Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1968 by Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne. They first perform under the names Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth before taking the name Black Sabbath in 1969. Their sound is marked by down-tuned guitars and lyrics shaped by horror and the occult, and they are widely associated with the early development of heavy metal.

Early albums and stylistic development

The band’s first three albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid in 1970 and Master of Reality in 1971, are among their most successful records and are commonly cited as foundational heavy metal releases. Later albums such as Vol. 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976) and Never Say Die! (1978) show a broader approach, including elements of progressive rock.

Line-up changes

Osbourne leaves the group in 1979 and is replaced by Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Rainbow. With Dio, the band records Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and the live album Live Evil (1983), with Vinny Appice on drums for the last two releases. After Dio and Appice depart, Iommi and Butler record Born Again (1983) with Bill Ward returning on drums and Ian Gillan, formerly of Deep Purple, on vocals. By 1984, Butler, Ward and Gillan have left, leaving Iommi as the only remaining founder.

From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, the band changes line-up frequently. Glenn Hughes sings on Seventh Star (1986). Tony Martin joins in 1987 and records The Eternal Idol (1987), Headless Cross (1989) and Tyr (1990), and remains the longest-serving post-Osbourne singer. In 1991, Iommi reunites with Butler, Dio and Appice for Dehumanizer (1992). After Dio and Appice leave again, Martin returns for Cross Purposes (1994), Forbidden (1995) and the live album Cross Purposes Live (1995).

Reunions and later activity

The original line-up reunites in 1997 and releases the live album Reunion (1998), then tours intermittently until 2005. In 2006, Iommi, Butler, Dio and Appice reunite as Heaven & Hell and release The Devil You Know (2009). After Dio’s death in 2010, the original line-up reconvenes in 2011, although Ward does not take part in the recording of the final studio album 13 (2013). The group ends its farewell tour with a concert in Birmingham in 2017. Osbourne and Iommi also appear together at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the original line-up performs a final show at Villa Park on 5 July 2025.

Recognition

By 2013, Black Sabbath have sold more than 70 million records worldwide. They are often discussed alongside Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin as one of the key British hard rock and heavy metal bands of the early 1970s. The group is inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and receives two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.