History Music / TheNumberOfTheBeast

* BodyHorror[=/=]CruelAndUnusualDeath: The bridge of "Children of the Damned" gets pretty visceral describing the titular subject [[ManOnFire burning to death]].

* TheDevilIsALoser: In contrast to what MoralGuardians assumed, the "Run to the Hills" single artwork has [[MetalBandMascot Eddie]] ([[AnAxeToGrind his signature axe in hand]]) in a fight with TheDevil, while the title track's single artwork shows the aftermath, where Eddie [[DecapitationPresentation is holding the Devil's decapitated head]]. The band rightfully pointed out that they were not encouraging worshiping the Devil as he was the LOSER in the battle.

* NotChristianRock: The title track was lot more like a fire-and-brimstone sermon than a Satanic tribute song.

* FilkSong[=/=]HeavyMithril:
** "Children of the Damned", towards both the [[Film/ChildrenOfTheDamned eponymous film]] and ''Film/VillageOfTheDamned1960'', as well as Music/RonnieJamesDio-era Music/BlackSabbath song "Children of the Sea".
** "The Prisoner", towards [[Series/ThePrisoner1967 the eponymous series]]. It's rumoured that [[Series/ThePrisoner1967 Patrick McGoohan]] himself, when the band asked for permission to use lines from the show, said "What was the band's name again?... a rock band, you say?... do it!". Picture those words in your mind along with that trademark cadence to [=Patrick McGoohan=]'s voice and you're spot on.

* AudienceParticipationSong: During "Run to the Hills", Dickinson has always had the crowd sing the second half of the line "Out on the plains... we gave them hell!"

The album marked the debut of group's most iconic vocalist, Music/BruceDickinson after leaving his previous band Samson, and was also the final album that drummer Clive Burr played on [[note]]whose ousting from the band varies by source[[/note]]. ''The Number of the Beast'' sees Steve Harris' song-writing taking a more complex direction than previous efforts, which harmonised well with Dickinson's powerful, operatic voice. Thanks to this, it bridges the rawer, [[PunkRock punk-like]] stylings seen on ''Music/{{Killers}}'' and ''Music/IronMaidenAlbum'' with the progressive elements their career would later take, punctuated by Burr's wild, blistering precision-drumming. It was also the first album to contain writing contributions by Adrian Smith (which most assuredly wouldn't be his last).

* CarefulWithThatAxe: The legendary 13-second scream heard at the 1:17 mark in the title track was apparently summoned up by Martin Birch (the producer) forcing Dickinson to sing the introduction for hours, take after take. It ended up being possibly the fiercest, most blood-curdling of his career. To this day, Dickinson has never been able to reproduce it.

* BittersweetEnding: "Hallowed Be Thy Name" ends with the death of the narrator, but he's convinced that a kindlier afterlife is waiting for him and that [[DontFearTheReaper he has nothing to fear from death at all]].

* PeoplePuppets: The album cover (above) shows TheDevil controlling someone like a marionette [[TheManBehindTheMan and is in turn controlled by]] [[MetalBandMascot Eddie]] [[TheManBehindTheMan in a similar fashion]]. It was actually inspired by a comic book cover for ''Comicbook/DoctorStrange'' that Rod Smallwood read as a child (which is noted in the page to be a common cover-design among comics).

* ProgressiveMetal: While not as progressive as a lot of the band's later material, this album marks the point where they started including progressive influences in their music, and depending upon one's definition of the genre, "Hallowed Be Thy Name" will qualify either as an UrExample of the style or as one of the first genuine example. To give an example of the band's prog credentials, Music/DreamTheater covered ''The Number of the Beast'' (the album) in its entirety.

** "The Prisoner", towards [[Series/ThePrisoner the eponymous series]]. It's rumoured that [[Series/ThePrisoner Patrick McGoohan]] himself, when the band asked for permission to use lines from the show, said "What was the band's name again?... a rock band, you say?... do it!". Picture those words in your mind along with that trademark cadence to [=Patrick McGoohan=]'s voice and you're spot on.

* YouAreNumberSix: "The Prisoner" (taken [[Series/ThePrisoner from the series]] [[FilkSong it was influenced by]]).

+Adrian Smith: guitar, vocals
]

[[AC: Side Two

!! This album has examples of:

** The first verse of the title track, "The Number of the Beast," is prefaced by a legendary scream that Dickinson has not been able to match since, much less ordinary humans.

* PerformanceVideo: The music video for "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast."

* RockMeAsmodeus: Even with a name like "The Number of the Beast," the title track is an aversion.

* SequelEpisode[=/=]SequelSong: "22 Acacia Avenue" is a DarkerAndEdgier continuation from "Charlotte rhe Harlot" (heard on ''Music/IronMaidenAlbum''). The character would get revisited in "[[ObligatoryBondageSong Hooks in You]]" (from 1990's ''No Prayer for the Dying'') and "[[AHellOfATime From Here To Eternity]]" (1992's ''Fear of the Dark'').

* AudienceParticipationSong: During "Run to the Hills," Dickinson has always had the crowd sing the second half of the line "Out on the plains... we gave them hell!"

** "Children of the Damned," towards both the [[Film/ChildrenOfTheDamned eponymous film]] and ''Film/VillageOfTheDamned1960'', as well as Music/RonnieJamesDio-era Music/BlackSabbath song "Children of the Sea".
** "The Prisoner," towards [[Series/ThePrisoner the eponymous series]]. It's rumoured that [[Series/ThePrisoner Patrick McGoohan]] himself, when the band asked for permission to use lines from the show, said "What was the band's name again?... a rock band, you say?... do it!". Picture those words in your mind along with that trademark cadence to [=Patrick McGoohan=]'s voice and you're spot on.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: The ultimate choice made by the narrator in "Hallowed Be Thy Name." This is in contrast to the earlier parts of the song, which almost seems to pass through the FiveStagesOfGrief.
* ForDoomTheBellTolls: "Hallowed Be Thy Name," which is used to signal the narrator's death knell as he's walked out to his execution.
* GaiasVengeance: "Total Eclipse."

* HorribleHistoryMetal: Because every Maiden album needs one or two: "Run to the Hills," focusing on the near-genocide of the Native American peoples after contact with European settlers.

* LastChorusSlowDown: The last phrase of "Run to the Hills."

* NobleSavage: "Run to the Hills."
* NonAppearingTitle: "Total Eclipse."

* SequelEpisode[=/=]SequelSong: "22 Acacia Avenue" is a DarkerAndEdgier continuation from "Charlotte The Harlot" (heard on ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Iron Maiden]]''). The character would get revisited in "[[ObligatoryBondageSong Hooks In You]]" (from 1990's ''No Prayer For The Dying'') and "[[AHellOfATime From Here To Eternity]]" (1992's ''Fear Of The Dark'').

'''''The Number of the Beast''''' is the third studio album by British {{heavy metal}} band Music/IronMaiden, released in 1982. Frequently regarded as a classic of the heavy metal genre, and a quintessential addition to any {{metalhead}}'s collection.

* ProgressiveMetal: While not as progressive as a lot of the band's later material, but this album marks the point where they started including progressive influences in their music, and depending upon one's definition of the genre, "Hallowed Be Thy Name" will qualify either as an UrExample of the style or as one of the first genuine example. To give an example of the band's prog credentials, Music/DreamTheater covered ''The Number of the Beast'' (the album) in its entirety.

-->''Woe to you O earth and sea''
-->''For the Devil sends the beast with wrath''
-->''Because he knows the time is short''
-->''Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast''
-->''For it is a human number''
-->''Its number is six hundred and sixty six''

* CreepyChild: "Children of the Damned," based on [[Film/VillageOfTheDamned the eponymous film]].

** "Children of the Damned," towards both the eponymous film and ''Film/VillageOfTheDamned'', as well as Music/RonnieJamesDio-era Music/BlackSabbath song "Children of the Sea".

Charting in many regions (including a #1 in the UK) and selling 14 million copies sold worldwide as of 2010, the album was a BreakthroughHit for the band, and is considered by some to arguably be their MagnumOpus. To this day several of its tracks are among the most-played concert staples in the band's catalogue, with the songs "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast" both frequently considered contenders for SignatureSong status.

# "Total Eclipse" [[note]]The song was originally a BSide that was added to the album later in a 1995 reissue (see more on CutSong below)[[/note]]

* CutSong: The album was running too long to sound good on vinyl so the band had to decide between "Gangland" and "Total Eclipse." Though the other band members (especially Dickinson) expressed preference for Total Eclipse, Harris decided the song was a bit too experimental for Maiden and so Gangland was used instead. Total Eclipse was ultimately released as a B Side to the Run to the Hills single, which came out a few weeks before the album. "Total Eclipse" was also used on the original Japanese LP of the album but removed on subsequent pressings. Nowadays, Harris feels "Total Eclipse" should have been on the album instead of Gangland. The CD remaster of the album includes both songs in the original intended order.
-->"''We just chose the wrong track as the B-side. I think if Total Eclipse had been on the album instead of Gangland it would have been far better''."
-->-Harris

* UpdatedRerelease: One in 1995 that added "Total Eclipse" (as detailed in CutSong) and a live performance in Italy of "Remember Tomorrow" from the Di'Anno era, with Dickinson on vocals (originally released on "The Number of the Beast" single). Later, there was a 1998 remaster that just had "Total Eclipse", but notably restored the album cover's blackened sky (seen above) in the background behind Eddie, which was turned blue in the original release due to a printing error. It also came with some touring notes and multiple archival photos in the booklet, along with the ability to play the music videos to "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills" on any system above Windows 95.