This is to respect the legacy of Sabbath, and to try and merge the various eras of the band with some faithfulness to their place in the band’s immense and influential discography. More time was spent on this rankings list than perhaps any other. He is the glue that crosses every iteration of Black Sabbath, and for that reason, we include all the records here. The life blood of Black Sabbath is in the riffs, and Iommi is arguably the most prolific riffmeister to ever strap on a six-string. Other lineup changes would follow, but Tony Iommi remains the band’s lone constant across all 20 records. Osbourne’s departure in 1979 would lead to the band tabbing former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio.

Do you include the Ronnie James Dio era? How about the Ian Gillan, Tony Martin, and Glenn Hughes eras? What about the temporary reformation as Heaven & Hell? When you are talking about icons like Sabbath, a band that altered the landscape of heavy music, and that have been through numerous changes over the decades, the task becomes even more difficult. Even purists argue over which albums are the best, or least. One would think that Black Sabbath, the Godfathers of heavy metal, would have been the first band we created such a rankings list for, but it’s a difficult list to curate. There existed a dark sense of unease within the music of Sabbath, and while critics did not originally grasp its sinister beauty, fans related almost immediately to its working class ethos.

This is the quintessential Sabbath lineup, and for many purists, the band’s catalog of music includes only the albums recorded by this quartet. Certain proto-metal bands began building the metal sound in the late 60s, but it was the release of Black Sabbath in February 1970 that turned out to be the game changer, and it all started in 1968 with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and of course, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The birth of heavy metal began 50 years ago with the debut release by Birmingham, England’s vaunted heroes, Black Sabbath.

Ozzy osbourne discography reddit