The Number of the Beast

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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.

In Their Own Story

During sessions at Battery Studios, the atmosphere was thick with reported unexplained phenomena. Music press accounts described lights turning on and off by themselves and recording gear breaking down mysteriously. These odd events culminated in producer Martin Birch being involved in a car accident with a mini-bus transporting a group of nuns, after which he received a repair bill for exactly £666. The controversy surrounding the album extended beyond the studio to its reception in the United States, where social conservatives accused Iron Maiden of being Satanists. Some groups organized public burnings of the band's catalogue, though one religious group opted to smash records with hammers instead, fearing toxic fumes from burning vinyl. The title track itself was not inspired by satanic worship but by a nightmare bassist Steve Harris had after watching the film Damien: Omen II late at night, alongside influences from Robert Burns' Tam o' Shanter. The album's cover art, painted by Derek Riggs, originally featured a blue sky—a printer mistake corrected to black in the 1998 remaster—and depicts Eddie controlling Satan like a puppet, a concept Riggs admitted was inspired by a Doctor Strange comic he read as a child.

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.

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 band considered hiring Vincent Price to read the biblical introduction on the title track but rejected him due to his £25,000 fee.
• Drummer Clive Burr holds the distinction of having songwriting credits on this album, which remains Iron Maiden's only record with such a credit for him.
• 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.
• Bruce Dickinson could not receive official writing credits for his contributions because of ongoing contractual issues with his former band, Samson.