20 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time

3. Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast (1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfrENoTJdo4 Maiden could play the title track five times in a row, followed by an encore of Hallowed Be Thy Name, and no one would have complained - a trimmed-down version of their third studio release would be here on this list. But these Brit legends laid it on thick for us, pulling off a behemoth of classic heavy metal - the sort of album that should be sealed in a NASA capsule and shot into space to teach alien lifeforms how to rock out. The Number Of The Beast needs to be remembered for many reasons, but we'll always keep this '82 banger in our hearts as the first time we heard young upstart Bruce Dickinson take his place behind the mic for Iron Maiden. This was the voice that Maiden had been waiting for, the arena-shaking powerhouse that perfectly complimented Steve Harris' rumbling bass and Murray/Smith twin guitar setup. Dickinson ran to the hills years later to pursue a solo career, and the shoddy also-rans who tried to take his place were just a reminder that he was the only man for the job. Iron Maiden had decades of hits pouring out after this splendid album, but this one marked the beginning of their golden age.