THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (1982): Leaves PAUL DIANNO and enters BRUCE DICKINSON on the vocals of IRON MAIDEN!
The story of the album The Number of the Beast!
In this video from the DISCOBIOGRAFIA IRON MAIDEN series (CHAPTER 03), I present the history and various curiosities about the band's third studio album, THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (1982).
The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The Number Of The Beast was released in England on March 22, 1982, containing eight tracks.
The Number of the Beast marked the debut of new singer Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno, and was the last album with drummer Clive Burr.
Bruce Dickinson stepped in for Paul Di'Anno, as his occasional drug and alcohol use had grown increasingly at odds with Steve Harris' high professional expectations. Bruce Dickinson was made official as the lead singer of Iron Maiden on September 26, 1981.
The album's producer, Martin Birch, commented, "I honestly don't think Paul Di'Anno was able to sing some of the lines Harris had in mind. When Bruce arrived, countless possibilities opened up for the new album."
The album contains some of the greatest classics in the band's history, such as: "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "Children of the Damned", "The Prisoner", "Run to the Hills" and the album's title track "The Number of the Beast”. The Number Of The Beast literally took the band to a whole new level. The album reached #1 in the UK and the “Beast on the Road” tour had over 180 performances around the world, with a new official video being released during the tour.
The Number of the Beast was certified platinum in the US, UK and Canada. It is also Iron Maiden's best-selling album, with over 14 million copies sold worldwide. Kerrang Magazine! placed it at #6 among the "100 Greatest Rock Albums Ever" and at #15 as one of the "50 Most Influential Albums Ever".
Rolling Stone placed it at #4 in a public poll for "Best Heavy Metal Albums Ever"; in 2017, the album reached the same position on the magazine's list of the best metal albums of all time. The website IGN placed it at #3 on their list of the "25 Greatest Metal Albums Ever".
Along with Iron Maiden (1980), it is one of the band's two albums featured in the book 1001 Records to Hear Before You Die. Ultimately, this album was the big kick-start that launched the band on a path to fame that still continues today. As long as there are metal fans out there, they are sure to love this album as one of the best heavy metal albums ever made. An analysis of The Number of the Beast (1982), IRON MAIDEN's iconic third album, which marked BRUCE DICKINSON's debut and transformed the band into a heavy metal legend.
ALBUM SONG:
1. INVADERS
2. CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED
3. THE PRISONER
4. 22 ACACIA AVENUE
5. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
6. RUN TO THE HILLS
7. GANGLAND
8. TOTAL ECLIPSE
9. HALLOWED BE THY NAME
SEASON TRAINING:
STEVE HARRIS - Bass and Backing Vocals
DAVE MURRAY - Guitar
BRUCE DICKINSON - Main Vocalist
CLIVE BURR - Drums
ADRIAN SMITH - Guitar and Backing Vocals