NO IRON MAIDEN; The Two Songs Bruce Dickinson Believes Explain Everything You Need To Know About Rock MUSIC

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has built a reputation as one of heavy metal’s most iconic voices. But when it comes to understanding rock and roll at its core, Dickinson doesn’t reach for one of his own band’s classic tracks. Instead, he points to two legendary songs by Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

In a 2018 interview with Come Backstage (transcribed by LOUDLEGENDS.COM), Dickinson was asked which songs he would choose to introduce someone to rock music. His answers were clear: Hendrix’s Little Wing and Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love.

1. Hendrix’s Little Wing

Dickinson’s first pick, Little Wing, was released in 1967 on Axis: Bold as Love, the second album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It’s a short track by Hendrix standards, clocking in at just under two and a half minutes, but it packs a lot of emotion.

Describing the song, Dickinson said it’s the kind of music that “makes you want to cry.” That sentiment captures why so many fans and musicians still view Hendrix as one of the most expressive guitarists of all time.

While Little Wing might not be as well-known as Hendrix hits like Purple Haze or Fire, it has earned a lasting reputation for its gentle guitar tone and soulful delivery. Dickinson highlighted that beauty, noting how the song connects on an emotional level without needing to be loud or fast.

Hendrix’s influence on Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson’s admiration for Hendrix goes beyond one track. During his time as the host of BBC Radio 2’s Masters of Rock, he listed Hendrix’s debut album, Are You Experienced, among his essential records. That album, released in 1967, helped reshape the possibilities of electric guitar in popular music.

In 2019, Dickinson spoke about Hendrix again during a talk at the Campus Party festival in Brasília, Brazil. At the time, he was also working as a commercial pilot and had helped Iron Maiden launch their own tour airplane, Ed Force One.

Interestingly, that idea was partly inspired by something Dickinson read about Hendrix.

“I read a book about Jimi Hendrix when I was learning to fly,” Dickinson said. “I discovered that early in his career, people in America used to travel in old DC-3. (It’s) something a little faster than walking. But not so reliable.”

According to Dickinson, Hendrix’s manager at the time suggested using rental gear at each destination rather than hauling everything by road. That idea stuck with Dickinson.

“I thought that, quite romantic, I could also fly around with a band and do shows. Because I would fly the plane and I could do this by singing!”

2. Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love

The second track Dickinson named as defining rock music was Whole Lotta Love, released by Led Zeppelin in 1969. The song opens their second album, Led Zeppelin II, and quickly became one of the group’s signature tunes.

Dickinson praised the song’s energy, saying it “makes you want to jump up and down and to have sex.” It’s a blunt but fitting description of a track that helped define the sound and feel of hard rock in the late 1960s and beyond.

Beyond the music itself, Dickinson has long admired Zeppelin’s vocalist Robert Plant. In a conversation with Metal Rules, he pointed to Plant, Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan, and Free’s Paul Rodgers as the foundation of metal-style singing.

“If you join aspect of these 3 singers, you have everything,” Dickinson said. “These 3 singers are Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Ian Gillan (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) and Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company). If you join them in various combinations you have everyone was always talking about well.”

Dickinson’s favorite Zeppelin albums

Dickinson has spoken often about his love for Led Zeppelin. His favorite albums from the band include Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin IV, the latter of which includes songs like Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and Stairway to Heaven.

But his connection to Zeppelin isn’t just about the heavy riffs or stage presence. Speaking to Metal Hammer in 2022, Dickinson explained that what drew him in was the band’s more delicate side.

“I’ve got to confess that the thing I loved most about Zeppelin was their English folk roots,” he said. “Not their copies of American blues tracks. Also ‘Ramble On’ is one of my favourite Led Zeppelin songs. But that’s just me.”

Iron Maiden even covered Zeppelin’s Communication Breakdown, releasing it as a B-side to their 1990 single Bring Your Daughter… to the Slaughter.

A personal guide to rock

Dickinson didn’t reach for speed, volume, or flash. He picked songs with feel. Stuff that stuck with him, not because it was complicated, but because it meant something.

Little Wing and Whole Lotta Love might live in different corners of the rock universe, but they get the job done. One floats, the other stomps. One is pure vibe, the other is all guts and groove.

They’re not deep cuts, and that’s kind of the point. They’re the kind of tracks that hit hard even if you’ve heard them a thousand times. If someone asked him where to start with rock, this is where he’d point. And I’m ok with that. 🤘

And sure, Iron Maiden came with their own sound and style, but the DNA? It’s Hendrix. It’s Zeppelin. You don’t get Run to the Hills without Whole Lotta Love rumbling around in someone’s head first.

So when Bruce Dickinson talks about what rock means to him, he skips his own catalog and grabs two records from the shelf. No nostalgia trip, no grand statement. Just two songs that still do the trick.

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