Maiden was great back in the day.

That galloping, literary "midevil" neo-classical influenced sort of thing never was my favorit. Type of music, but those dudes could play. When I was a kid, I remember looking at Nicko McBrian's kit in magazines and just being in awe.

The Number Of the Beast, Killers, Somewhere In Time, Powerslave, and No Prayer For the Dying were part of my Jr. High soundtrack.

And "Tailgunner" was all over MTV back in the day - I'd consider it a "hit."

that being said...it's like KISS - I like some of the stuff; I grew up with it...but I understand why someone wouldn't like it.

Let's put it this way; there are bands I defend due to misconceptions (The Black Crowes, first and foremost) but I could never defend KISS or Iron Maiden.

The cheese factor is WAY too high.

well, as I said, that is just my experience. maybe I have talked to the wrong fans, but I have talked to many, MANY fans of Iron Maiden. The funny thing is that many kids in elementary school listen to Iron Maiden, and when I asked a forth grader why he likes Iron Maiden he answered: "Because metal is cool", and when I asked him what other bands does he like, he couldn't name even one. That was 5 years ago. Now he doesn't even listen to metal.

Well, many kids go through a phase, they think Metal is cool so they listen to a Metal band. But they will eventually grow out of it. You TRULY have to like metal to stick with it.

well, the point is, Iron Maiden is always that band.

Or sometimes Metallica?
I have a feeling these two bands are very well known and that's why some kids know only these names.
I don't know how it is in other countires but now in Czech republic almost all teenagers are into rap and hip-hop because it's cool, metal not so much.

Well and I am example that metal doesn't have to be only for teenagers. I liked some metal bands but didn't listen to them so much. I really started to enjoy metal in my 24 thanks to band Opeth :) And than some other bands came but Opeth is still the most interesting metal band for me.

Metallica is very often confused for a music genre, which is the saddest part. You're right, it is always Metallica or Iron Maiden. The only difference is that Metallica is way better band than Iron Maiden. I feel as if Iron Maiden's discography consists only of filler songs, with just a dozen hits, while Metallica has much less fillers in it's discography.

I don't listen to these bands so much but when it comes to compare them, I prefer Metallica too. They have some really good songs.

Iron Maiden, Tool, Opeth, Dio, In Flames, Seether, Degradead, Rob Zombie, Satyricon, Black Sabbath in no particular order...

which of these exactly are metal?

Of all three of those Queen comes closest and it is still miles and miles away from being considered metal... i would suggest that the poster of those three bands had come to the wrong board... or has a seriously warped sense of what metal actually is...