Iron Maiden

For nearly five decades, Iron Maiden has stood as one of the most influential and enduring forces in heavy metal history. Founded in London's East End on Christmas Day 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, the band has sold over 130 million albums worldwide and established themselves as true innovators who helped define the genre. From their humble beginnings as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement alongside Saxon, Def Leppard, and Diamond Head, Iron Maiden has evolved into a global institution that continues to break new ground while staying true to their core identity.

The band's journey from their self-titled 1980 debut with vocalist Paul Di'Anno through their commercial breakthrough with Bruce Dickinson's arrival in 1982 reads like a heavy metal odyssey. Albums like "The Number of the Beast," "Piece of Mind," "Powerslave," and "Somewhere in Time" not only topped charts but fundamentally shaped what heavy metal could be – combining Harris's galloping bass lines, intricate guitar harmonies from Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, Nicko McBrain's thunderous drumming, and Dickinson's air-raid siren vocals with sophisticated songwriting that drew from literature, history, and cinema. Even through lineup changes and the challenging 1990s, when Dickinson temporarily departed and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, Iron Maiden maintained their commitment to pushing boundaries and serving their devoted fanbase. The triumphant return of Dickinson and Smith in 1999 ushered in a remarkable third act that has seen the band reach new creative and commercial heights with albums like "Brave New World," "Dance of Death," and the epic double album "The Book of Souls," all while pioneering new approaches to touring, including chartering their own Boeing 757 "Ed Force One" piloted by Dickinson himself.

Discography

Studio Albums:
1980 - Iron Maiden (EMI)
1981 - Killers (EMI)
1982 - The Number of the Beast (EMI)
1983 - Piece of Mind (EMI)
1984 - Powerslave (EMI)
1986 - Somewhere in Time (EMI)
1988 - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (EMI)
1990 - No Prayer for the Dying (EMI)
1992 - Fear of the Dark (EMI)
1995 - The X Factor (EMI)
1998 - Virtual XI (EMI)
2000 - Brave New World (EMI)
2003 - Dance of Death (EMI)
2006 - A Matter of Life and Death (EMI)
2010 - The Final Frontier (EMI)
2015 - The Book of Souls (Parlophone)
2021 - Senjutsu (Parlophone)
Essentials Live Album:
1985 - Live After Death (EMI)
1993 - A Real Live One (EMI)
2002 - Rock in Rio (EMI)