Editing The Number of the Beast (album) (section)

==Reception and legacy==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-number-of-the-beast-mw0000044718 |title=Review: ''The Number of the Beast'' |last=Huey |first=Steve |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=1 January 2011 |archive-date=2 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602145320/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-number-of-the-beast-mw0000044718 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score = 8/10<ref name="martin">{{cite book |last=Popoff |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |date=1 November 2005 |location=Burlington, ON |pages=170–171 |isbn=978-1-894959-31-5}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev3score = 9.0/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/iron-maiden-iron-maiden-killers-the-number-of-the-beast-piece-of-mind/ |title=Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=4 December 2018 |access-date=5 December 2018 |last=O'Connor |first=Andy |archive-date=4 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204134634/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/iron-maiden-iron-maiden-killers-the-number-of-the-beast-piece-of-mind/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA406|title=Iron Maiden- ''The Number of the Beast'' |access-date=14 April 2022 |last=Considine |first=J.D. |date=24 June 1982 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]|isbn=9780743201698}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Bushell 101">{{cite book |last1=Bushell |first1=Garry |author1-link=Garry Bushell |last2=Halfin |first2=Ross |author2-link=Ross Halfin |title=Running Free: The Official Story of Iron Maiden |edition=2nd |publisher=Zomba Books |year=1985 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ironmaidenrunnin00bush/page/101 101] |isbn=0-946391-84-X |url=https://archive.org/details/ironmaidenrunnin00bush/page/101}}</ref>
| rev6 = Sputnikmusic
| rev6score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="sputnik">{{cite web |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8261/Iron-Maiden-The-Number-Of-The-Beast/ |title=Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast |last=Stagno |first=Mike |website=Sputnikmusic |date=17 July 2006 |access-date=9 November 2010 |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823234810/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8261/Iron-Maiden-The-Number-Of-The-Beast/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev7 = The Daily Vault
| rev7score = A−<ref name=vault>{{cite web |url=http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2598 |title=The Daily Vault Music Reviews : The Number of the Beast |first=Sean |last=McCarthy |work=dailyvault.com |year=2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129183255/http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2598 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

Since its release, the album has received consistent critical acclaim, with [[AllMusic]] describing it as "among the top five most essential heavy metal albums ever recorded. A cornerstone of the genre."<ref name="allmusic" /> Sputnikmusic calls it "a classic in the world of metal",<ref name="sputnik" /> while [[BBC Music]] praised the record's complex arrangements, stating "Whereas even some of the venerable HM institutions (think [[Black Sabbath]]) would struggle to make material that was something more than a collection of minor-key riffs, Iron Maiden pull this feat off with considerable élan."<ref name="BBC music">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/gqw6 |title=Iron Maiden – ''The Number of the Beast'' Review |work=[[BBC Online]] |last=Smith |first=Sid |date=23 April 2007 |access-date=9 November 2010 |archive-date=12 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212213440/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/gqw6 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Q (magazine)|''Q'' magazine]] placed the album at No. 100 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever" in 2000; in 2001 named it one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time";<ref name="Q's 50 heaviest albums">{{cite journal |journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |title=Q's 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time |date=July 2001 |page=86 |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest |publisher=Bauer Media Group |access-date=14 January 2009 |archive-date=19 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019101341/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest |url-status=usurped }}</ref> and in 2006 placed it at No. 40 in its "40 Best Albums of the '80s" list.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The 40 Best Albums of the '80s |journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] | date=August 2006 |issue=241}}</ref> [[IGN]] and [[Metal Rules]] placed it third and second, respectively, in their lists of the Top Heavy Metal Albums,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2007/01/20/top-25-metal-albums?page=7 |title=Top 25 Metal Albums |access-date=17 January 2009 |author=Spence D. |website=[[IGN]] |date=19 January 2007 |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823234737/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/20/top-25-metal-albums?page=7 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://metal-rules.com/polls/index.php?id=6 |title=The Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums |access-date=17 January 2009 |publisher=[[Metal Rules]] |date=September 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227115633/http://www.metal-rules.com/polls/index.php?id=6 |archive-date=27 December 2011  }}</ref> and ''[[Guitar World]]'' ranked it at No. 17 on their list of "100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time".<ref name="Guitar World's 100 Guitar Albums">{{cite journal |title=Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time |date=October 2006 |url=http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Boggs1027/guitar_worlds_100_greatest_guitar_albums_of_all_time |journal=[[Guitar World]] |access-date=17 January 2009 |archive-date=20 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120112223/http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Boggs1027/guitar_worlds_100_greatest_guitar_albums_of_all_time/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=November 2024}} ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' placed it at No. 15 in their list of the "100 Greatest British Rock Albums", describing it as "the most important metal album of the decade",<ref name="CR">{{cite journal |title=100 Greatest British Rock Albums Ever |journal=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] |date=April 2006 |issue=91 |pages=64 |publisher=Future Publishing}}</ref> and it was voted No. 1 in [[HMV|HMV's]] list of "The Best British Albums of the Past 60 Years" in 2012.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/its-official-iron-maiden-are-better-than-led-zeppelin-and-the-beatles-number-of-the-beast-voted-best-british-album-of-the-past-60-years/ |title=It's Official: Iron Maiden Are Better than Led Zeppelin and the Beatles – ''Number Of The Beast'' Voted Best British Album Of The Past 60 Years! |last=Alderslade |first=Merlin |access-date=28 May 2012 |date=28 May 2012 |magazine=[[Metal Hammer]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722053330/http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/its-official-iron-maiden-are-better-than-led-zeppelin-and-the-beatles-number-of-the-beast-voted-best-british-album-of-the-past-60-years/|archive-date=22 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9293231/Trainspotting-and-Iron-Maiden-top-Jubilee-poll.html |title=''Trainspotting'' and Iron Maiden top Jubilee poll |access-date=28 May 2012 |last=Hall |first=James |date=28 May 2012 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |archive-date=28 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528162556/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9293231/Trainspotting-and-Iron-Maiden-top-Jubilee-poll.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Number of the Beast'' is one of two Iron Maiden records listed in Robert Dimery's book, ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]'' (1980's ''[[Iron Maiden (album)|Iron Maiden]]'' being the other).<ref>{{cite book |last=Lydon |first=Michael (preface) |title=1001 albums you must hear before you die |publisher=Cassell Illustrated |location=London |isbn=978-1-84403-624-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/1001albumsyoumus0000unse |edition=Updated |editor=Dimery, Robert |access-date=19 November 2012 |date=15 October 2008 |url-access=registration }}</ref> In 2017, it was ranked 4th on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}} list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Smith|first1=Steve|title=100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-w486923/anthrax-among-the-living-1987-w486946?|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media LLC|access-date=22 June 2017|date=21 June 2017}}</ref>

In 2001, the [[BBC]] made a [[Classic Albums: Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast|documentary]] about ''The Number of the Beast'' as part of the ''[[Classic Albums]]'' series, which was released on DVD in the same year.

In 2022, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the album's release, ''Number Of The Beast'' was named #1 of 'The 25 greatest rock guitar albums of 1982' list in Guitar World.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/25-greatest-rock-guitar-albums-of-1982 |title=The 25 greatest rock guitar albums of 1982 |access-date=27 March 2022 |last=Prato |first=Greg |date=2 March 2022 |magazine=[[Guitar World]] |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327151304/https://www.guitarworld.com/features/25-greatest-rock-guitar-albums-of-1982 |url-status=live }}</ref>