caption current_members associated_acts years_active label image_size article_title landscape past_members background genre image origin name
top murray -lrb- r -rrb- middle : adrian smith -lrb- l : -rrb- , bruce dickinson -lrb- r -rrb- bottom : nicko steve mcbrain -lrb- l -rrb- , janick gers -lrb- r -rrb- harris -lrb- l -rrb- , dave steve mcbrain janick gers harris dave murray adrian smith bruce dickinson nicko the mantis , samson , trust , urchin entire population of hackney , gogmagog , praying 1975 -- present emi , portrait , bmg , cmc , epic , capitol , , harvest parlophone , universal , sanctuary , columbia 250 iron maiden
 no former members group_or_band heavy metal ironmaidencollage2.jpg leyton , london , england iron maiden
iron maiden

iron maiden are an english heavy metal band formed in leyton , east london , in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter steve harris .
the band 's discography has grown to thirty-seven albums , including sixteen studio albums , eleven live albums , four eps , and seven compilations .
pioneers of the new wave of british heavy metal , iron maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s .
after several line-up changes , the band went on to release a series of uk and us platinum and gold albums , including 1982 's `` the number of the beast '' , 1983 's `` piece of mind '' , 1984 's `` powerslave '' , 1985 's live release `` live after death '' , 1986 's `` somewhere in time '' and 1988 's `` seventh son of a seventh son '' .
since the return of lead vocalist bruce dickinson and guitarist adrian smith in 1999 , the band have undergone a resurgence in popularity , with their 2010 studio offering , `` the final frontier '' , peaking at no. 1 in 28 different countries and receiving widespread critical acclaim .
their sixteenth studio album , `` the book of souls '' , is set for release on 4 september 2015 .
despite little radio or television support , iron maiden are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history , with `` the new york times '' reporting in 2010 that the band have sold over 85 million records worldwide .
the band won the ivor novello award for international achievement in 2002 .
as of october 2013 , the band have played over 2000 live shows throughout their career .
for the past 35 years , the band have been supported by their famous mascot , `` eddie '' , who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers , as well as in their live shows .
