Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's Killers, and 1982's The Number of the Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who in 1981 replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career, establishing them as one of heavy metal's most important bands.[2] The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide.[3]
This article is about the band. For their eponymous album, see Iron Maiden (album). For the supposed torture device, see Iron maiden. For other uses, see Iron Maiden (disambiguation).
Iron Maiden
London, England
1975–present
After some turbulence in the 1990s, the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999 saw the band undergo a resurgence in popularity, with a series of new albums and highly successful tours.[4] Their three most recent albums — The Final Frontier (2010), The Book of Souls (2015), and Senjutsu (2021) — have all reached No. 1 in more than 25 countries.[5][6][7] Iron Maiden have sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide and have obtained over 600 certifications. The band is considered to be one of the most influential and revered rock bands of all time.[8]
The band and its members have received multiple industry awards, including the Grammy Awards, Brit Awards,[9] Silver Clef Award,[10] Nordoff-Robbins Award,[11] Ivor Novello Awards,[12] Juno Awards,[13] Spanish Music Awards,[14] and Guinness Book of World Records.[15] The band are also a part of permanent exhibitions of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[16] British Music Experience,[17][18][19] Rock in Rio Wall of Fame,[20] Metal Across America Exhibition[21] and Wacken Open Air Hall of Fame.[22] In 2023 Iron Maiden were honoured by Royal Mail UK with dedicated postal stamps and cards.[23][24]
The band have released 41 albums, including 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs and seven compilations. They have also released 47 singles and 20 video albums, and two video games. Iron Maiden's lyrics cover such topics as history, literature, war, mythology, society and religion.[25][26] As of October 2019, the band have played some 2,500 live shows. For over 40 years the band have featured their signature mascot, "Eddie", on the covers of almost all of their releases.[27]
Musical style and influences[edit]
Steve Harris, Iron Maiden's bassist and primary songwriter,[337] has said his influences include Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy, UFO, Queen, and Wishbone Ash.[338] In 2010 Harris said, "I think if anyone wants to understand Maiden's early thing, in particular the harmony guitars, all they have to do is listen to Wishbone Ash's Argus album. Thin Lizzy too, but not as much. And then we wanted to have a bit of a prog thing thrown in as well, because I was really into bands like Genesis and Jethro Tull. So you combine all that with the heavy riffs and the speed, and you've got it."[283] In 2004, Harris explained the band's "heaviness" was inspired by "Black Sabbath and Deep Purple with a bit of Zeppelin thrown in."[339] Harris also developed his own playing style, which guitarist Janick Gers describes as "more like a rhythm guitar."[340] Harris's bass technique is responsible for the band's galloping style,[341] heard in such songs as "The Trooper"[342] and "Run to the Hills".[343]
The band's guitarists, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers, each have their own individual influences and playing styles. Dave Murray is known for his legato technique which, he says, "evolved naturally. I'd heard Jimi Hendrix using legato when I was growing up, and I liked that style of playing."[344] Stating that he "was inspired by blues rock rather than metal," Adrian Smith was influenced by Johnny Winter and Pat Travers, leading to him becoming a "melodic player."[345] Janick Gers prefers a more improvised style, largely inspired by Ritchie Blackmore,[346] which he says is in contrast to Smith's "rhythmic" sound.[347]
Singer Bruce Dickinson, who typically works in collaboration with guitarist Adrian Smith,[348] has an operatic vocal style, inspired by Arthur Brown, Peter Hammill, Ian Anderson and Ian Gillan,[349] and is often considered to be one of the best heavy metal vocalists of all time.[350] Although Nicko McBrain has only received one writing credit, on the Dance of Death album,[351] Harris often relies on him while developing songs. Adrian Smith commented, "Steve loves playing with him. [They] used to work for hours going over these bass and drum patterns."[352]
Throughout their career, the band's style has remained largely unchanged, although the addition of guitar synthesisers on 1986's Somewhere in Time,[120] keyboards on 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,[110] and an attempt to return to the "stripped down" production of their earlier material on 1990's No Prayer for the Dying marked some experimentation.[119] In recent years, however, the band have begun using more progressive elements in their songs,[353] which Steve Harris describes as not progressive "in the modern sense, but like Dream Theater, more in a 70s way".[354] According to Harris, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was the band's first album which was "more progressive",[355] and they would return to this style in 1995's The X Factor, which he states is "like an extension of Seventh Son..., in the sense of the progressive element to it".[142] The development contrasts with the band's raw-sounding earlier material,[283] which AllMusic states was "clearly drawing from elements of punk rock",[356] although Harris firmly denies this.[357]