Iron Maiden (GB)

About

Also known as: Ironmaiden, Maiden, 鉄の処女

Steve Harris formed Iron Maiden in Leyton, East London in 1975, and what started as a scrappy club band became one of heavy metal's defining acts. The arrival of vocalist Bruce Dickinson in 1982 was the real turning point: their album The Number of the Beast, his debut with the band, has sold close to 20 million copies worldwide and remains one of the genre's most celebrated records. With a sound built on galloping rhythms, twin guitar harmonies and Dickinson's operatic range, the band carved out a lane that few have matched. Their lyrics range across history, mythology, war, literature and science fiction, giving the music an ambitious, almost cinematic scope. After a rocky stretch in the 1990s, the return of Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999 kicked off a second golden era. The band have now shifted over 130 million albums globally, and their three most recent studio records each hit number one in more than 25 countries. Their mascot Eddie has appeared on nearly every release for over four decades, becoming one of rock's most recognisable icons.