Rock in Rio

Iron Maiden's Rock in Rio captures the band at a triumphant peak. Recorded on January 19, 2001, at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, this live album and video documents the final date of the Brave New World Tour. The band played to roughly 250,000 people, the second largest crowd of their career (their 1985 appearance at the same festival drew 350,000). With Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith back in the fold, the reunited lineup delivered a set list that balanced classics with newer material. The album features 19 tracks, blending staples like "Iron Maiden" and "Run to the Hills" with six songs from Brave New World, including "The Wicker Man" and the title track. Two Blaze Bayley-era songs, "Sign of the Cross" and "The Clansman," also made the cut. Released on March 25, 2002, via EMI, the video edition was edited by bassist Steve Harris. The second disc includes interviews, a day-in-the-life documentary, and photos by Ross Halfin.

Kevin Shirley produced the audio album, not Rod Smallwood as previously listed. The video release, which runs about 125 minutes, topped the UK Music Video Chart. Professional reviews were mixed; AllMusic gave the audio 2 out of 5 stars, criticizing the muddy mix, while PopMatters praised the video's visual presentation and crowd atmosphere. The video won the 2002 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for Best Live Video/DVD and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video in 2003. [edit]