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Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are widely considered the band that helped create heavy metal. Formed in Birmingham, England, they changed rock music forever with dark riffs, ominous lyrics and the unmistakable voice of Ozzy Osbourne.

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Formed 1968

Origin Birmingham, England

Classic Singer Ozzy Osbourne

Final Album 13

About Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham in 1968 and became the band most people point to when talking about the birth of heavy metal. Their darker sound, slower riffs and heavier atmosphere created something very different from the blues-based rock bands of the time.

Albums like Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Master of Reality changed guitar music forever and influenced generations of bands including Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slipknot.

Where To Start With Black Sabbath

For classic Sabbath Paranoid • Iron Man • War Pigs

For heavier deep cuts Children of the Grave • Electric Funeral • Into the Void

For essential listening Black Sabbath • N.I.B. • Heaven and Hell

Top 10 Black Sabbath Songs

1. Paranoid The most famous Black Sabbath song and one of the most iconic heavy metal tracks ever made.

2. Iron Man A legendary riff and one of the most recognizable songs in rock history.

3. War Pigs A heavy anti-war epic that remains one of the band’s greatest songs.

4. Black Sabbath The song that introduced the ominous atmosphere that helped define heavy metal.

5. Children of the Grave One of Sabbath’s heaviest songs and hugely influential on later metal bands.

6. N.I.B. A fan favourite with one of Geezer Butler’s most famous bass openings.

7. Heaven and Hell A classic from the Ronnie James Dio era that proved Sabbath could reinvent themselves.

8. Electric Funeral Slow, crushing and one of the darkest songs in the early Sabbath catalog.

9. Sweet Leaf A riff-heavy classic from Master of Reality.

10. Into the Void A hugely influential heavy riff that would inspire countless doom and metal bands.

Black Sabbath Fun Facts

The band originally performed under the name Earth.
Tony Iommi lost fingertips in a factory accident and adapted his guitar playing style.
Black Sabbath are widely regarded as pioneers of heavy metal.
Paranoid remains one of the most influential metal albums ever released.