Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band from east London. Formed in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, previously of Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler, they are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre, selling over 60 million albums worldwide. Iron Maiden have so far released thirteen studio albums, four "best of" compilations, eight live albums and four limited boxed-sets. They won the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement in 2000 .

Iron Maiden's work has inspired other sub-genres of heavy metal, including power metal and speed metal, and is generally thought of as an influence to any "metal" music containing dual-guitar harmonization. One example of their far reaching influence is that many bands from varying rock and metal sub-genres list Iron Maiden as one of their influences. These bands include thrash metal bands Metallica and Slayer, power metal band Iced Earth, pop punk band Sum 41, jam band Umphrey's McGee, punk metal band The Unseen, melodic death metal bands Amon Amarth and Children of Bodom, and alternative metal bands Breed 77 and System of a Down.