Shows: 1805
Earliest: Aug 24, 1968
Latest: Feb 4, 2017
Next Show: Sat Jul 5,2025 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom
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[
WikiPedia] Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are cited as pioneers of heavy metal music; the band helped define the genre with their first three albums Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality. In the 1980s and 1990s, the band underwent line-up changes, though since 1997 it has settled with the original band.
After previous iterations of the group – the Polka Tulk Blues Band, and Earth – the band settled on the name Black Sabbath in 1969. They distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and down-tuned guitars. Signing to Philips Records, they released their first single, a cover of the Crow song "Evil Woman", in January 1970, and their debut album, Black Sabbath, the following month. Though it received negative reviews, it was a commercial success, leading to a follow-up record, Paranoid. The band's popularity grew, and by 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, critics responded favourably. This album, along with its predecessor Vol. 4 (1972) and successors Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976) and Never Say Die! (1978), saw the band explore more experimental and progressive styles.
The line-up remained unchanged until 1977, when Osbourne was briefly replaced by Dave Walker. After rejoining for the recording of Never Say Die! and its album tour, Osbourne was dismissed again in 1979 due to substance abuse. He was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who recorded three albums with the band: Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and their first authorised live album Live Evil (1983), the last two featuring drummer Vinny Appice replacing Ward. Keyboardist Geoff Nicholls was a major contributor throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Following Dio and Appice's departures, Iommi, Butler and Nicholls recorded Born Again (1983) with Ian Gillan on vocals and Ward returning on drums, while the latter was replaced by Bev Bevan on the album's tour. Butler, Gillan and Bevan parted ways in 1984, leading to a hiatus and Iommi and Nicholls assembling a new version of Black Sabbath the following year. For the next twelve years, the band endured many personnel changes that included vocalists Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen and Tony Martin, the latter's tenure was the longest, joining in 1987 and recording three albums before his initial departure in 1991: The Eternal Idol (1987), Headless Cross (1989), and Tyr (1990). That same year, Iommi and Nicholls reunited with Butler, Dio and Appice to record Dehumanizer (1992), though Dio and Appice both departed by the end of 1992. Martin returned for two more studio albums, Cross Purposes (1994) and Forbidden (1995), and one live album, Cross Purposes Live, before the band went on a one-year hiatus.
The original line-up of Iommi, Osbourne, Butler and Ward reunited in 1997, releasing a live album, Reunion, and touring sporadically until 2005, most of which saw Black Sabbath headline Osbourne's annual festival tour Ozzfest. The band went on hiatus in 2006 when the Mob Rules line-up reunited as Heaven & Hell, touring during the late 2000s and releasing its sole studio album, The Devil You Know, in 2009 before disbanding after Dio's death. The original line-up reunited again in 2011, though Ward departed prior to the recording of their final studio album and 19th overall, 13 (2013). To conclude their farewell tour, Black Sabbath played its last concert for eight years in their home city in 2017. Occasional partial reunions have occurred, most notably when Osbourne and Iommi performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The original line-up will reunite for a final show for the band and Osbourne as a solo musician, titled Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park on 5 July 2025.
Black Sabbath have sold over 70 million records as of 2013, making them one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands. Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". Black Sabbath were ranked by MTV as the "Greatest Metal Band of All Time" and placed second on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them 85 on its "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". They were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. They have won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
