became one of the most successful and influential acts of the '70s with their gritty but anthemic hard rock and a live show that delivered a rock & roll chamber of horrors, thrilling fans and cultivating outrage from authority figures (which made fans love them all the more). The name Alice Cooper originally referred to both the band and its lead singer (born Vincent Furnier).

This 1995 compilation from UK rockers Thunder serves as an effective introduction to the band's brand of classy rockers and ballads. Featuring tracks from the first three albums plus two new cover songs (Python Lee Jackson's "In A Broken Dream" and the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter"), as well as a rearranged version of "Higher Ground" and the previously unreleased slowie "Once In A Lifetime", those looking for a taster of what the band is all about need look no further. The songs are all several years old now but stand up (pun intended) very well to repeated listening…