"Picking just one track from a catalogue as impressive as that of the mighty Iron Maiden was almost as much of a challenge as AC/DC a few weeks ago, but this particular song has always resonated. 

As a fledgling metalhead I was never overly sold on the first two Iron Maiden albums - yes, they had some great songs and enthusiastic playing, but there was always something missing for me. No disrespect to the late Paul Di'Anno, but I've always felt that was addressed perfectly when he was replaced by erstwhile Samson man Bruce 'Bruce' Dickinson. 'Run To The Hills' (the first single) hinted at what greatness was to come, but when their third album, 'The Number Of The Beast', landed a few weeks later, it just exploded and set them on a course for the stratosphere that they're still riding high! 

I bought the vinyl a couple of weeks after release (hey, I was still at school and albums were expensive) and literally played it to death, the title track (first track on side two), really leaving an indelible mark. Quite controversial at the time given the subject matter and certain "supposed" adults not being able to tell the difference between outright entertainment and their own twisted interpretation of reality, nevertheless it said Maiden had truly arrived on the world stage and were here to stay. Been a fan for 40 plus years now and seen them on a number of occasions, but when that intro fires up, it takes me right back to that excitable kid every time!"