Black Sabbath facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath in 1970. From left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.
Background information
Also known as	The Polka Tulk Blues Band (1968) Earth (1968–1969)
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Heavy metal
Years active	1968–2006 2011–2017 2025
Labels	Fontana Vertigo Mercury Virgin EMI Universal Warner Bros. I.R.S. Sanctuary
Past members	Tony Iommi Bill Ward Geezer Butler Ozzy Osbourne (List of Black Sabbath members)

Black Sabbath was an English rock band that many people call the creators of heavy metal music. The band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968. The most famous members were guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. They became famous for their dark lyrics and heavy, powerful sound, which was new at the time.

The band's first albums, like Black Sabbath and Paranoid, are considered some of the most important heavy metal albums ever made. After many successful years, Ozzy Osbourne left the band in 1979. He was replaced by singer Ronnie James Dio, who brought a new style to the band.

Over the years, Black Sabbath had many different members, but Tony Iommi was always the guitarist. The original members reunited several times. They recorded their final studio album, 13, in 2013 and had a farewell tour that ended in 2017.

The original four members played one last show together on July 5, 2025. Sadly, Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025, just seventeen days after this final performance. Black Sabbath has sold over 70 million records and has influenced thousands of bands around the world.

History

1968–1969: How the Band Began

The Crown pub in Birmingham, where the band played their first shows.

In 1968, four friends from Birmingham, England, started a band. Guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward joined with bassist Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne. At first, they called themselves the Polka Tulk Blues Band, and then later, Earth.

One day, Geezer Butler saw a lot of people lined up to see a scary movie called Black Sabbath. He thought it was strange that people paid money to be scared. This gave the band an idea. They wrote a dark and spooky song called "Black Sabbath."

The song used a special musical combination called a tritone, which is sometimes known as "the Devil's Interval" because it sounds so eerie. The band loved this new, heavier sound. In 1969, they changed their name to Black Sabbath and decided to make music that was like a horror movie.

1970–1971: First Two Albums

Black Sabbath in London in 1970.

Black Sabbath released their first album, Black Sabbath, in February 1970. At first, some music critics did not like it because it was so different. But many fans loved the new sound, and the album sold very well. It is now seen as the first-ever heavy metal album.

Just a few months later, the band released their second album, Paranoid. This album was a huge success. It included some of their most famous songs, like "Paranoid", "War Pigs", and "Iron Man". The song "Paranoid" was written very quickly in the studio to fill space on the album, but it became their biggest hit single.

The success of Paranoid made Black Sabbath famous all over the world. They began to tour in the United States for the first time.

1971–1975: More Classic Albums

The band continued to release popular albums. In 1971, they released Master of Reality. On this album, Tony Iommi started tuning his guitar lower than usual. This made the music sound even heavier and darker. The album had classic songs like "Children of the Grave" and "Sweet Leaf".

In 1972, the band released Vol. 4. They experimented with new sounds on this album. The next year, for their album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), the band rented a spooky castle in England to find inspiration. The creepy atmosphere helped them write new music. They even used keyboards and string instruments on some songs.

Their sixth album, Sabotage, came out in 1975. It was a powerful rock album with fan favorites like "Symptom of the Universe". During this time, Black Sabbath was one of the biggest bands in the world.

1976–1979: A Time of Change

By the late 1970s, the band started to face some challenges. Their albums Technical Ecstasy (1976) and Never Say Die! (1978) had a different, more experimental sound that some fans were not used to.

There were also growing disagreements within the band. The members were having creative differences and personal problems. These issues led to a difficult decision. In 1979, the band parted ways with singer Ozzy Osbourne.

1979–1982: The Dio Era

Ronnie James Dio was the singer for Black Sabbath from 1979 to 1982.

Black Sabbath found a new singer, Ronnie James Dio, who had been in the band Rainbow. Dio had a very powerful and different singing style from Ozzy. This gave the band a new, more epic sound.

In 1980, they released the album Heaven and Hell, which was a huge success. Fans loved the new lineup. Drummer Bill Ward left the band during the tour because he was feeling overwhelmed. He was replaced by Vinny Appice.

The band then released another popular album, Mob Rules, in 1981. However, disagreements came up between the band members while they were making the live album Live Evil. Because of these issues, Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice left Black Sabbath in 1982 to form their own band, Dio.

1983–1996: A Period of Many Members

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple sang on one Black Sabbath album.

For the next 15 years, guitarist Tony Iommi kept Black Sabbath going through many lineup changes.

In 1983, Ian Gillan, the singer from Deep Purple, joined the band for the album Born Again. The tour for this album was famous for its giant stage set of Stonehenge, which was accidentally made too big to fit in most concert halls.

After Gillan left, other singers like Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin joined the band. Tony Martin was the singer for the longest time during this period. He recorded several albums, including Headless Cross and Tyr. In 1992, Ronnie James Dio briefly returned to record the album Dehumanizer.

1997–2006: The Original Lineup Returns

The original Black Sabbath lineup on stage in 1999.

In 1997, the moment many fans had been waiting for happened. The original four members—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne—reunited. They toured together on the Ozzfest tour.

They released a live album called Reunion in 1998. It included two new studio songs. For their classic song "Iron Man," the band won their first Grammy Award in 2000, 30 years after the song was first released. The band toured together for several years but did not release a new studio album at this time.

2006–2010: Heaven & Hell

Tony Iommi performing with Heaven & Hell in 2007.

In 2006, the lineup that included Ronnie James Dio (Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Appice) decided to tour and record together again. To avoid confusion with the Ozzy-led version of Black Sabbath, they called themselves Heaven & Hell, after their famous album.

They toured the world and released a new studio album in 2009 called The Devil You Know. Sadly, the band ended when Ronnie James Dio passed away from an illness in 2010.

2011–2017: The Final Album and Tour

Black Sabbath live in Brazil, 2013.

In 2011, the original members announced another reunion. However, drummer Bill Ward did not join them for the tour and new album because he could not agree on the terms. The band continued with a different drummer, Brad Wilk, for the album.

During this time, Tony Iommi was battling a serious illness called lymphoma, but he bravely continued to work with the band. In 2013, Black Sabbath released 13, their first studio album with Ozzy Osbourne in 35 years. It was a huge success and went to number one in many countries.

The band then began a farewell tour called The End. They played their final concert in their hometown of Birmingham on February 4, 2017.

2022–2025: Final Performances

Black Sabbath performing at their final show in 2025.

Even after their final tour, the story of Black Sabbath was not quite over. In August 2022, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi made a surprise appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

On July 5, 2025, the original four members of Black Sabbath played one last concert together at Villa Park in Birmingham. The show was called "Back to the Beginning" and raised money for charity. It was the first time the original lineup had performed together in 20 years.

Sadly, just seventeen days after this final performance, Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025.

Musical Style

Black Sabbath is known for creating the sound of heavy metal. Their music is famous for its heavy and powerful guitar riffs, written by Tony Iommi. Geezer Butler wrote most of the band's dark and imaginative lyrics, while Ozzy Osbourne created the memorable vocal melodies.

A key part of their sound came from Tony Iommi's unique situation. As a teenager, he had an accident at a factory and lost the tips of two of his fingers. To keep playing guitar, he made special plastic tips for his fingers. He also tuned his guitar strings lower to make them easier to play. This "down-tuning" created the deep, heavy sound that Black Sabbath is famous for.

Legacy and Influence

A bench dedicated to Black Sabbath in their hometown of Birmingham.

Black Sabbath is one of the most influential bands in rock history. They have sold over 70 million albums worldwide. They are often called "the Beatles of heavy metal" because they started a whole new genre of music.

Thousands of bands, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Nirvana, have said that Black Sabbath was a major influence on them. Lars Ulrich of Metallica said, "Black Sabbath is and always will be synonymous with heavy metal."

In 2006, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their music has inspired not only heavy metal but also other genres like grunge and stoner rock. The dark, powerful sound that they created in Birmingham over 50 years ago can still be heard in rock music today.

Band members

Original line-up

• Tony Iommi – guitars (1968–2006, 2011–2017, 2025)
• Bill Ward – drums (1968–1980, 1983, 1984, 1994, 1997–2006, 2011–2012, 2025)
• Geezer Butler – bass (1968–1979, 1980–1984, 1987, 1990–1994, 1997–2006, 2011–2017, 2025)
• Ozzy Osbourne – vocals, harmonica (1968–1977, 1978–1979, 1997–2006, 2011–2017, 2025; died 2025)

Discography

Studio albums

Tours

See also

In Spanish: Black Sabbath para niños