Courtesy Iron Maiden performs at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

The summer concert season is rife with acts that some of us know well. Others of us were born after they made their first platinum albums. Below is a primer for the latter group. This is good stuff; the elders at 210SA would never steer you wrong. Plus, so many of you young ’uns are wearing these bands’ T-shirts, anyway.

IRON MAIDEN

Show date: May 21

Current release: “Somewhere Back in Time: The Best of 1980-89”

Classic lineup: Bruce Dickinson (vocals); Steve Harris (bass); Dave Murray (guitars); Adrian Smith (guitars); Janick Gers (guitars); Nicko McBrain (drums). This is the current lineup. Harris, Murray and Smith are original members, but Maiden didn’t take off until Dickinson came on board in 1982. Nicko McBrain (we just like saying Nicko McBrain) replaced original drummer Clive Burr.

Greatest glory: “The Number of the Beast” scared parents, children, preachers and cool kids ..... WE LOVE IT. In addition to the title song, “Run to the Hills” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name” are staples. Not a filler track on the record (we’ve dated ourselves by saying record instead of CD).

Jumped the shark? Band mascot Eddie would never allow it.

Why still relevant? Still recording and playing new music and not trading on past glory. Plus, “The Number of the Beast” is a must-own for any metal head.

Best song: “Run to the Hills.” It’s also educational in that it tells the story of the extermination of the Cree nation by the American cavalry.

QUEENSRYCHE

Show date: July 11 is the yearly S.A. Queensryche appearance

Current release: “Take Cover,” a covers disc, was released last year

Classic lineup: Geoff Tate (vocals); Chris DeGarmo (guitars); Michael Wilton (guitars); Eddie Jackson (bass); and Scott Rockenfield (drums). All remain except DeGarmo, who left to become a pilot and has been replaced by Mike Stone.

Greatest glory: Say what you will about the highly successful “Empire” (1990) and its mega-hit “Silent Lucidity,” but 1988’s “Operation: Mindcrime” is the quintessential ’Ryche record.

Jumped the shark? Dabbled in grunge with “Hear in the Now Frontier” in 1997 — Queensryche is from Seattle, after all — and lost many casual fans.

Why still relevant? “Operation: Mindcrime.” It is that good.

Best song: The closing act on “Operation: Mindcrime” — “I Don’t Believe in Love” and “Eyes of a Stranger” — is progressive-rock perfection.

MÖTLEY CRÜE

Show date: July 23.

Current release: “Saints of Los Angeles,” June 24. It’s band’s first studio album in 11 years.

Classic lineup: Nikki Sixx (bass); Vince Neil (vocals); Mick Mars (guitars); and Tommy Lee (drums). All four members (pun intended) are irreplaceable.

Greatest glory: The “Dr. Feelgood” tour in 1989. The Crüe was sober and at its zenith, reaching a level of success few bands have achieved. Also at its most decadent.

Jumped the shark? John Corabi replacing Neil and subsequently Samantha Maloney replacing Lee. Not good.

Why still relevant? The Crüe has carved out a nice place in music history.

Best song: Tough call. Longtime Crüe fans love “Live Wire,” and so do we. But “Kickstart My Heart” is a blistering rocker.

FOREIGNER

Show date: July 24

Current release: “The Definitive,” a greatest-hits compilation released May 2002

Classic lineup: Mick Jones (guitars); Lou Gramm (vocals); Ian McDonald (multiple instruments); Ed Gagliardi (bass); Dennis Elliott (drums); and Al Greenwood (keyboards). Only Jones remains, but his drummer is Jason Bonham, son of legendary Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham.

Greatest glory: Beginning in 1977, the band’s first four albums — “Foreigner,” “Double Vision,” “Head Games” and “4” — all went platinum.

Jumped the shark? It may have been a No. 1 song, but “I Want to Know What Love Is” was the end for this band. In a word: PUKE!

Why still relevant? Lots of people owned a Foreigner record.

Best song: Several to choose from, such as “Feels Like the First Time,” or “Cold as Ice” from the first record, but we’re going with “Jukebox Hero.”

HEART

Show date: July 25

Current release: The most recent releases were 2004’s “A Lovemongers’ Christmas” and “Jupiter’s Darling.”

Classic lineup: The band has as many ex-members as Gene Simmons has names in his little black book. The Wilson sisters (Ann on vocals, Nancy on guitars and vocals) are Heart.

Greatest glory: Despite building a successful career with songs such as “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda” and “Magic Man,” Heart’s 1985 release, “Heart,” had four top-10 singles, including “What About Love?” and “Never.”

Jumped the shark? Can’t really say that Heart has jumped the shark.

Why still relevant? Along with Pat Benatar, paved the way for a lot of female rockers.

Best song: “Barracuda” has a great guitar lick and is the classic song.

JOURNEY

Show date: July 25

Current release: “Revelation,” to be released June 2008

Classic lineup: Steve Perry (vocals); Neal Schon (guitars); Ross Valory (bass); Steve Smith (drums); Jonathan Cain (keyboards). Schon, Valory and Cain remain. New lead singer Arnel Pineda is the band’s third Perry sound-alike since Perry left. Dean Castronovo (drums) handled vocals on a part-time basis in the past and sounded like Perry. Notice a pattern?

Greatest glory: “Escape” in 1981 and “Frontiers” in 1983 provided soundtrack to many a high school prom.
Jumped the shark? It could be when that judge from “American Idol” (Randy Jackson) played bass on the “Girl Can’t Help It” video.

Why still relevant? Could be if original lineup puts differences aside and reforms. If Van Halen can do it, ANYBODY can do it.

Best song: If “Don’t Stop Believin’.” is good enough to close out “The Sopranos,” it’s good enough for us.

CHEAP TRICK

Show date: July 25

Current release: “Rockford” was released in 2006 to critical acclaim

Classic lineup: The original lineup is intact: Robin Zander (vocals-guitars); Rick Nielsen (guitars); Tom Petersson (bass); and Bun E. Carlos (drums). Why do drummers have such great names?

Greatest glory: From 1977 to 1979, the band released four albums that went platinum, including the triple platinum “Live at Budokan.” That run culminated with the classic “Dream Police,” immortalized in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

Jumped the shark? Lots of people don’t like “The Flame,” but how did that song get so popular?

Why still relevant? Hardest-working band that never bought into trends or sold out.

Best song: “Surrender.” You gotta love a song about your parents getting it on on the living room couch while listening to KISS records. It is classic. And, of course, we love “She’s Tight.”

JUDAS PRIEST

Show date: Aug. 24

Current release: “Nostradamus,” to be released June 2008. A concept album about the life of Nostradamus.

Classic lineup: Rob Halford (vocals); Glenn Tipton (guitars); K.K. Downing (guitars); Ian Hill (bass); and Scott Travis (drums). It’s the current lineup, and it is wicked good.

Greatest glory: Along with Iron Maiden, ushered in the new wave of British heavy metal in early 1980s. “British Steel” (1980), “Point of Entry” (1981) and ”Screaming for Vengeance” (1982) are a 1-2-3 kick to the crotch of leather-studded power chords.

Jumped the shark? Priest was the basis for the dreadful movie “Rockstar,” in which Marky Mark becomes a metal god. There really aren’t words for how bad that movie was, although Jennifer Aniston almost got naked in it.

Why still relevant? Like Maiden, Priest’s influence can be heard in many of today’s top metal acts. Plus, Halford might have the most powerful voice ever.

Best song: “Breaking the Law.” An air guitar classic.

Rick Taylor | 210SA contributor