Album
Paranoid
Paranoid is Black Sabbath's second album, released in the UK on 18 September 1970, just after their self-titled debut. The band went back into the studio quickly and recorded it in only two days in June. It carries several of their best-known songs, including "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and the title track, which reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and remains their only top 20 hit.
It is widely seen as one of the earliest and most influential heavy metal albums, and a key influence on how the genre developed. Rolling Stone placed it first in its 2017 list of the 100 greatest metal albums. It was also Black Sabbath's only UK number one album until 13, released in 2013. If you want to hear where heavy metal found its feet, this is a fine place to start.
Paranoid on Riffology
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Paranoid: tracklist, credits and charts
8 tracks · 41:51Tracklist
- 1War PigsButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward7:56
- 2ParanoidButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward2:48
- 3Planet CaravanButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:28
- 4Iron ManButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:55
- 5Electric FuneralButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:50
- 6Hand of DoomButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward7:08
- 7Rat SaladButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward2:30
- 8Fairies Wear BootsButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:14
- Produced by
- Rodger Bain
- Recorded at
- Basing Street Studios, Regent Sound (London), Island Studios (London)
- Recorded
- 16–18 June 1970
- Engineered by
- Tom Allom, Brian Humphries
- Label
- Philips
- Length
- 41:51
Line-up
- Geezer Butler · electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Tony Iommi · electric guitar, guitar, flute
- Bill Ward · drums (drum set), percussion, bongos
- Ozzy Osbourne · lead vocals
- Tom Allom · piano · guest
Singles
- “Paranoid” · August 1970
- “Iron Man” · October 1971
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1970–1971 | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1970–1971 | 12 |
| Dutch Albums · 1970–1971 | 1 |
| Danish Albums (Tracklisten) · 1970–1971 | 2 |
| German Albums · 1970–1971 | 2 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2012 | 2 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1970–1971 | 4 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1970–1971 | 4 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi) · 1970–1971 | 5 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1970–1971 | 5 |
All 34 charts
| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard) · Combined | 5 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) · Combined | 6 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU) · 2025–2026 | 10 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) · Combined | 13 |
| Spanish Albums (AFYVE) · 1970–1971 | 13 |
| Scottish Albums · Combined | 15 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2025–2026 | 16 |
| Poland 2 · Combined | 18 |
| Norwegian Albums (IFPI Norge) · Combined | 19 |
| Canadian Albums · 1970–1971 | 20 |
| Finnish Albums · 2025–2026 | 22 |
| Czech Albums · 2025–2026 | 23 |
| Hungarian Albums · Combined | 23 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) · Combined | 27 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) · 2025–2026 | 28 |
| Austrian Albums · 2025–2026 | 32 |
| Swedish Albums · 2020 | 41 |
| Swiss Albums · Combined | 46 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2022 | 56 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) · Combined | 58 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) · Combined | 68 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) · Combined | 85 |
| Spanish Albums · 2020 | 85 |
| Italian Albums · 2008–2009 | 96 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia · 1972 | Gold |
| Canada · 1977 | Platinum |
| Denmark · 2024 | Gold |
| Germany · 2023 | Gold |
| Italy · 2022 | Platinum |
| United Kingdom | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2023 | Platinum |
| United States | 4× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
80.7
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
20k
ListenBrainz listeners
321k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
7.9k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 18 September
Every year →
More from Black Sabbath
Full discography →
Black Sabbath
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 →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 18 September 1970 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 18 September 1970 | |
| Wikidata | 18 September 1970 | |
| UK / Europe release | 18 September 1970 | earliest UK or European date |
66 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| — | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 777497764011 | other |
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | 075992732727 | other |
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| — | XW | Sanctuary Records | 04050538642872 | remaster |
| 1970 | JP | Philips | other | |
| 1970 | CH | Vertigo | other | |
| 1970 | DE | Vertigo | other | |
| 1970 | AU | Vertigo | other | |
| 1970 | FR | Vertigo | other | |
| 18 September 1970 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 7 January 1971 | US | Warner Bros.‐Seven Arts Records | other | |
| 1974 | GB | WWA Records | other | |
| 1974 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| May 1974 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1975 | JP | Vertigo | other | |
| 1976 | GB | NEMS | other | |
| 1980 | SE | NEMS | other | |
| 1980 | DE | Spiegelei | other | |
| 1981 | IT | Ariston | other | |
| 1983 | GB | NEMS | other | |
| 1985 | DE | Castle Communications | 5017615619713 | other |
| 1986 | GB | Castle Communications | 5013428706039 | other |
| 1986 | GB | Castle Communications | 5017615619720 | other |
| 1986 | DE | Intercord Ton GmbH | 4006758301082 | other |
| 1987 | US | Creative Sounds Ltd. | 016726600721 | other |
| 1987 | DE | Vertigo | 042283270121 | other |
| 17 February 1987 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 17 February 1987 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 075992732727 | other |
| 25 March 1989 | JP | Vertigo | 4988011314612 | other |
| October 1990 | GB | Castle Communications | 5017615619720 | other |
| 21 July 1991 | JP | Metal Mania | 4988004032899 | other |
| 1996 | GB | Essential! Records | 5017615830224 | other |
| 26 February 1996 | GB | Essential! Records | 5017615830224 | other |
| 2000 | XE | Castle Music | 5050159100422 | other |
| 22 November 2000 | JP | Imperial Records | 4988004081354 | other |
| 2001 | US | Creative Sounds Ltd. | 013624600723 | other |
| 7 March 2001 | JP | Victor | 4988002413287 | remaster |
| 30 January 2002 | JP | Victor | 4988002425488 | remaster |
| 2003 | IT | Earmark | 8013252410055 | other |
| 2004 | GB | Sanctuary Midline | 5050749203229 | other |
| 24 May 2004 | XE | Sanctuary Midline | 5050749203229 | other |
| 22 June 2004 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227897611 | other |
| 2006 | AR | Icarus Music | 5050749203229 | other |
| 21 February 2007 | JP | Strange Days Records | 4988005459114 | other |
| 2009 | XW | Sanctuary Records | 5414939679377 | remaster |
| 30 March 2009 | GB | Sanctuary Records | 602517824447 | deluxe |
| 30 October 2009 | AU | Universal Music Australia | 5050749203229 | other |
| 19 February 2010 | XE | Sanctuary Records | 602527303277 | other |
| 25 August 2010 | JP | Sanctuary Records | 4988005623393 | other |
| 21 January 2014 | US | Rhino | 603497905164 | other |
| 21 January 2014 | CA | Rhino | 603497905836 | other |
| 28 March 2014 | — | Sanctuary Records | 0602537422654 | other |
| 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227946708 | other |
| 22 January 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227949105 | other |
| 22 January 2016 | — | Warner Bros. Records | 081227949099 | other |
| 5 August 2016 | US | Rhino | 081227946715 | other |
| 11 November 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227943370 | deluxe |
| 2020 | US | Warner Records | 603497846443 | deluxe |
| 2020 | XE | BMG | 4050538637007 | deluxe |
| 9 October 2020 | XE | BMG | 4050538619751 | deluxe |
| 23 June 2023 | US | Rhino | 081227820985 | other |
| 2025 | XE | BMG | 4099964137767 | remaster |
| 14 March 2025 | US | Rhino | 603497819614 | other |
| 14 March 2025 | US | Rhino | 603497819614 | other |
| 7 November 2025 | XW | LC Music | 4099964187045 | 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) |
| coverartarchive | 1400×1400 | upscaled |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |