It goes without saying that Iron Maiden, one of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 70’s and early 1980’s, is one of metal’s most enduring outfits. Consistently proving themselves as one of metal’s most influential and prolific bands, Iron Maiden has continued to release vital albums, to the point where you could make a case for probably ten of their albums being their best. This, in addition to touring constantly, have made them possibly the most beloved band in heavy metal today.
That being said, all bands have to start somewhere, and 37 years ago today, the band released their debut, self-titled album. Though only having 8 songs on the album, it contains many fan favorites, including the title track and “Prowler”, as well as a track that would signal future progressive rock influences in the form of “Phantom Of The Opera”. Ultimately, it remains one of the more important albums of its era, and is still a classic today. Listen to it below – though the band ultimately did not like its production, it still sounds pretty fresh.