IRON MAIDEN IN POP CULTURE

 

The band remained on the fringes of mainstream media interest, with neither the musicians nor their managers seeking support from such outlets. By operating outside the mainstream and emphasizing their independence—consistently avoiding traditional media "PR"—Iron Maiden managed to enter the world of popular culture, effectively slipping in through the "back door." According to Martin Popoff, the band’s influence on pop culture—and their stature as standard-bearers for uncompromising heavy rock—grew significantly once the six-member lineup was established, bolstered by the increasing success of the albums and concert tours that followed. Despite their defiant stance, the band’s name has been referenced in numerous pop-rock songs, including "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus, "Back to the 80s" by the Danish dance-pop group Aqua, and "Fat Lip" by the Canadian band Sum 41. Iron Maiden are also mentioned in Weezer’s "Heart Songs" (from their 2008 self-titled "Red" album) and "Psycho Joe" by Travelling Blues (1997). Furthermore, the punk band NOFX drew upon the group’s history in the song "Eddie, Bruce and Paul" (from their 2009 album *Coaster*)—a track described by Sputnikmusic as "a dark-humored tale about the departure of Paul Di'Anno." 

The Swedish power metal band Sabaton also included numerous references to the British group’s work in their songs "Metal Machine" and "Metal Ripper," paraphrasing titles such as "Fear of the Dark" and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers," as well as incorporating lyrical fragments from "The Number of the Beast." These are just a few examples among hundreds of others. Iron Maiden’s imagery—specifically their logo and their mascot, Eddie—has frequently appeared in music videos and photographs featuring a wide range of figures, from disco-pop artists to various rock and metal musicians, as well as celebrities and athletes. A massive effigy of Eddie has appeared multiple times during Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and other South American cities, displayed alongside installations depicting famous stars of music, film, and sports, as well as influential political figures. During the 2021 Three Kings' Parade in the Spanish city of Cádiz, a giant inflatable mummy—inspired by the iconic 1985 version of Iron Maiden’s mascot—was featured alongside figures from pop culture. 

Furthermore, Eddie serves as the official symbol of the youth football club Força Jovem Vasco. The band’s distinctive graphic motifs have also frequently appeared on large stadium banners at football matches across the globe. Beyond the wide array of readily available merchandise featuring various incarnations of the band’s mascot, the image of Eddie has also become a popular choice for tattoos, adorning the bodies of thousands of fans of sci-fi/fantasy aesthetics and heavy rock music. In November 2021, the band’s management entered into a partnership with Marvel Entertainment—the world’s oldest and largest producer of iconic comic books. This collaboration resulted in, among other things, a line of merchandise featuring both famous Marvel characters and Eddie. 

According to manager Rod Smallwood, this fulfilled a dream of seeing the band’s mascot join the ranks of pop-culture superheroes such as the X-Men, the Avengers, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Venom, Thanos, Thor, and Deadpool. Eddie also made an appearance in a Marvel comic book titled *The X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1*. The "Metal Lord/Iron Maiden" typeface—a distinctive font synonymous with the band’s classic logo and popularized globally through the group’s visual materials—has become a fixture in mass culture, frequently serving as an inspiration for the design of various other logos. To mark its 46th anniversary, Microsoft showcased the different logos it has used throughout its history. The logo from 1980 served as a tribute to the burgeoning heavy metal scene, with a typeface that drew clear inspiration from the branding of bands like Judas Priest, Montrose, and Iron Maiden. The club logo for Pogoń Szczecin, created by fans, was modeled on the typeface used by the British band. Bartosz Walaszek brought to life a project called "Ajronwejder," which serves as a parody of both the musical and visual style of Iron Maiden. Animated clips featuring music from this project were used to promote episodes of the series "Bogdan Boner: Exorcist," available on the Netflix platform. Iron Maiden’s compositions have been featured on the soundtracks of numerous video games, including: Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (and 3), SSX on Tour, Madden NFL 10, and Angry Birds, World of Warcraft, World of Warplanes, PowerSlave (a title taken from the band’s album of the same name), Guardians of the Galaxy, Massive Warfare, World of Tanks, and many others—including their own game, Legacy of the Beast. 

The band’s music has also appeared on the soundtracks for Guitar Hero and in Rock Band content packs, as well as in various video game tutorial series. Hugo Martin, the creator of the popular game Doom Eternal, openly acknowledged that Iron Maiden’s album covers served as an inspiration for the game’s visual themes. The Finnish game developer Rovio Entertainment joined forces with Iron Maiden’s management to include the band’s mascot, Eddie, as a character in a special Halloween-themed edition of Angry Birds Evolution in 2017. This collaboration with the creators of Angry Birds—a game with a massive global audience—offered many players a potential gateway into the world of heavy metal. The track "Fear of the Dark" was featured in the trailer for the new edition of the game Lords of the Fallen. The band’s mascot and various motifs associated with the British group also appeared in an update for Dead by Daylight, released to mark the game’s seventh anniversary. Iron Maiden headlined the third edition of "Metal Fest" within World of Tanks, featuring Eddie—as he appeared on the cover of the album A Matter of Life and Death—complete with military-themed gear. Additionally, in-game skins and visual effects inspired by the band have been featured in the popular game Dead by Daylight. 

In 2024, the game boasted over 60 million users, and manager Kirby Taylor noted that Eddie is such a powerful icon that his inclusion—along with the cult-classic track "Fear of the Dark"—was essential. To mark the 40th anniversary of the album *Somewhere in Time* (1986), the "Cyborg Eddie" featured on its cover appeared as a character in the *Eternal Horizon* installment of the shooter game *Sniper 3D*. The band's hits have appeared on numerous compilations tied to various cultural events—such as festival retrospectives, overviews of specific eras in music history, or charity-focused releases. Examples include the *This Is Rock* series, released in connection with the centenary of EMI Records, and the 1990 charity album *The Earthquake*. Iron Maiden’s songs have also been featured in films—such as *Phenomena* (known in the U.S. as *Creepers*)—as well as in various horror works (e.g., *The Walking Dead* season 10, episode 11; *Chemical Wedding*) and fantasy films. Numerous references to Iron Maiden’s history and the band’s role in shaping the genre appear throughout the series *Stranger Things* (including the character Eddie Munson, as well as the band's recordings, merchandise, and artwork), while their music was also included on the soundtrack for the production *The Terminal List*. The book *Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus* was announced for release in October 2023; its title alludes to one of Iron Maiden’s greatest hits, "Flight of Icarus," and its protagonist is the aforementioned Eddie Munson, a devoted heavy metal fan.  

American alternative country-rock artist Ryan Adams included his own interpretation of the classic Iron Maiden track "Wasted Years" on the soundtrack for the sixth season of the series *Californication*. In doing so, the artist paid a personal tribute to the musicians who shaped his musical taste—including Iron Maiden, the band responsible for his introduction to the world of heavy metal. The band’s classic songs have also featured in recitals held around the world, which showcase famous popular music compositions through various arrangements—often drawing inspiration from classical music. The animated MTV series *Beavis and Butt-Head*, which follows the adventures of two rock fans, contains several references to the band’s work, voiced by the main characters. The first-ever heavy metal music video aired on MTV was a live performance of the song "Iron Maiden," taken from the *Live at the Rainbow* VHS release (August 1981). An episode of the popular series *South Park* features the composition "The Number of the Beast," with a plot partially inspired by the song's lyrics—and it even includes an appearance by Eddie, the band’s mascot. 

In September 1996, the band was inducted into Madame Tussaud's Rock Circus. The group’s music has also been featured in numerous advertisements and documentaries, including the "Headbanger’s Journey" series. Furthermore, contestants on international talent show franchises—such as *The X Factor*, *Big Brother*, *Idol*, *Got Talent*, *La Voz Kids*, and *The Voice* (including its Polish edition, *The Voice of Poland*)—have frequently performed the band’s songs or presented their own interpretations of the group’s classic tracks. The legacy of the British band has also served as an inspiration for many authors of novels (particularly in the science fiction and fantasy genres). Numerous characters, settings, episodes, and even entire themes encountered in electronic games, films, and novels—particularly within the sci-fi and fantasy genres—have been inspired by the band’s album artwork and the subject matter of their songs. 

The creators of the game *Ion Maiden* even veered close to plagiarism; the band’s management intervened, demanding that the characters’ names and the game’s title be changed—leading to its renaming as *Ion Fury*. Bill Forster, author of *The Transformers*, is a self-professed Iron Maiden fan and has incorporated numerous references to the band’s work into his novels, including the *Ark* and *Allspark* series, published by Almanach. Further examples of the band’s influence on literature can be found in the works of Robert Corvus, Antonio Biggio, and various Polish authors—including Adam Froń, Kacper Kotulak, Kazimierz Kyrcz Jr., Łukasz Radecki, Jarosław Turowski, Juliusz Wojciechowicz, Leszek P. Błaszkiewicz, Remigiusz Mróz, Marcin Sitko, Rafał Dłużyński, Kornel Mikołajczyk, Anna Musiałowicz, Dominika Tarczoń, Michał J. Walczak, Flora Woźnica, Marek Zychla, and Krzysztof Azarewicz. Short stories by these Polish authors have been compiled in volumes such as *Iron Tales* and *Iron Tales – The Blood Brothers*, serving as a literary tribute to Iron Maiden. Over the course of several decades, the band’s cover art and iconography have frequently appeared in various television productions, music videos by artists across the spectrum of popular music, and the pages of the daily press. 

The distinctive cover illustrations—most notably the band’s mascot and logo—began appearing on clothing (frequently T-shirts) worn by various figures from the world of pop culture, including prominent pop artists, actors, athletes, models, and celebrities. These items were spotted both in their private lives and at prestigious industry events or fashion shows in cities such as Berlin, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, and São Paulo. Among the most well-known figures who have incorporated Iron Maiden merchandise into their public image are: Harry Styles, Post Malone, Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, Rihanna, Madonna, Rowan Atkinson, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Taylor Hill, Selena Gomez, David Beckham, David Hasselhoff, Diego Maradona, Goran Bogdan, Lauren Wood, Kelly Rowland, Taryn Manning, Olivia Munn, Candice Swanepoel, Travis Scott, Cameron Diaz, Dolph Ziggler, Justin Bieber, Hilary Duff, Emilia Mernes, Lou Dorchen, Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Clifford, Miley Cyrus, Holly Madison, David Banks, Jaden Smith, Ann-Catherine Lacroix, Michael Fassbender, Sam Worthington, Taylor Momsen, Kat Von D, Fearne Cotton, Keith Urban, Behati Prinsloo, Amy Poehler, Paul Gascoigne, Marc Overmars, Faustino Asprilla, Mundur Thorvaldsson, Juicy J, Kourtney Kardashian, Asia Argento, DJ Mustard, Odell Beckham Jr., Eyal Booker, Ashley Tisdale, Evan Ross, Anwar Hadid, Andreina Mendez, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Tananai, Mike Weatherley, Noemi Eelicha, Ann Sydney, Kylie Jenner, Pilar Rubio, Slaven Bilic, Pablo Zabaleta, Anushka Sharma, Terry Butcher, Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira, Celine Aagaard, Paul Mariner, Stuart Pearce, Iggy Azalea, Bjørn Einar Romøren, Thiago Cionek, Radosław Majdan (from the reality show series "Iron Majdan"), Magdalena Cielecka (from the TV series "Chyłka"), Łukasz Czepiela, Andrey Rublev, Rachel Sheherazade, Saif Ali Khan, Angela Simmons, Eli Roth, Niykee Heaton, Lalisa Manobal, Belinda, Gul Panag, Delilah Hamlin, Hayley Vernon, Marianne Theodorsen, Lorena Improta, Lucy Spraggan, Benicio del Toro, Chico Horta, Scout Willis, and many others. 

Director Mauricio Levia-Cock (known for the Netflix productions *Green Frontier* and *Capital Noise*), in collaboration with Fidelo Films, created the fictionalized, documentary-style film *Night of the Beast*. It follows the adventures of two teenage fans of the band as they attempt to secure tickets for the group’s first-ever performance in their home country of Colombia. The film is based on a true story that took place in 2008. Distribution rights for the film were acquired by the German company M-Appeal. The same platform also released the psychological drama *Rebel Ridge*, which features the song "The Number of the Beast" on its soundtrack. The plot of the British comedy *Shooters* is based on a true story from 1980, when an ambitious but inexperienced promoter set out to organize an Iron Maiden concert in the town of Dundee. The song "The Trooper" and elements of the band’s imagery appear in the teen musical comedy *Metal Lords*, available on Netflix. Iron Maiden’s music and references to the band also featured in the popular British series *Coronation Street* in 2021. 

The digital television network REELZ aired a series titled *Frontmen*, dedicated to the most iconic figures in hard rock; one episode was devoted to the life story of Bruce Dickinson. A series of biographical programs titled "Breaking the Band," dedicated to the most famous rock groups in history, was also broadcast; one of the episodes featured Steve Harris’s band. In early January 2021, at the conclusion of a general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall, Pope Francis was treated to a circus performance by over 25 artists from the Ronny Roller Circus, which included a rendition of the classic track "The Trooper"—one of the British band’s greatest staples. This marked the first time in history that a composition by a heavy metal artist was performed at the Vatican. 

Iron Maiden’s presence in pop culture has been shaped not only by the indirect use of their music and imagery but also by the multifaceted activities of the band’s lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. Dickinson is known as an aviation enthusiast and advocate, a motivational speaker, a presenter at numerous business conferences, an honorary colonel in the RAF, an aviation company owner, a shareholder in the Airlander project, a businessman, a sports commentator, an MTV journalist and reporter, an athlete (fencer), a brewer, a bestselling novelist, a screenwriter, and a radio host for BBC 6 Music. His profile has also been bolstered by media coverage of him piloting "Ed Force One," the aircraft used during the band’s tours. Furthermore, the Iron Maiden frontman hosted the "Friday Rock Show" on the BBC between 2002 and 2010. Dickinson also hosted a series titled "Masters of Rock," which aired on BBC Radio 2 between 2003 and 2007. The singer’s musical contributions and occasional acting appearances have featured in productions such as "The Chemical Wedding," "The Dope Opera," "The Club Paradise," "Mr. Bean’s Elected," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child." Dickinson’s passion for aviation and his talent for storytelling are showcased in "Flying Heavy Metal"—a five-part documentary series for the Discovery Channel—as well as in various other themed productions. Between 2021 and 2022, a podcast titled "Psycho Schizo Espresso," featuring Bruce Dickinson, was released on social media platforms. Each episode explored phenomena that defy rational explanation and included interviews with controversial figures. 

A German foundation dedicated to supporting young people struggling with mental health issues was named "Run to the Hills," after one of Iron Maiden’s greatest hits. According to the organization’s president, the phrase "Run to the Hills" is intended to serve as motivation for overcoming personal challenges. The band’s music was even included in a playlist sent by NASA to the Mars rover Curiosity; the 1983 track "The Trooper" was used to help reboot the device. Meanwhile, a team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory described the storms of "iron rain" observed on the newly discovered exoplanet WASP-76b as an "ideal stage setting for an Iron Maiden concert." Since 2013, various versions of "Trooper Ale"—a beer produced by Robinsons Brewery in collaboration with the band—have appeared on the global market. Among similar alcoholic beverages branded by famous musical acts, this beer achieved immense popularity, with sales reaching tens of millions of liters. In partnership with Motorrad Bögel GmbH, BMW created a custom motorcycle model, the "IRON R18," inspired by the unique musical and visual style of Iron Maiden. Furthermore, one of the largest Chinese bulk carrier ships bears the name "Iron Maiden," a direct reference to the British band. 

The animated series "BASTARD!! – Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy," which takes place across various worlds inspired by heavy metal music, was released on Netflix; one of these realms is called "Maiden World," a nod to the British group. In the multimedia space, an app called "Thunderflix"—created by Samuel Douek—emerged as an audiovisual library dedicated to prominent heavy rock artists. Often dubbed the "Netflix for metal," the platform offered high-definition, multi-format video content to a global audience, with Iron Maiden serving as one of its primary features. Meanwhile, Planet Rock Radio, the UK’s largest rock radio station, dedicated the final week of June 2025 to commemorating the band’s 50th anniversary. The station aired a historical documentary highlighting the group’s greatest achievements and hosted special guests who shared their own perspectives on Iron Maiden’s career. In 2026, the Netflix platform released the eighth episode of the fifth season of the globally popular series "Stranger Things." The soundtrack, alongside tracks by Prince, David Bowie, and Fleetwood Mac, featured the classic song "The Trooper" by the British sextet. This classic composition, "The Number of the Beast" was featured in the post-apocalyptic horror film "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." This development garnered significant attention in mainstream media, leading to a 252% increase in streaming performance. The track "Killers"—taken from the band's second studio album—was included in the soundtrack for the horror movie "Whistle." Furthermore, the music of Iron Maiden was featured on the popular online talk show "SubwayTakes," hosted by Kareem Rahma.