Iron Maiden

heavy metal

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and principal songwriter Steve Harris. Although the line-up changed frequently during the band's early years, the core line-up for much of its history consisted of Harris, vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. Emerging as part of the new wave of British heavy metal, Iron Maiden achieved international success with albums including Iron Maiden (1980), Killers (1981), and The Number of the Beast (1982), the first album to feature Dickinson after the departure of Paul Di'Anno. The Number of the Beast sold 2.5 million copies during its first year of release and had sold approximately 20 million copies worldwide by 2022. After a period of lower commercial performance during the 1990s, the return of Dickinson and Smith in 1999 was followed by a renewed period of success. The Final Frontier (2010), The Book of Souls (2015), and Senjutsu (2021) each reached number one in more than 25 countries. Iron Maiden have sold more than 130 million records worldwide and have received more than 600 certifications. The band have received several awards, including Grammy Awards and Brit Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2026. Iron Maiden have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs, seven compilation albums, 47 singles, 20 video albums and two video games. Their lyrics have addressed subjects i...