Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band who formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975, led by bassist and main songwriter Steve Harris. They were pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal, and their lyrics range across history, literature, war, mythology and science fiction. Their mascot, Eddie, has appeared on the sleeves of almost all their releases for more than forty years.

The big turning point came in 1981, when Bruce Dickinson replaced Paul Di'Anno on vocals. The Number of the Beast followed in 1982 and has sold almost 20 million copies. Powerslave, Piece of Mind and Fear of the Dark are also among their best-loved records. After a bumpy stretch in the 1990s, Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned in 1999, and the band's recent albums have all reached number 1 in more than 25 countries.