"The Number of the Beast" is the third studio album by Iron Maiden, released on 22 March 1982 in the United States by "Harvest" and "Capitol Records", and on 29 March 1982 in the United Kingdom by "EMI Records". It is the band’s first album to feature Bruce Dickinson as vocalist and the last to include drummer Clive Burr.
The album received both critical and commercial success, becoming Iron Maiden’s first album to top the UK Albums Chart and reach the top 40 of the US Billboard 200. It produced the singles "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast", with "Run to the Hills" becoming the band’s first top-ten UK single. The album was controversial in the United States due to religious references in its artwork and the title track's lyrics. Since the release of "The Number of the Beast", the nickname "The Beast" has become associated with Iron Maiden, appearing in the titles of compilations and live albums such as "Best of the Beast" and "Visions of the Beast".
"The Number of the Beast" is the only Iron Maiden album to include songwriting credits for Clive Burr and was the first to feature writing by guitarist Adrian Smith. Steve Harris adapted his writing style to accommodate Dickinson’s vocal range. Dickinson contributed to the composition of several songs, including "Children of the Damned", "The Prisoner", and "Run to the Hills", although he could not receive legal credit due to contractual restrictions with his previous band, Samson. The album was recorded and mixed in five weeks, with most material developed during pre-production. Several songs, including "Invaders", "Gangland", and the title track, were written late in the process.
Reports from the recording sessions at Battery Studios noted unusual occurrences, such as lights switching on and off and equipment malfunctions, culminating in a car accident involving producer Martin Birch, after which he received a repair bill for £666.
The album has received widespread critical acclaim. AllMusic described it as "among the top five most essential heavy metal albums ever recorded", and Sputnikmusic called it "a classic in the world of metal". BBC Music praised the album’s complex arrangements, while Q magazine ranked it among the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever", and IGN and Metal Rules listed it among the top heavy metal albums. "The Number of the Beast" is one of two Iron Maiden albums included in Robert Dimery’s "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In 2017, it was ranked fourth on Rolling Stone’s list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". In 2022, "The Number of the Beast" was named the top rock guitar album of 1982 by "Guitar World".
Commercially, the album has sold approximately 20 million copies worldwide as of 2023. It was the band’s first album to top the UK charts, remaining at number one for two weeks and in the Top 75 for 31 weeks. It reached number 33 on the US Billboard 200, and entered the top ten in Austria and Sweden, with positions 11 and 13 in Canada and Norway, respectively. The album was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and gold by the RIAA, later reaching platinum in the US and triple platinum in Canada.
The singles "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast" reached number 7 and 18 on the UK Singles Chart, respectively, and entered the Irish Singles Chart at numbers 16 and 19.
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