Black Sabbath – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Black Sabbath Biography

Guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne created Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England, in 1968. They are frequently credited as heavy metal’s forefathers. With albums like Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), and Master of Reality (1970), the band helped define the genre. Following Ozzy Osbourne’s departure in 1979, the band went through several lineup changes, with Iommi remaining the sole permanent member throughout its history.

In 1969, the band landed on the name Black Sabbath after prior iterations were known as the Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth. They were known for their occult themes, horror-inspired lyrics, and down-tuned guitars. They signed with Philips Records in November 1969, and their first song, “Evil Woman,” was released in January 1970. The next month, their debut album, Black Sabbath, was released. Despite the album’s poor critical reception, it was a commercial success, resulting to a follow-up album, Paranoid, later that year. The band’s popularity soared, and critics began to respond positively to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in 1973. Black Sabbath’s first major exposure came in 1969, when the band performed “Black Sabbath,” “N.I.B.”, “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” and “Sleeping Village” in front of a national audience in the United Kingdom, just before recording their first album.

Osbourne was fired in 1979 due to his extensive substance misuse. Ronnie James Dio, a former Rainbow vocalist, took his place. Following two albums with Dio, Black Sabbath went through multiple lineup changes in the 1980s and 1990s, including vocalists Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, and Tony Martin, as well as drummers and bassists. Martin, who took over for Gillen in 1987 and recorded three albums with Black Sabbath before being fired in 1991, was the band’s second longest-serving vocalist. Dio and drummer Vinny Appice joined Iommi and Butler to record Dehumanizer the next year (1992). After two more studio albums with Martin, who took over for Dio in 1993, the band’s original line-up reunited in 1997 and produced the live album Reunion the following year; they toured periodically until 2005. There was no further activity under the Black Sabbath name for six years, except from various back catalog reissues and compilation albums, as well as the Mob Rules-era band reuniting as Heaven & Hell. They reformed in 2011 and released 13 (2013), their final studio album and nineteenth overall, with all original members save Ward. On February 4, 2017, the band performed their final concert in Birmingham, England, as part of their farewell tour.

Black Sabbath is one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands, having sold over 70 million albums worldwide as of 2013. MTV named them the “Greatest Metal Band of All Time,” while VH1 named them second among the “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.” They were named number 85 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list. In 2005, Black Sabbath was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and in 2006, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They’ve also received two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Black Sabbath Discography

Heaven and HellApple
Never Say Die!SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Technical EcstasySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
SabotageSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Sabbath Bloody SabbathSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Vol. 4SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Master of RealitySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
ParanoidSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Black SabbathSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Black Sabbath Album Called 13?

Some say that the name 13 was chosen as a reference to the band’s unlucky history with the number thirteen. Others believe that the album was named after the thirteen tracks it contains. Regardless of the reason, 13 is an excellent album by one of heavy metal’s most influential bands.

What Is The Heaviest Black Sabbath Song?

The heaviest Black Sabbath song is “Snowblind.” It was released on the band’s 1971 album, Master of Reality. The song is about cocaine addiction and the dangers of drug use. It is also one of the heaviest songs Sabbath ever recorded, with a slow, grinding riff and an ominous atmosphere. “Snowblind” is often cited as a key influence on the development of heavy metal music.

What Is The Famous Of Black Sabbath Album?

The famous Black Sabbath album is “Paranoid”. It was released in 1970 and includes the hits “Iron Man” and “War Pigs”. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one in the UK charts. It is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time.

What Is Black Sabbath’s Best Selling Album?

Black Sabbath’s best selling album is “Paranoid”. It was released in September of 1970 and has sold over 4 million copies in the United States alone. The album peaked at number 1 on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. The album features some of Black Sabbath’s most well-known songs, such as “War Pigs”, “Iron Man”, and the title track “Paranoid”. The album was a commercial and critical success, and is often considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time.

What Is Black Sabbath’s Most Famous Song?

The answer is probably “Iron Man”, which is one of the band’s most popular and well-known tunes. Sabbath has many other great songs, but “Iron Man” is definitely their most famous. It was released in 1970 on their second album, Paranoid, and quickly became a hit. The song is about a man who turns to metal after being rejected by society, and it has a catchy riff and powerful lyrics that have resonated with fans for generations. Sabbath was always a heavy metal band, but “Iron Man” truly cemented their place in history as one of the genre’s pioneers.

Most Searched For Black Sabbath Songs

ParanoidSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
War PigsSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Black SabbathSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Iron ManSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Children Of the graveSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Sabbath Bloody SabbathSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The wizardSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
N.I.BSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Lord of This WorldSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon