Album
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath's self-titled debut arrived in the UK on 13 February 1970 on Vertigo, with a US release through Warner Bros. following on 1 June. Most of it was captured in a single 12-hour session at Regent Sounds Studios on 17 November 1969, with the band drawing on songs from their live set. "Evil Woman" and its B-side "Wicked World" had been recorded a week earlier at Trident Studios.
Critics were unkind at the time, yet the public took to it, and it reached number eight in the UK and number 23 in the US. Its reputation has since turned right around. The title track has been called the first doom metal song, and the album is often named as the first true heavy metal record. Much of its sound comes from Tony Iommi's playing, shaped by an accident that cost him two fingertips. Start with the opener.
Black Sabbath: tracklist, credits and charts
7 tracks · 38:14Tracklist
- 1Black SabbathButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:22
- 2The WizardButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:25
- 3Behind the Wall of SleepButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward3:38
- 4N.I.B.Butler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:09
- 5Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With MeWagner, Wiegand, Wiegand3:25
- 6Sleeping VillageButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward10:45
- 7WarningBrox, Dmochowski, Dunbar, Moorshead3:31
- Produced by
- Rodger Bain
- Recorded at
- Regent Sound Studios, Regent Sounds Studio (London)
- Recorded
- 10 and 17 November 1969
- Engineered by
- Tom Allom, Barry Sheffield
- Label
- Vertigo
- Length
- 38:14
Line-up
- Geezer Butler · electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Tony Iommi · electric guitar
- Bill Ward · percussion, drums (drum set)
- Ozzy Osbourne · lead vocals, harmonica
Singles
- “Evil Woman" / "Wicked World” · 2 January 1970
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1970 | 8 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1970 | 23 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · Combined | 3 |
| Dutch Albums · 1970 | 6 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1970 | 8 |
| German Albums · 1970 | 8 |
| French Albums (SNEP) · 1970 | 10 |
| UK Independent Albums · Combined | 11 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1970 | 13 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) · Combined | 14 |
All 13 charts
| Scottish Albums · Combined | 24 |
| Canadian Albums · 1970 | 29 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2022–2025 | 96 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada | Gold |
| United Kingdom | Gold |
| United States | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
75.4
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
8.4k
ListenBrainz listeners
342k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
4.1k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 13 February
Every year →
More from Black Sabbath
Full discography →
Paranoid
1970
Master of Reality
1971
Vol 4
1972
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1973
We Sold Our Soul for Rock ’n’ Roll
1975
Sabotage
1975
Technical Ecstasy
1976
Never Say Die!
1978
Heaven and Hell
1980
Live at Last
1980
Mob Rules
1981
Live Evil
1982
Born Again
1983
The Sabbath Collection
1985
Seventh Star
1986
The Eternal Idol
1987
Headless Cross
1989
TYR
1990
The Ozzy Osbourne Years
1991
Dehumanizer
1992
Cross Purposes
1994
Cross Purposes – Live
1995
Forbidden
1995
The Sabbath Stones
1996
Under Wheels of Confusion: 1970–1987
1996
Reunion
1998
The Collection
1999
Black Mass
1999
The Best of Black Sabbath
2000
Past Lives
2002
Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
2002
Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
2004
Greatest Hits 1970–1978
2006
The Dio Years
2007
Live at Hammersmith Odeon
2007
The Rules of Hell
2008
Greatest Hits
2009
13
2013
Live… Gathered in Their Masses
2013
The End
2016
The Ultimate Collection
2016
The End
2017
Anno Domini: 1989–1995
2024
The best of 1970
All of 1970 →
More on Vertigo
The label →
Metallica
Metallica · 1991
…And Justice for All
Metallica · 1988
Death Magnetic
Metallica · 2008
St. Anger
Metallica · 2003
Load
Metallica · 1996
S&M
Metallica · 1999
Vol 4
Black Sabbath · 1972
Heaven and Hell
Black Sabbath · 1980
Pyromania
Def Leppard · 1983
Sabotage
Black Sabbath · 1975
Mob Rules
Black Sabbath · 1981
Never Say Die!
Black Sabbath · 1978
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1 June 1970 | ignored lone early release dated 1970-02-13 |
| Wikipedia infobox | 13 February 1970 | |
| Wikidata | 13 February 1970 | |
| US release | 1 June 1970 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 13 February 1970 | earliest UK or European date |
51 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| — | AU | Castle Communications | 5017615619621 | other |
| — | XW | — | 0603497905201 | remaster |
| 1970 | DE | Vertigo | other | |
| 13 February 1970 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 1 June 1970 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1971 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1971 | GB | Vertigo | other | |
| 1976 | GB | NEMS | other | |
| 1976 | SE | NEMS | other | |
| 1986 | GB | Castle Communications | 5017615619621 | other |
| 1986 | XE | Castle Communications | 5013428706022 | other |
| October 1986 | FR | Castle Communications | 5017615619621 | other |
| 1987 | DE | Creative Sounds Ltd. | 016726600622 | other |
| 1987 | US | Creative Sounds Ltd. | 016726600622 | other |
| 19 April 1988 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 075992718523 | other |
| 1 July 1988 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1 July 1988 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 075992718523 | other |
| 1989 | DE | Vertigo | 042283270220 | other |
| 25 March 1989 | JP | Vertigo | 4988011314605 | other |
| 21 July 1991 | JP | Metal Mania | 4988004032882 | other |
| 1996 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 075992718523 | other |
| 1996 | US | — | 013624600624 | other |
| 1996 | GB | Essential! Records | 5017615830125 | remaster |
| 21 February 1996 | JP | Castle Communications | remaster | |
| 28 February 1996 | GB | Essential! Records | 5017615830125 | remaster |
| 2000 | XE | Castle Music | 5050159100323 | other |
| 7 March 2001 | JP | Victor | 4988002413270 | remaster |
| 30 January 2002 | JP | Victor | 4988002425471 | remaster |
| 2003 | IT | Earmark | 8013252410048 | other |
| 2003 | IT | Earmark | 8013252741043 | other |
| 2004 | GB | Sanctuary Midline | 5050749203120 | other |
| 2005 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 075992718523 | other |
| 2006 | AR | Icarus Music | 5050749203120 | other |
| 21 February 2007 | JP | Strange Days Records | 4988005459107 | other |
| 2009 | XW | Sanctuary Records | 5414939680571 | remaster |
| 2 July 2009 | XE | Sanctuary Records | 602527008172 | deluxe |
| 26 August 2009 | JP | Sanctuary Records | 4988005569752 | deluxe |
| 23 February 2010 | XE | Sanctuary Records | 602527303246 | other |
| 24 November 2010 | JP | Universal International | other | |
| 25 July 2012 | JP | Sanctuary Records | 4988005718327 | other |
| 2013 | GB | Sanctuary Records | other | |
| 9 August 2014 | US | Rhino | 603497905201 | other |
| 20 April 2015 | XE | BMG | 5414939920783 | other |
| 2016 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 081227949075 | deluxe |
| 22 January 2016 | US | Rhino | 081227949082 | deluxe |
| 5 August 2016 | US | Rhino | 081227946746 | other |
| 5 August 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227946661 | other |
| 17 May 2024 | US | Rhino Vinyl | 081227817381 | other |
| 2025 | XE | BMG | 4099964137675 | remaster |
| — | — | Sanctuary Records | other |
Cover art sources
itunes · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| itunes ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 599×591 | upscaled |