The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in March 1982. It was their first release to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last with drummer Clive Burr.
The Number of the Beast met with considerable critical and commercial success and was a landmark release for the band, becoming their first album to reach No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, and to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 in the US. The album also produced the singles “Run to the Hills” and “The Number of the Beast”, the former of which was the band’s first top-ten UK single. The album was also controversial, particularly in the United States, due to the religious references in its artwork and the title track’s lyrics.