Editing Iron Maiden (section)

===Record contract and early releases (1978–1981)===
{{main|The Soundhouse Tapes|Iron Maiden (album)|Killers (Iron Maiden album)}}

On New Year's Eve, 1978, Iron Maiden recorded a four-song demo at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=66}} Hoping the recording would help them secure more gigs,{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=66}} the band gave a copy to [[Neal Kay]], who, at the time, was managing a heavy metal club called "Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse".{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=67}} After hearing the tape, Kay began playing the demo regularly at the Bandwagon, and one of the songs, "Prowler", eventually went to number&nbsp;1 in the Soundhouse charts, which were published weekly in ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' magazine.{{sfn|Wall|2004|pp=104–105}} A copy was also acquired by [[Rod Smallwood]], who soon became the band's manager.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=83}} As Iron Maiden's popularity increased, they released the demo on their own record label as ''[[The Soundhouse Tapes]]'', named after the club.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=103}} Featuring only three tracks (one song, "Strange World", was excluded as the band were unsatisfied with its production),{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=102}} all 5,000 copies sold out within weeks.{{sfn|Wall|2004|pp=104–105}}

[[File:IRON MAIDEN - Manchester Apollo - 1980.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Paul Di'Anno]] and Steve Harris supporting [[Judas Priest]] on their [[British Steel Tour]], 1980]]
In December 1979, the band secured a major record deal with [[EMI]]{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=108}} and asked Dave Murray's childhood friend, [[Adrian Smith (musician)|Adrian Smith]] of [[Urchin (band)|Urchin]], to join the group as their second guitarist.{{sfn|Wall|2004|pp=163–164}} Busy with his own band, Smith declined and [[Dennis Stratton]] was hired instead.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=121}} Shortly after, [[Doug Sampson]] left due to health issues and was replaced by ex-[[Samson (band)|Samson]] drummer [[Clive Burr]] at Stratton's suggestion on 26 December 1979.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=123}} Iron Maiden's first appearance on an EMI album was on the ''[[Metal for Muthas]]'' compilation (released on 15 February 1980) with two early versions of "[[Sanctuary (Iron Maiden song)|Sanctuary]]" and "Wrathchild".{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=137}} The release led to a [[Metal for Muthas Tour|tour]] including several other bands linked with the [[new wave of British heavy metal]] movement.{{sfnm|1a1=Wall|1y=2004|1p=139|2a1=Saulnier|2y=2012}}

Iron Maiden released their [[Iron Maiden (album)|self-titled album]] in 1980, which debuted at number&nbsp;4 in the [[UK Albums Chart]].{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=143}} In addition to the title track, the album included other early favourites such as "[[Running Free]]", "Transylvania", "Phantom of the Opera" and "[[Sanctuary (Iron Maiden song)|Sanctuary]]" – which was not on the original UK release, but appeared on the US version and subsequent remasters. The band embarked on a [[Iron Maiden Tour|headline tour of the UK]], before opening for [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] on their 1980 [[Unmasked Tour]]'s European leg as well as supporting Judas Priest on [[British Steel Tour|select dates]]. After the Kiss tour, Dennis Stratton was dismissed from the band as a result of creative and personal differences,{{sfn|Hinchcliffe|1999}} and was replaced by Smith in October 1980. In December, the band played at the [[Rainbow Theatre]] in London, where their first live video was filmed. ''[[Live at the Rainbow]]'' was released in May 1981, and "Iron Maiden" and "Wrathchild" from this video received heavy rotation on [[MTV]] during its first hours on the air as the first metal videos ever.{{sfn|First Albums|2021}}{{sfn|DDotB|2021}}{{sfn|Roland|2013}}

[[File:Iron Maiden, Steve Harris - Manchester Apollo - 1980.jpg|thumb|Iron Maiden on stage, [[Killer World Tour]] 1981]]
In 1981, Iron Maiden released their second studio album, ''[[Killers (Iron Maiden album)|Killers]]''. Although many tracks were written prior to their debut release, it had two new songs: "Prodigal Son" and "Murders in the Rue Morgue"{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=183}} (the latter's title was taken from the [[The Murders in the Rue Morgue|short story]] by [[Edgar Allan Poe]]).{{sfn|Brannigan}} Unsatisfied with the production on their debut album,{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=145}} the band hired veteran producer [[Martin Birch]],{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=181}} who would continue to work with Iron Maiden until his retirement in 1992.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=300}} The record was followed by the band's first [[Killer World Tour|world tour]] with their debut performance in the United States opening for Judas Priest at the [[PH Live|Aladdin Theatre]] in [[Paradise, Nevada]]. ''Killers'' marked the band's USA album charts debut, reaching number&nbsp;78 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],{{sfn|Billboard}} and they booked 132 shows to promote the album, including their first concert in [[Belgrade]], [[Yugoslavia]].{{sfn|Tour1981|2021}} During the summer, Iron Maiden played several festivals in Europe, including at the Golden Summernights 1981 festivals at [[Zeppelinfeld]] in [[Nuremberg]] in front of 100,000 people.{{Sfn|DDotB|2021}}