Chris Walter, WireImage / Ethan Miller, Getty Images / Scott Dudelson, Getty Images
Paul Natkin, Archives Photos/Getty Images
Opeth, “Solitude”
Recorded live at Stockholm’s Sodra Teatern in 2012, Opeth’s rendition of Master of Reality’s penultimate cut is the only Black Sabbath song they’ve ever formally covered. It released as a bonus track on 2014’s Pale Communion, and according to frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, they’d been playing it since “the early ‘90s.”
In a nutshell, Opeth stick very closely to the Birmingham quartet’s surprisingly gentle and pastoral vision, with a bit less Moody Blues-esque psychedelic floweriness and a bit more Middle Eastern twang thanks to its marginal increase in fancy guitarwork. It’s slightly more biting and grounded (and less dreamy) as well, and it could just as easily be an Opeth original.
It’s perhaps the safest entry here, yet also one that epitomizes how the best covers are often as authentic to the initial creators as they are to the artists reimagining them.
Queensrÿche, “Neon Knights”
Heaven and Hell is routinely voted as one of Black Sabbath’s strongest LPs, and explosive opener “Neon Knights” plays as large a role in that distinction as anything else in the collection. That’s why Queensrÿche had quite the task in front of them when they chose to tackle it on 2007’s appropriately named Take Cover (which was sandwiched between two of their weakest efforts: 2007’s Operation: Mindcrime II and 2009’s American Solider).
They may’ve been lacking artistically when it came to their own material during that time, but they pretty much sound as energized and focused as ever on “Neon Knights.”
It’s almost identical structurally and Geoff Tate’s soaring voice still doesn’t outdo Dio’s show-stopping performance. Even so, they do a killer job injecting their own flavors into Black Sabbath’s template with respectfulness and resourcefulness.
In that way, it’s an endearing example of a quintessential progressive metal forebear bowing down and paying homage to one of their eminent forefathers.
Coheed and Cambria, “Heaven and Hell”
Given that they rarely border on straightforward heavy metal, you might not expect Coheed and Cambria to throw a Black Sabbath song into one of their trademark emo/prog rock/prog metal live sets. However, they toured with Heaven and Hell back in 2009, and they performed “Heaven and Hell” periodically during the second half of 2012.
Whereas the eponymous Side A closer of Black Sabbath’s 1980 album (their first with Ronnie James Dio replacing Ozzy Osbourne) was typically sludgy, gritty and gloomy, Coheed and Cambria pass some of that muckiness through a brighter, cleaner and more vibrant and epic filter.
Singer Claudio Sanchez’s distinctively high-pitched outcries make their version operatic, too, and although they lose the calm acoustic guitar outro, their electrifying closing jam is sufficiently awesome and idiosyncratic.
It’s not as “proggy” as some might anticipate, but it’s nonetheless a resourceful revision that wouldn’t have been too out of place on one of their early 2010s sequences.
Faroese foursome Týr are commonly credited as a power/folk/Viking metal ensemble, but they also incorporate ample amounts of progressive metal into their legendary conqueror persona. Their adaptation of “I” showcases that well by mixing the core rage and dynamic range of the Dehumanizer standout with Týr’s requisite sleek production and triumphant/motivational war-ready edge.
In a sense, their fiercer tone and multilayered arrangement is what might happen of Black Sabbath’s design was retooled for the newer God of War video games or any other recent pop culture depiction of Norse or Greek mythology.
Both instrumentally and vocally, it’s twice as adrenaline-fueled and magnificent, with the chorus sounding like it’s being sung by a dozen warriors ready to charge into battle.
Interestingly, they also covered “Stargazer” by Rainbow on the limited edition of 2011’s The Lay of Thrym (so listeners got a double dose of Viking-tinged prog metal Dio fury).
Green Carnation, “Solitude”
“Solitude” is among the greatest Black Sabbath ballads, so it deserves two spots on this list (especially since it gave way not only to Opeth’s traditional take but also to this bolder and richer interpretation).
Lifted from the Norwegian sextet’s sixth and latest LP – 2020’s Leaves of Yesteryear – its lusher and slower trajectory is apparent right away.
Forlorn acoustic guitar arpeggios, soothing keyboard backdrops and distressing piano notes (among other rustic/tribal tones) instantly give it a hauntingly symphonic coating. Meanwhile, Kjetil Nordhus’ tender lead vocals and evocative harmonies add to its chilling classiness.
The heart of Black Sabbath’s blueprint remains, of course, but it wouldn’t be wrong for fans of folk/goth/doom metal mainstays such as Katatonia and Borknagar to prefer Green Carnation’s execution.
Favorite Black Sabbath Album of 21 Rock + Metal Legends
Members of Metallica, Iron Maiden, and even Sabbath themselves reveal their favorite titles from the band’s catalog.
James Hetfield, Metallica
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Master of Reality
What he said about it:
“(Tony Iommi) can go from the heaviest doom riff into a happy mode and it would still sound heavy. We can’t do happy, but Tony can pull it off. My favorite track is ‘Into the Void.'”
—James Hetfield (Classic Rock)
ozzy osbourne performs with black sabbath in 2016
ozzy osbourne performs with black sabbath in 2016
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
What he said about it:
“Our last truly great album, I think… And with the music, we’d managed to strike just the right balance between our old heaviness and our new, ‘experimental’ side.”
—Ozzy Osbourne (I Am Ozzy)
smashing pumpkins, sighommi
smashing pumpkins, sighommi
Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
What he said about it:
“Creepy, spooky, and heavier than God in brief, fleeting moments. This album always makes me think of the soundtrack Sabbath would make to a final day of Earth.”
—Billy Corgan (Music Radar)
billy corgan in 2025
billy corgan in 2025
Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
What he said about it:
“Creepy, spooky, and heavier than God in brief, fleeting moments. This album always makes me think of the soundtrack Sabbath would make to a final day of Earth.”
—Billy Corgan (Music Radar)
lzzy hale, halestorm
lzzy hale, halestorm
Lzzy Hale, Halestorm
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Heaven and Hell
What she said about it:
“This album changed my life tonally for guitar. It definitely put me in the right direction to be a hard rock artist. I’ve been listening to Dio and Black Sabbath since I was a kid… and this was one of the first albums that I owned and listened to. I kind of got introduced to Sabbath during the Ronnie James Dio years and then I had to go back and rediscover Black Sabbath with Ozzy. It was the gateway drug.”
—Lzzy Hale (AXS TV)
tom morello, rage against the machine
tom morello, rage against the machine
Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Paranoid
What he said about it:
“The world may never recover”
—Tom Morello on the 50th anniversary of the album’s release.
Lars Ulrich, Metallica
Lars Ulrich, Metallica
Suzanne Cordeiro, AFP via
Lars Ulrich, Metallica
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabotage
What he said about it:
“Side A, if you look at vinyl, is probably the strongest 20 minutes of Black Sabbath. And then ‘Symptom of the Universe,’ – the simplicity in the riff, the down-picking, the chug – it’s obviously the blueprint for the core of what hard rock and metal ended up sounding like … up through the ’80s and ’90s.”
—Lars Ulrich (Rolling Stone)
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath
Favorite Black Sabbath albums:
Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Dehumanizer
What he said about them:
“It has a raunchy sound, something I think has been missing from Sabbath over the last few years. This is very much a classic Black Sabbath record. In fact, I didn’t expect it to come out quite this good.” – Tony Iommi on Dehumanizer (Far Out)
iron maiden singer bruce dickinson performing solo with arm outstretched and beanie on head
iron maiden singer bruce dickinson performing solo with arm outstretched and beanie on head
Mariano Regidor, Redferns
Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
What he said about it:
“I was a kid and got this album and I was still a virgin, which made me open it up and go, ‘Oh, my God. Look at those women.’ But what a great record. What a great album.”
—Bruce Dickinson (Qobuz)
Judas Priests Rob Halford performs at The Joint in Las Vegas, 2019
Judas Priests Rob Halford performs at The Joint in Las Vegas, 2019
Rob Halford, Judas Priest
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Black Sabbath
What he said about it: “This album, recorded in a day, is magic for me. It captures the roots of what they are in the truest sense. You feel like you are in the studio with the lads.”
—Rob Halford (Radio.com)
Kirk Hammett, Metallica
Kirk Hammett, Metallica
Kirk Hammett, Metallica
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabotage
What he said about it:
“They created the genre in those first three albums, and then there was Vol. 4, which was just like another shift in their sound. And then Sabotage came out, which is another shift in their sound. They got a little bit more progressive, the playing got a little bit more advanced. The arrangements got a little bit more sophisticated.”
“And they wrote the riff that I think encapsulates the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and thrash metal as as we know it, and that riff is ‘Symptom of the Universe.’ That song literally breathes new life into heavy metal … That riff in itself shifted heavy metal and I have to give that album and that particular song a lot of credence.”
—Kirk Hammett (Consequence)
Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath
Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath
Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
What he said about it:
“It was a great time to be in Sabbath cause we’d established ourselves. We had a few quid in the bank and things were just great. It was really good. Everybody was enjoying being together.”
—Geezer Butler (Loudwire)
Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabotage
What he said about it:
“To me, Sabotage is insane good. Ozzy’s vocal performance on that… I love his vocal performance on all of them, but I mean Sabotage, specifically, is just — I’ll put that up against anybody.”
—Zakk Wylde (SiriusXM)
dave grohl
dave grohl
Maya Dehlin Spach, Getty Images
Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Mob Rules
What he said about it:
“In fact, Mob Rules got Dave Grohl and people of that generation into Sabbath. And then, of course, they go back and listen to the other stuff. I know that Dave Grohl was saying Mob Rules was one of his favorite albums.”
Dimebag Darrell, Pantera
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Master of Reality
What he said about it:
“I’ve recorded so many compilation cassettes of Black Sabbath records that I feel like I only know one long, long album of theirs. Still, this one’s in my jukebox. It’s killer! We’ll still be talking about it in 40 years.”
—Dimebag Darrell (Rock Hard)
Bill Ward, Black Sabbath
Bill Ward, Black Sabbath
Bill Ward, Black Sabbath
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Master of Reality
What he said about it:
“I liked it because the band was, by that time, very much a completely on-the-road, touring band. We hadn’t come off the road for several years and there’s a maturity about it. There’s something about Master; there’s something different about it. It’s always been one of my favorites.”
—Bill Ward (Rolling Stone)
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Slash, Guns N Roses
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Black Sabbath
What he said about it: “In my opinion, there is no more ominous rock n’ roll record than this one. I don’t care what band you come up with – Black Sabbath’s first album tops them all. On every level, it’s the sound of pure evil.”
Collin McDaniel / Circuit of the Americas
Kerry King, Slayer
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Sabotage
What he said about it:
“Something about the vibe on that record. It’s cool. I mean, they’re all cool, but something about that one. Maybe ‘Symptom of the Universe.’ I don’t know. It’s nonstop badassery.”
Scott Ian, Anthrax
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Master of Reality
What he said about it:
“It’s only 34 minutes but you have ‘Sweet Leaf,’ ‘After Forever,’ ‘Children of the Grave,’ ‘Lord of this World’ and ‘Into the Void’ on it … An album with one of those songs on it would blow people’s minds. But all [five] of those songs are on one album.”
—Scott Ian (Guitar World)
Glenn Danzig, Misfits
Glenn Danzig, Misfits
Glenn Danzig, Misfits
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Black Sabbath
What he said about it:
“I played it when I got home (from the record store) and I was like, this is incredible. So then I took it around my neighborhood and started playing it for all of my friends, saying, ‘You got to hear this record, you’ve got to hear this band.’ Nobody knew who the fuck Black Sabbath was.”
—Glenn Danzig (Revolver)
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Master of Reality
What he said about it:
“This album not only has Tony Iommi capturing one of the greatest tones ever committed to tape, but Ward and Butler swinging as hard as they’re crushing it. This is a perfectly balanced bit of playing.”
—Henry Rollins (Goldmine)
Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Favorite Black Sabbath album:
Black Sabbath
What he said about it:
“This album is really the beginning of riff rock, which I really like. It sounds huge and scary, and slow and sludgy, and has a kind of otherworldly aspect to it that moves me.”
—Rick Rubin (Gibson)
23 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Black Sabbath
Thanks to a career spanning nearly five decades, an estimated 70 million albums sold around the world, and more timeless songs than you can shake a crucifix at, Black Sabbath have certainly earned their standing as the godfathers of heavy metal. But even one of rock’s most notorious and newsworthy bands has its fair share of little-known details in their history, so we set out to compile 23 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Black Sabbath:
Only One Session
Only One Session
Alex Pantling, Getty Images
Only One Session
It only took one session for Black Sabbath to record its self-titled first album in 1969.
Tony Changed His Mind
Tony Changed His Mind
Robert Cianflone,
Tony Changed His Mind
Black Sabbath nearly broke up before recording a single song, when guitarist Tony Iommi left to join the more established Jethro Tull in 1969, but he luckily changed his mind.
Story Behind The Name
Story Behind The Name
Story Behind The Name
Black Sabbath say their name was inspired by a 1963 Boris Karloff film. While some have speculated the name could have come from the debut album by American psych rockers Coven (released months before Sabbath’s debut) that boasted a song named “Black Sabbath,” Black Sabbath the band have remained steadfast that it was inspired by the film.
Anybody Know Her?
Anybody Know Her?
Rhino, Warner Bros./Canva
Anybody Know Her?
The name or whereabouts of the woman shown on the cover of Sabbath’s debut album or even the image’s photographer were a mystery up until a 2020 interview.
Warpiggers?
Warpiggers?
Black Sabbath via YouTube
Warpiggers?
War Pigs almost ended up with a different name. Ozzy said in his 2009 autobiography that the song was initially called Warpiggers, “which was a term for a black magic wedding or something.”
“Then, we changed it to War Pigs, and Geezer came up with the heavy-duty lyrics about death and destruction. No wonder we never got any chicks at our gigs.”
No Time For Soundcheck With Rod Stewart
No Time For Soundcheck With Rod Stewart
No Time For Soundcheck With Rod Stewart
Sabbath’s first U.S. show was at Ungano’s in New York City. Their second gig was opening for Rod Stewart and Faces at Fillmore East.
Apparently, the two bands didn’t necessarily get along despite being on the same bill.
“We were pissed off with the Faces, actually, because they didn’t give us any time for soundcheck,” Ozzy wrote in his 2009 autobiography. “And Rod kept well out of our way. Looking back now, I don’t suppose he was too happy having Black Sabbath supporting him.”
Metal To The Face
Metal To The Face
Black Sabbath via YouTube
Metal To The Face
Sabbath played a show in Memphis during their second U.S. tour. It was on that night Ozzy said in his 2009 autobiography that a fan in a “cloak” jumped on stage.
Annoyed by the fan’s antics, Ozzy pushed the fan toward Tony. Before he could make it to the guitarist, a roadie slammed a metal bar into the face of the cloaked fan. It was later revealed that the man was carrying a dagger under his cloak.
“I almost fell backwards into one of the speaker cabinets. I was so freaked out,” Ozzy recalled. “If it hadn’t been for our roadie, Tony might have been a goner.”
Phoning A Friend
Phoning A Friend
Phoning A Friend
Seeking to finesse their sound for 1973’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” the band called in a favor from Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, whose alcohol consumption was as legendary as his musical talents.
Ozzy was a fan of soul music in his younger days. He lists Sam and Dave among his favorite acts.
They Did WHAT On The Escalator?!?!
They Did WHAT On The Escalator?!?!
Black Sabbath hired respected art designers Hipgnosis to craft a sophisticated cover for 1976’s “Technical Ecstasy,” but Ozzy later dismissed it as “two robots screwing on an escalator.”
Ozzy Osbourne officially parted ways with Sabbath in 1979, but the singer had actually already quit the group in late ’77, forcing them to recruit former Savoy Brown singer Dave Walker for a single TV performance.
Who recommended Ronnie James Dio as Ozzy’s replacement? Band manager Don Arden’s daughter Sharon Arden … later known as Sharon Osbourne.
When Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan joined Sabbath in 1983, their plan was to start a new band. Gillian would stick around to sing on “Born Again;” in addition, 1986’s “Seventh Star” (with Glenn Hughes on vocals) was supposed to be an Iommi solo LP; but both were released under the Black Sabbath name at the behest of record label suits.
Never Interrupt A Sabbath Show
Never Interrupt A Sabbath Show
Never Interrupt A Sabbath Show
The song “Fairies Wear Boots” was inspired by an encounter with combat boot-wearing skinheads who disrupted one of Sabbath’s early concerts.
Original Four Comeback Album
Original Four Comeback Album
Getty Images
Original Four Comeback Album
The four original members of Black Sabbath almost recorded a comeback album with producer Rick Rubin in 2001, but Ozzy’s solo commitments and hit MTV show, “The Osbournes,” derailed their plans.
Miss Me Deadly
Miss Me Deadly
Miss Me Deadly
Tony Iommi was briefly engaged to wed metal goddess Lita Ford. But after the album he produced for her was shelved indefinitely, Lita broke off the engagement and was soon singing a duet with Ozzy on the “Close My Eyes Forever” single.
It Doesnt Make Sense
It Doesnt Make Sense
Warner Bros./Canva
It Doesn’t Make Sense
The “Paranoid” album’s artwork has also perplexed fans
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