HISTORY OF IRON MAIDEN: HEAVY METAL MEGASTAR I (1982 - 1989)

1982–1989: Heavy Metal Megastar

Iron Maiden decided for Dickinson to abandon the pseudonym 'Bruce Bruce', which he used in the previous formation, and perform under his own name. At the end of October, the group with a new vocalist went on a five-day tour to Italy and played one concert in London, during which they presented several compositions for the new album that is currently being prepared. At the turn of 1981 and 1982, the band, assisted by Martin Birch, began recording material for their third studio album. The recording session took place at London's Battery Studios, where the musicians had already recorded their previous album, Killers. At this stage of their career, the band had sold approximately 1.5 million records in less than two years. Even before the premiere of the new album, Iron Maiden gave 20 concerts in Great Britain, during which time the single "Run to the Hills" was released, which quickly took 7th position on the sales charts in this country, reaching a circulation of 250,000 copies. 

 

Released on March 22, 1982, The Number of the Beast was the first album to occupy the 1st position on the UK Album Charts for two consecutive weeks, and in fact reached the TOP 5 and Top 10 of bestseller lists everywhere, and climbed to position 33 on the American Billboard 200, bringing the group their first gold record in the US. The album contained over 40 minutes of music, including timeless standards such as "Run to the Hills", "Children of the Damned", "22, Acacia Avenue", "The Prisoner", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", and an extremely impressive title track, which was released on the next single. The album is considered one of the best metal releases of all time, remaining a milestone in the history of the genre's development. Just three months after the premiere, the album's circulation exceeded one million copies sold, which allowed it to reach the top of bestseller lists in many countries. 

 

With their third studio album, the group opened the door to uncompromising metal without making any concessions. No one before them combined heavy metal gallop, punk aesthetics with melody in such an impressive way. Iron Maiden quickly advanced to the hard rock league and the avant-garde of heavy metal, they also embarked on a huge tour called "The Beast on the Road 1982", during which they gave 187 concerts in North America, Japan, Australia and the Old Continent, presenting a colorful setting for the first time, a specially designed stage and lighting consisting of over 400 lamps. Also, for the first time in the band's history, a mobile, three-meter tall Eddie was presented, who appeared on the stage while performing the song "Iron Maiden". From now on, the presence of the band's mascot, more and more visually refined and larger in size, will become a permanent attraction of their stage image. The group's concerts attracted thousands of viewers, but despite their unquestionable success in North America, the British appeared as special guests of Rainbow, Scorpions and Judas Priest. The Beast on the Road 1982 tour was considered the largest in rock history at the time.

Due to the controversial, demonic meaning of the title song, referring to the biblical apocalyptic vision and the words "666 - the Number of the Beast" appearing in the chorus, as well as the cover illustration referring to the painting "Hell" by Hieronymus Bosch, ultra-right wing of American organizations accused the musicians of popularizing Satanism and spreading moral corruption to which young people listening to their music were exposed. 

Despite encouraging people to boycott the group's concerts and even organizing campaigns to burn their records, Iron Maiden were invited to the largest American festivals (SuperFest 1982, Rock Fest 1982, Pacific Jam 1982, A Day on the Green 1982), where they performed, among others: at Rich Stadium (90,000 people, a record for "SuperFest 1982"), Anaheim Stadium (75,000 people, an attendance record), Comiskey Park (headlining concert for 50,000 people), Oakland Alameda Coliseum, for auditoriums ranging in size from 60 to 100 thousand people, but still not the main attraction of the evening. Within a year of its release, the circulation of Iron Maiden's third studio album reached the threshold of 2.5 million copies sold. According to reports from the American magazine " The New York Times ", by August 2010, over 14 million copies of The Number of the Beast were sold worldwide, and in December 2021 the circulation of the album was estimated at about 20 million copies.

An imminent change in this state of affairs was announced by his performance as the main star of the British "Reading Festival 1982" in front of almost 40,000 people, and several open-air concerts in Australia. At this stage, the band was already a first-class star, and subsequent albums, which were classics of the genre, only strengthened their position. 

After the tour ended with a concert in Niigata, drummer Clive Burr left the band, struggling with health problems and not coping well with the hardships of being on the road. 

In December, he was replaced by Nicko McBrain, known for his cooperation with Pat Travers, playing in the Streetwalkers formation and the French group Trust, friends of Iron Maiden.