Album · Compilation
Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits is a Black Sabbath compilation released on 15 June 2009 by Universal Music TV. It draws only on the original line-up, with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, and covers most of the albums he made with the band. The tracks run from the self-titled debut of 1970 up to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, plus a single song from Never Say Die!.
For listeners, the appeal lies in the sound. The songs use the same masters as Universal's 2009 remasters of the band's albums, so this is a tidy way into the Osbourne years. It shares its title with an earlier collection that NEMS Records put out beyond North America in 1977, so check the sleeve if you are hunting for a copy. In 2012 it came back as Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath, with different artwork, to coincide with the band's tour that year.
Greatest Hits: tracklist, credits and charts
14 tracks · 1:13:22Tracklist
- 1ParanoidButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward2:50
- 2Iron ManButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:55
- 3ChangesButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:43
- 4Fairies Wear BootsButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:16
- 5War PigsButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward7:57
- 6Never Say DieButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward3:50
- 7Children of the GraveButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:17
- 8The WizardButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:25
- 9SnowblindButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:30
- 10Sweet LeafButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:05
- 11Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me)Wagner, Wiegand, Wiegand3:23
- 12Sabbath Bloody SabbathButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:46
- 13Black SabbathButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:18
- 14N.I.B.Butler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:06
- Produced by
- Rodger Bain, Black Sabbath, Patrick Meehan, Mike Butcher
- Recorded at
- Regent Sound Studios, Basing Street Studios, The Record Plant, Sounds Interchange, Morgan Studios
- Recorded
- 1969–1978
- Engineered by
- Tom Allom, Brian Humphries, Colin Caldwell, Vic Coppersmith‐Heaven, Dave Harris, Barry Sheffield, Mike Butcher
- Label
- Universal Music TV
- Length
- 1:13:22
Line-up
- Geezer Butler · electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Tony Iommi · electric guitar, guitar
- Bill Ward · percussion, drums (drum set), bongos
- Ozzy Osbourne · lead vocals, harmonica
- Don Airey · keyboard · guest
- Black Sabbath · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 2009 | 19 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2009 | 2 |
| Swedish Albums · 2009 | 3 |
| Scottish Albums · 2009 | 28 |
| Austrian Albums · 2009 | 73 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Gold |
| Australia · 2013 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
27.9
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
3
ListenBrainz listeners
19k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
7.4k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 15 June
Every year →
More from Black Sabbath
Full discography →
Black Sabbath
1970
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
13
2013
Live… Gathered in Their Masses
2013
The End
2016
The Ultimate Collection
2016
The End
2017
Anno Domini: 1989–1995
2024
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz; also seen: 2009-06-09 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 15 June 2009 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 15 June 2009 | |
| Wikidata | 9 June 2009 | |
| UK / Europe release | 15 June 2009 | earliest UK or European date |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | AU | Universal Music TV | 602527058801 | other |
| 15 June 2009 | GB | Universal Music TV | 602527058801 | original |
| 2012 | RU | Sanctuary Records | 4605026711785 | other |
| 4 June 2012 | XE | Sanctuary Records | 602537061501 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |