Black Sabbath, 1970: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne
The godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath, are one of the most timeless bands in contemporary music. To varying degrees, just about every metal fan shares an adoration for Black Sabbath and the masterful records they’ve produced throughout their career. While Black Sabbath went through multiple different sonic eras and lineup changes, the band’s most revered period featured the four original members, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne.
From landmark albums like Paranoid to pivotal metal records like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Black Sabbath’s original lineup produced the vast majority of the band’s greatest songs and albums during the early to mid-1970s. Of course, there are other beloved eras of the band, particularly the Ronnie James Dio-fronted era in the early ‘80s and early ’90s. However, there’s practically a unanimous belief amongst Sabbath fans that the original lineup was the definitive version of the band, as they’ve had the most profound impact on the shape and sound of metal music as we know it today.
Top Black Sabbath Songs
While there’s not much debate regarding which lineup of Black Sabbath is best, discourse around what Sabbath albums and what songs are “the best” is far more nuanced. In total there are 19 studio albums that’ve been released by Black Sabbath. Eight of these records feature the original four members, and the other 11 albums feature a mix of different members and lead vocalists.
With that said, the sweet spot for Sabbath’s best work is between their 1970 debut and their sixth studio album from 1975. These six LPs produced the band’s greatest and most influential work, and they’re the primary driving force behind the band’s longstanding global success. That’s not to say that Black Sabbath has masterful records and songs outside of this period. Most of the Ronnie James Dio era records are superb, and his 1980 debut with Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell, is still a quintessential metal masterpiece. However, the 1970s era of Black Sabbath saw the band’s most robust and consistent musical output, on top of it being their most influential work.
15. “Supernaut” (1972)
Few Black Sabbath songs radiate with the same monolithic groovy riffs that are heard in “Supernaut.” Of course, incredible riffs and sensational grooves are always bountiful whenever Sabbath is playing, but the riffs on Vol. 4, and especially “Supernaut” are in a league of their own. Furthermore, the song’s lyrical themes of self-discovery and transcendence compliment the driving instrumentals and straightforward song structure.
14. “A National Acrobat” (1973)
Between the song’s sludgy main riff to the uptempo bridge section, “A National Acrobat” brilliantly showcases Black Sabbath’s dynamic songwriting capabilities. Bassist Geezer Butler is the star of the show on this track from just how present and powerful his bass cuts through the mix. For these reasons, “A National Acrobat” has long been considered a quintessential Sabbath tune, in addition to being a defining Geezer Butler track.
13. “Children of the Grave” (1971)
While Black Sabbath are well known for their incredible musicianship and instrumental songwriting, “Children of the Grave” puts on full display their timeless lyrical writing. The song paints a terrifying future of what many feared at the time, and what today is no less of a concern – nuclear war. Metal music is well known for diving into topics around war and world annihilation, but “Children of the Grave” was one of the first heavy metal anthems to drill this dreadful and startling reality.
12. “Planet Caravan” (1970)
With Black Sabbath’s debut LP they took the world by storm with their foreboding riffs and groovy heavy metal songwriting. On the band’s follow up LP, Paranoid, they not only double downed on these qualities, but they also showcased their knack for writing slow paced melancholic songs, as demonstrated with “Planet Caravan.” Being the third track on the album and following haymaker riffs like that in “War Pigs” and “Paranoid,” “Planet Caravan” was a bold switch up for the band. Despite its cleaner presentation, “Planet Caravan” still stands as one of the defining Black Sabbath songs.
11. “Sweet Leaf” (1971)
Marijuana has been huge part of Black Sabbath’s sonic identity especially on their earlier albums like Master of Reality. Whether it’s from the fully fuzzed and drawn out guitar riffs they embrace, or their candid lyrics expressing their affinity for the “Sweet Leaf,” Black Sabbath hasn’t been shy when it comes to the subject of drugs.
Regardless of the subject matter, “Sweet Leaf” is a significant track in the band’s discography as well as in the vast metal genre, as it single handedly started the stoner metal sub-genre.
10. “Iron Man” (1970)
Having one of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time, “Iron Man” certainly helped propel Black Sabbath into becoming the world renown metal band that they are today. Although some may argue the song has lost a bit of its charm due to its over-popularity, many forget the brilliance of “Iron Man” isn’t just from it’s main riff – a riff that’s been beaten to death by hordes of aspiring guitarists. Rather, the myriad of riffs found throughout Iron Man’s six minute runtime are what make it so iconic, not to mention the incredible guitar work found in the song’s bridge section.
9. “Snowblind” (1972)
The earth shattering power that comes from “Snowblind’s” opening riff serves as a great unintended metaphor for the unyielding control cocaine puts on one’s mind. Black Sabbath were quite open about their drug use in their songwriting, specifically their obsession with cocaine during the production for their fourth studio album Vol. 4, which produced hits such as “Snowblind” – a song that candidly talks about the band’s cocaine use.
Lyrically, “Snowblind” paints a rather haunting depiction of drug addiction and the mental anguish it can cause. While it’s a grim track lyrically, the song’s instrumental presentation and messaging is Black Sabbath at their absolute best.
8. “Into the Void” (1971)
As one of the pioneering doom metal riffs, “Into the Void” continues to be hailed as one of the greatest metal riffs of all time. Not only did Tony Iommi carve out yet another sub-genre with his virtuosic guitar playing, but with “Into the Void” and much of Master of Reality, Black Sabbath experimented with lower guitar tunings, specifically C# standard. This is one of the first instances in rock and metal music that showcased a lower tuning and the additional heaviness it can add if paired with the proper riff, and of course, “Into the Void” is one of those riffs.
7. “N.I.B. (Nativity In Black)” (1970)
“N.I.B. (Nativity In Black),” the track off Black Sabbath’s debut self-titled LP, is the defining Geezer Butler track. The bass intro has cemented itself among some of the most iconic bass lines in rock music, and it’s a short glimpse of the incredible musicianship that Butler posses and that’s so often overlooked when it comes to Black Sabbath’s brilliance. In fact, not only was Butler the backbone of the band with his solid bass playing, but he served as one of the main lyricists for many of Black Sabbath’s biggest hits.
6. “Heaven and Hell” (1980)
While there are a litany of Dio era Black Sabbath songs that are worth checking out, the one Dio-era track that all Sabbath and metal fans should be required to know is “Heaven and Hell.” The title track off the 1980 album marked singer Ronnie James Dio’s debut with the heavy metal pioneers, and to date it’s still regarded as the best non-Ozzy Black Sabbath album.
In a twisted way, the song almost feels like the metal genre’s “Stairway to Heaven,” sharing an epic song structure and similar themes to the rock opus. The poignant lyrics combined with Dio’s vocal delivery, not to mention Tony Iommi’s tasteful lead playing, makeup up for one of the most emotively powerful song’s in Black Sabbath’s entire catalogue.
5. “Paranoid” (1970)
Unquestionably, “Paranoid” is Black Sabbath’s most popular song. Despite the track only having a single chorus and being one the shortest songs in the band’s catalogue, “Paranoid’s” sensational riffs and melodic hooks have resonated with millions of listeners for over 50 years. The title track off the band’s sophomore LP significantly helped Black Sabbath in their claim to worldwide fame, and ultimately it propelled them into becoming the metal icons they are today.
It might not be Black Sabbath’s greatest opus, but it’s often the gateway drug into the metal genre and Black Sabbath’s timeless discography.
4. “Symptom of the Universe” (1975)
Sabotage, Black Sabbath’s sixth LP, is often cited as the last masterful studio album the band released during the original lineup-era. To get a sense of how peak the band’s songwriting was during this album, one needs to look no further than “Symptom of the Universe.”
The journey this song goes through from it’s foreboding main riff, which many sight as a pre-cursor to thrash metal, to its groovy acoustic bridge section that oozes with euphoria from its themes of love and a sense of wonder for the universe — “Symptom of the Universe” is simply a masterclass in metal songwriting.
3. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” (1973)
If there’s a song that Black Sabbath fans consider to be the band’s quintessential anthem, and a track that’s not one their commercial smash hits, it’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” The title track off the band’s fifth studio album showcases all the key ingredients that make Black Sabbath’s metal songwriting timeless and influential.
From the song’s fist-pumping main riff to the heavy breakdown-like bridge, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” will forever be an essential Black Sabbath song, moreover a top-tier metal track.
2. “Black Sabbath” (1970)
“Black Sabbath,” the title track off Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut, still wields one of heaviest and darkest riffs ever recorded. For this reason, the song not only helped kickstart Black Sabbath’s career at the time, but it single handedly started the heavy metal genre.
Apart from its historical significance to both the metal genre and Black Sabbath’s legacy, the song still stands out as one of the heaviest songs in the band’s catalogue, and the performances throughout this track are as haunting as they are enthralling.
1. “War Pigs” (1970)
Epic in its presentation and timeless in its lyrical themes, “War Pigs” is not only one of the greatest metal songs ever written but it’s unfortunately still one of the most relevant metal anthems today. From its call and response verses to its impassioned choruses, Black Sabbath invigorate the poignant themes in “War Pigs” while also keeping the song structure epic and digestible as a rock anthem.
There are a variety of unique sonic planes this song ventures to throughout its nearly eight minute run time, and that’s a large part of what makes “War Pigs” the definitive Black Sabbath song – the track showcases all the best elements of Black Sabbath from both a songwriting and musicianship standpoint.
Bottom Line
Black Sabbath’s legacy is without question one of the most revered and influential in the entire metal genre. Although the band saw many different lineups and versions of itself, the founding members paved the sonic roadmap for Black Sabbath’s global success and the entire metal genre. There are several eras of Black Sabbath worth checking out, but there’s only one era that’s required listening for all metal and rock fans, and that is of course, Black Sabbath with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.
