Metal Monarchy
HISTORY OF METAL: 1970 - BLACK SABBATH INVENT A GENRE
Black Sabbath invented heavy metal in 1970. Period.
Many rock historians will point to late '60s/early '70s hard-rock and heavy-blues bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly and even Cream as having created heavy metal. The truth is that they merely helped lay the groundwork. They were not heavy-metal bands. Black Sabbath were a heavy-metal band.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward formed Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England in 1969. The revolutionary band played its first gig under the name on August 30 of that year. A groundswell of support quickly gathered throughout the country, and Sabbath were signed to upstart Vertigo Records, who released the metallers' eponymous debut album in the U.K. on Friday, February 13, 1970 - a day that will forever be known as metal's birthday.
Songs like "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B." musically and lyrically explored the harsh realities of life in industrial Birmingham, and delved deeply into previously taboo topics of the occult. The hippie ideals of peace and love had failed, and Black Sabbath were the voice of the angry and disillusioned.
The debut was a smashing success, especially considering that it was recorded for a meager £600. It quickly climbed all the way to #8 in the British charts with almost a complete lack of radio airplay. A U.S. release followed in June through Warner Bros., and Black Sabbath began to achieve worldwide recognition.
The Birmingham natives were not ones to rest on their laurels, however, as they swiftly set about recording their second album, Paranoid, which is considered by many to be their magnum opus, and one of the most influential metal albums of all-time. The album was released in the U.K. on September 18,1970 - only seven months after the first.
With the help of the hit title track, the album skyrocketed to #1 on the British charts and launched Black Sabbath to true superstardom. Paranoid also contained two of the band's most well-known and beloved songs to this day: "War Pigs" - which was originally meant to be the title of the album itself before record execs balked - and "Iron Man." The group played its first North American show on October 30, and the worldwide metal movement was underway.
Heavy metal had been born, and Black Sabbath were proudly flying the flag.
Music video for "Black Sabbath":
"War Pigs" live in Paris, 1970:
Many rock historians will point to late '60s/early '70s hard-rock and heavy-blues bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly and even Cream as having created heavy metal. The truth is that they merely helped lay the groundwork. They were not heavy-metal bands. Black Sabbath were a heavy-metal band.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward formed Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England in 1969. The revolutionary band played its first gig under the name on August 30 of that year. A groundswell of support quickly gathered throughout the country, and Sabbath were signed to upstart Vertigo Records, who released the metallers' eponymous debut album in the U.K. on Friday, February 13, 1970 - a day that will forever be known as metal's birthday.
Black Sabbath (1970)
Songs like "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B." musically and lyrically explored the harsh realities of life in industrial Birmingham, and delved deeply into previously taboo topics of the occult. The hippie ideals of peace and love had failed, and Black Sabbath were the voice of the angry and disillusioned.
The debut was a smashing success, especially considering that it was recorded for a meager £600. It quickly climbed all the way to #8 in the British charts with almost a complete lack of radio airplay. A U.S. release followed in June through Warner Bros., and Black Sabbath began to achieve worldwide recognition.
The Birmingham natives were not ones to rest on their laurels, however, as they swiftly set about recording their second album, Paranoid, which is considered by many to be their magnum opus, and one of the most influential metal albums of all-time. The album was released in the U.K. on September 18,1970 - only seven months after the first.
Paranoid (1970)
With the help of the hit title track, the album skyrocketed to #1 on the British charts and launched Black Sabbath to true superstardom. Paranoid also contained two of the band's most well-known and beloved songs to this day: "War Pigs" - which was originally meant to be the title of the album itself before record execs balked - and "Iron Man." The group played its first North American show on October 30, and the worldwide metal movement was underway.
Heavy metal had been born, and Black Sabbath were proudly flying the flag.
Music video for "Black Sabbath":
"War Pigs" live in Paris, 1970:
Ozzy looks like he is 12 years old in that main picture. I guess the Heavy Metal lifestyle can really take it's toll over the years. Oh well, even though he is old and crazy at this point, he still rocks. Good post. More history of Metal please!
Maybe the reason there are so few posts on here is that it is difficult to write on here. I keep losing my text.....
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