The Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden's third album featuring Bruce Dickinson and Clive Burr's final record with the band.

The Number of the Beast is the third album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 22 March 1982 in the US by Harvest and Capitol Records, and on 29 March 1982 in the UK by EMI Records. This record marked a pivotal moment for the group as their first to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last with drummer Clive Burr. The album achieved immediate critical and commercial success, becoming the band's first to top the UK Albums Chart and reach the top 40 of the US Billboard 200. It produced two major singles: "Run to the Hills," which became the band's first top-ten UK single, and the title track "The Number of the Beast." The release sparked significant controversy in the United States due to religious references in its artwork and lyrics, leading to public burnings of records.

Quick Facts

Artist: Iron Maiden
Released: 22 March 1982
Recorded: 1981
Studio: Battery (London)
Genre: Heavy metal
Length: 39:11
Label: EMI
Producer: Martin Birch

Lore & Background

The creation of the album involved a unique shift in songwriting dynamics. It remains Iron Maiden's only album to include writing credits for drummer Clive Burr, while also marking the first time guitarist Adrian Smith contributed songs. Producer Martin Birch noted that new vocalist Bruce Dickinson opened up possibilities for more complicated vocal directions that former singer Paul Di'Anno could not handle. Although contract issues with his previous band Samson prevented Bruce from receiving official writing credit, he made a "moral contribution" to tracks like "Children of the Damned," "The Prisoner," and "Run to the Hills." The recording process was frantic; the band had only five weeks to record and mix because they spent too long constructing new songs from scratch. Despite this rush, live recordings show that five songs were already premiered during the Killer World Tour in November and December 1981. This suggests that only two tracks—the title track and "Gangland"—were created after the tour ended.

Reader's Guide

The album features specific tracks with distinct origins that defined its legacy. "Run to the Hills" served as a preview for the album, released on 12 February 1982 alongside a music video using live footage and clips from Buster Keaton films; the band hastily selected "Total Eclipse" as the B-side over "Gangland," a choice Steve Harris later regretted. The opening track, "Invaders," was described by Harris as not good enough but necessary due to time constraints. The title track opens with a spoken introduction from the Book of Revelation read by actor Barry Clayton; while liner notes cite 13:18, the first line actually comes from 12:12. The band had originally approached Vincent Price for this role but declined his £25,000 fee. "Hallowed Be Thy Name," a tale of a prisoner about to be hanged, has remained in almost all setlists since recording, with only three exceptions: the Maiden England World Tour (2012–14), the second leg of the Book of Souls World Tour (2017), and the Future Past World Tour (2023). "Children of the Damned" draws from John Wyndham's novel The Midwich Cuckoos, while "The Prisoner" incorporates dialogue from the British TV show of the same name after manager Rod Smallwood secured permission from Patrick McGoohan.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Invaders		3:20
2	Children of the Damned		4:34
3	The Prisoner	Adrian Smith, Harris	6:03
4	22 Acacia Avenue	Harris, Smith	6:34

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5	The Number of the Beast		4:25
6	Run to the Hills		3:50
7	Gangland	Smith, Clive Burr	3:46
8	Hallowed Be Thy Name		7:08
Total length			39:40

Side two – Japanese edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5	The Number of the Beast		4:25
6	Run to the Hills		3:50
7	Total Eclipse	Harris, Dave Murray, Burr	4:25
8	Gangland	Smith, Burr	3:46
9	Hallowed Be Thy Name		7:08
Total length			43:36

Did You Know?

Producer Martin Birch received a car repair bill for exactly £666 after an accident with a bus full of nuns during the album sessions.
The original 1982 cover art featured a blue sky background, which was corrected to black during the 1998 CD remastering due to a printer mistake.