February 2, 1981 - Iron Maiden Released Killers

[Pete]

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On this day, February 2, 1981, Iron Maiden released their second studio album, Killers. This would be the final album to feature vocalist Paul Di'Anno before he was replaced by Bruce Dickinson later that year. With a heavier, more refined sound than their debut, Killers showcased the band’s growing confidence, driven by Steve Harris’s intricate bass lines and Dave Murray and Adrian Smith’s twin guitar attack.

The album included fan favorites like Wrathchild, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and Purgatory, helping solidify Iron Maiden’s place in the growing New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Though it only reached number 78 on the US Billboard charts, it performed much better in the UK and Europe, setting the stage for their global breakthrough with The Number of the Beast in 1982.

Fun fact: Killers was the first Iron Maiden album produced by Martin Birch, who went on to produce the band’s next eight albums, shaping their signature sound throughout the 80s.

Trivia question: Who was the lead singer on Killers before Bruce Dickinson joined Iron Maiden?