Iron Maiden For Dummies

1. Iron Maiden began in the mid-70s and recorded their first album in 1980. In their heyday between 1983 and 1988, they sold out consecutive nights at huge arenas all around the world. There have been numerous line-up changes throughout their career but Iron Maiden never broke up. While their audience has dwindled since the 80s, they still have a huge cult following and the band continues to this day.

2. Although Iron Maiden received almost non-existent radio airplay, they managed to become the most successful British Heavy Metal Band ever. Of their fourteen Top 20 albums, three were No. 1 and an additional seven were Top 3 in the British charts. These statistics also indicate that Iron Maiden were almost twice as successful as Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne's solo career combined (a mind blowing fact considering that either one alone would seem to be the logical choice for top Metal act).

3. Eddie is their monster-like mascot who graces the cover of their singles and albums. He usually appears in some variation of skeletal gore dressed according to the theme of the album or single. Eddie has been a crazed murderer, lunatic in a straightjacket, British soldier, pharaoh, mummy, phantom of the opera, futuristic monster and a clairvoyant mystic, to name just a few. Why not an Amadeus Eddie then? No Iron Maiden concert would be complete without an appearance of the band's famous mascot.

4. Iron Maiden never did a slow song or love ballads.

5. Iron Maiden is a guy band. Chicks just don't get it (see number 4).

back to