Biography

One of the first bands to earn the label “British metal,” Iron Maiden came together in 1976 when Steve Harris, Tony Parsons, Doug Sampson, and Paul Di'Anno came together. They performed around the London area, establishing a fan base and earning some airplay. Shortly before releasing their debut album, Iron Maiden, in 1980, Parsons left the group. He was replaced by Dennis Stratton.

Iron Maiden provided the group with their first hit, “Running Free,” and the follow up album, Killers (1981), fared equally well. Shortly after, Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson were brought on board to replace Stratton and Di’Anno, and the band released their groundbreaking album, Number of the Beast. The album is viewed today as one of the greatest in its genre.

Iron Maiden followed up with Piece of Mind (1983), and a string of albums for the next few decades: Powerslave (1984), Somewhere in Time (1986), Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988), No Prayer for the Dying (1990), Fear of the Dark (1992), The X Factor (1995), Virtual XI (1998), Brave New World (2000), Dance of Death (2003), A Matter of Life and Death (2006), and The Final Frontier (2010.) Iron Maiden toured for most of the new millennium’s first decade, and released a few DVDs of their live performances. Their 2009 film, Flight 666, features footage captured throughout the first leg of the Iron Maiden 2008 tour, Somewhere Back in Time World Tour.

Iron Maiden continues to write, record, tour, and perform with the current lineup of Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Nicko McBrain, and Janick Gers. The group’s latest album, The Book of Souls, was released in 2015, and a live album, The Book of Souls: Live Chapter, arrived a few years later, in November of 2017.