Iron Maiden: EVERY Album Ranked Worst To Best
3. The Number Of The Beast
Though it may not take the top spot, The Number of the Beast is arguably the most important album in the band's history. After Paul Di'Anno was kicked out, Iron Maiden needed a new front man that would elevate the band, and they could not have picked anyone better.
In 1982, Bruce Dickinson debuted with the band on what was immediately, and easily, their best album yet. Next to the Air Raid Siren, with a stunning performance that more than earned him the moniker, the rest of the band upped their game for the technical masterpiece that was their third outing.
The titular song saw the band play around with different time signatures, Run to the Hills quickly became one of the iconic metal songs of the decade, and Hallowed be thy Name blew fans away as a harrowing tale of a man waiting to meet his maker. This was Maiden at their galloping, thundering best.
The Number of The Beast also fired the band into the public eye, not for the quality of their music, but for the perception that they were satanists. It's a shame that the more mainstream audience couldn't see past the album's title to appreciate heavy metal music at its finest.