Iron Maiden was formed in London in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris . In 1980, Iron Maiden released their self-titled debut album, which, like its successor, Killers (1981), was a commercial and critical success. Both albums featured vocalist Paul Di'Anno , guitarist Dave Murray , and drummer Clive Burr . On Killers , guitarist Dennis Stratton was replaced by Adrian Smith .
In 1982, vocalist Bruce Dickinson replaced Di'Anno, and Iron Maiden released *The Number of the Beast* , the band's most acclaimed and best-selling album. That same year, Clive Burr was fired and replaced by Nicko McBrain , who would play on the following album, *Piece of Mind* (1983). In 1989, Adrian Smith left the band, and guitarist Janick Gers , who had worked on Dickinson's solo career, was invited to join Maiden. In 1993, Dickinson left the band to focus on his solo career, and Iron Maiden featured vocalist Blaze Bayley for two albums – * The X Factor * (1995) and * Virtual XI * (1998).
In 1999, Dickinson and Smith returned, and Iron Maiden retained the three guitarists. Currently, the band consists of Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, and Nicko McBrain, in addition to Steve Harris. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
Iron Maiden is known for lyrics based on historical facts or works of literature and for its famous mascot, Eddie The Head , created by Derek Riggs , the artist responsible for the band's most well-known album covers.
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