Hey! So, Iron Maiden‘s debut studio album, named after the band itself, hit the shelves on April 14, 1980. In the UK, it was released by EMI Records, while Harvest and Capitol Records took care of the US release.
The North American version had a bonus track called “Sanctuary,” which was a non-album single in the UK. In 1998, they remastered the whole thing, adding “Sanctuary” for everyone. But the 2014 vinyl reissues, 2015 digital releases, and 2018 CD reissues went back to the original track list worldwide. This was the only Iron Maiden album to feature guitarist Dennis Stratton.
Even though the band later had some issues with the album’s production quality, it was well received both critically and commercially.
It reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and helped Iron Maiden make a name for themselves in Europe.