The Number of the Beast

The harmony of 'The Number of the Beast' is built on the natural minor scale with power chord voicings typical of NWOBHM. What makes it distinctive is the masterful use of dynamics — the quiet, atmospheric clean guitar intro sets up a massive tonal contrast when the heavy D minor riff explodes after Dickinson's scream. The harmonic language is deliberately modal and medieval-sounding, avoiding blues-based bends in favor of the pure Aeolian palette that became Iron Maiden's signature. The VI-VII-i motion in the chorus became one of the most imitated cadences in heavy metal.

Steve Harris wrote the song after a vivid nightmare triggered by watching the horror film Damien: Omen II late at night. The demonic imagery from the film merged with his reading of the Robert Burns poem 'Tam o' Shanter,' which depicts a man witnessing a witches' sabbath, to produce the song's narrative of stumbling upon a Satanic ritual.

Released in 1982 as the title track single from Iron Maiden's landmark third album, 'The Number of the Beast' combines a dramatic spoken-word intro quoting the Book of Revelation with Bruce Dickinson's legendary scream and Steve Harris's galloping bass lines. The song's Biblical subject matter sparked fierce protests from religious groups in the United States, yet its notoriety only amplified its status as a cornerstone of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.