Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden embodies the sound and spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, a scrappy, late-’70s/early-’80s movement that revolutionized heavy music. The London-formed band wields a twin-guitar attack driven by both speed and nuance—a perfect match for Bruce Dickinson’s vibrato-heavy yawp—as well as smart lyrics that draw on Greek mythology (1983’s “Flight of Icarus”) and English poetry (1984’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”). Bassist Steve Harris formed Iron Maiden on Christmas Day 1975, and the band cycled through many lineups in the subsequent years, adding guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith—and a mighty shape-shifting mascot named Eddie—along the way. After debuting in 1980 with a self-titled LP recorded with vocalist Paul Di’Anno, Iron Maiden came into their own with 1982’s The Number of the Beast. Their first album with frontman Bruce Dickinson, it topped the UK charts and produced the signature screamers “Run to the Hills” and “The Number of the Beast.” The ensuing decades have been kind to Iron Maiden, as the band has earned numerous worldwide No. 1 albums (including 2015’s The Book of Souls) and continues to be a popular live act known for elaborate, theater-like stage productions. Above all, however, the group has elevated metal to an art form, proving that academic and musical inspirations can coexist loudly.