Ranking the Nineteen Black Sabbath Albums

Since Black Sabbath's inception circa 1968, they have released nineteen distinct albums. Here, I have the uneviable task of ranking them from the worst to the best. Remember, this is my opinion, so don't be pissed off if I rank one album higher than the other; it's all subjective. I'm not including The Devil you Know (2009) because it's not an official Sabbath album. I will also name a couple of songs I recommend for each album if you are new to Sabbath, so here we go.

19. Forbidden (1995)

Sabbath's eighteenth album is a clusterfuck. Produced by Ernie C. and guesting Ice-T, yes, Ice-fucking-T in the song 'Illusion of Power', this is about as un-Sabbath you can get. I find it hard to believe that Black Sabbath, the most influential rock/ metal band of all time would resort to using a shitty '90s rap singer to promote an album of theirs. May be they were influenced by Korn whose self-titled debut infected metal a year earlier? Regardless, the other songs are bland and generic and the shitty mixing does not endear the songs to the listener. The only songs from this album I enjoy are 'Shaking Off the Chains' and 'Kiss of Death'. Hell, 'The Illusion of Power' is not bad, that is until Ice-T raps in the middle of it and totally ruins it. Like every one of Tony Martin's Black Sabbath albums barring The Eternal Idol, the album's out of print, difficult to find and expensive to purchase, so thankfully no one's going to listen to this album unless they're a hardcore Sabbath fan trying to find it; indeed, a Sabbath virgin would go for Paranoid or Black Sabbath and leave this piece of shit by the wayside.
Recommended: 'Shaking off the Chains', 'Kiss of Death'.

18. Seventh Star (1986)

Sabbath's twelfth album isn't really a Black Sabbath album, it's more of an Iommi solo album since he was the sole remaining member of the original line-up. Due to pressures from the record label, the album is technically an album by Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi, which is in itself a tautology because Iommi IS Black Sabbath; so unlike Forbidden, one can be forgiving for this album not sounding like Sabbath. The songs are okay, but they're so okay that they're futile; they're not laughably bad like Forbidden but they are no where near as good as the Ozzy or Dio era songs. Glenn Hughes does a good job at vocals in his sole Sabbath appearance however.
Recommended: 'In for the Kill', 'Heart like a Wheel'.

17. Tyr (1990)

I've never much understood Sabbath's fifteenth. It's a good album, but like Seventh Star and Forbidden, it doesn't sound like Sabbath. This time however, it's not the sound, it's the lyrical content. As Sabbath is seen as a vanguard for doom metal, it's odd to hear them sing about Norse mythology, the domain of power metal. May be I need to listen to the album more, but it does little for me. At least it's not terrible like Forbidden and unlike that album, Tony Martin sounds energised here.
Recommended: 'The Sabbath Stones', 'Heaven in Black'.

16. The Eternal Idol (1987)

Now we're getting somewhere. Sabbath's thirteenth album (not 13 which some might think), the first to feature Tony Martin on vocals, is a great album. With such enpowering songs as 'The Shining' and 'Ancient Warrior', Sabbath sound envigorated again after Seventh Star. Unfortunately, there's not much to say about it because it's not a bad album nor is it a classic.
Recommended: 'The Shining', 'Ancient Warrior'. 

15. Headless Cross (1989)

One of Sabbath's darker albums, their fourteenth is Gothic, moody and atmospheric. The ignorant press who blast '70s Sabbath for dabbling in the occult, when, in reality, it was only really their debut that explored this, would have a heart attack after listening to Headless Cross, since songs about Satan are the norm. Like The Eternal Idol, there's not much to say; it's a solid workman-like album that neither does too much or too little.
Recommended: 'When Death Calls', 'Nightwing'.

14. Technical Ecstasy (1976)

Sabbath's seventh is undeniably their worst album with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. After the experimentation from their doom and gloomy sound in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage paid off in spades and allowed each member to evolve, Technical Ecstasy signalled an obsession with digressions and thus devolution; the band were suffering from burn-out and this shows in the lack of trademark Iommi riffs. Sure, they are there, but no where near as abundant as their first six albums. I do recommend this album though because it has its fans; it is reputably Axel Rose's favourite Sabbath album and he has covered Bill Ward-fronted 'It's Alright' on tour. It also has one of my favourite Sabbath album art works.
Recommended: 'You Won't Change Me', 'Gypsy'.

13. Born Again (1983)

The eleventh album is underrated, even hated and deemed worse than Forbidden in some circles, but I happen to love it and consider it a worthy entry in Sabbath's discography. Hiring Deep Purple's Ian Gillan on vocals, Sabbath go all out in what is considered one of their heaviest albums. This is due to the shitty mix, however unlike Forbidden's which is flat, uninvolved and boring, the rawness of Born Again makes it even heavier. Songs like 'Zero the Hero' have typical Sabbathian riffs and considering that Seventh Star followed Born Again, it's welcome. It's a bittersweet album too because it marks the final studio Sabbath album in which original drummer Bill Ward played in, sadly his drums are totally buried in the mix.
Recommended: 'Zero the Hero', 'Disturbing the Priest', 'Trashed'.

12. 13 (2013)

Apart from its shitty, generic title (I mean Megadeth and Suicidal Tendancies have done the 13 shit to death; this just reeks of Ozzy) and headache inducing album art, Sabbath's nineteenth album; their final reunion with Osbourne, was a success. It's an album for the fans as songs like 'The End of the Beginning' ('Black Sabbath'), 'Loner' ('Air Dance'), Zeitgeist ('Planet Caravan') and 'Damaged Soul' ('Warning') harken back to the band's glory days by emulating older songs. Sabbath also point in a new direction with 'Live Forever' and 'Dear Father' which is a fucking masterpiece. Osbourne sounds good on this album and the partnership of Iommi and Butler is as fruitful as ever. The dynamic is brought down by the absence of Bill Ward though. Stand-in Brad Wilk's drumming is adequate, but that's about it. It's not exciting or as bluesy as Ward, it is dull and predictable. If Ward drummed on this album, and Rick Rubin didn't botch up the mixing by making it too loud, it'd be higher on this list, but as it is, 13 is a well done, but flawed album. If it's their last album, at least Black Sabbath ended on a good note, unlike if Forbidden would have remained their last.
Recommended: 'Dear Father', 'Loner', 'Damaged Soul'.

11. Dehumanizer (1992)

Sabbath's sixteenth album was a short-lived reunion with Dio and what a reunion it was. Unlike Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, Dehumanizer is a dark and doomy album. Not saying the former two albums were light, but Dio sounded majestic on those; here he sounds gruff and angry and that gives the album a totally different flair. It was a very contemporary album, commenting on humanity's blossoming reliance on technology.
Recommended: 'After All (The Dead)', 'Computer Crimes', 'I'.

10. Never Say Die! (1978)

Sabbath's eighth and final album with Osbourne until 13 and final album with the original line-up period is hated by many people and it is usually put with Technical Ecstasy as the nadir of '70s Sabbath. I'd go that far with Technical Ecstasy, but not with Never Say Die! because Never Say Die! has one of my top ten favourite Sabbath songs, 'Air Dance' which is a beautiful, jazzy song about failed ambitions. The band must have liked it so much because they ripped off the riff with 13's 'Loner'. The title track is no slough either: it is energetic and has that sing-along quality that makes it so enjoyable to listen. In fact, the entire first half of Never Say Die! is not that bad; its quality only deteriorates on the second half with shit like 'Breakdown' and 'Swinging the Chain'. So to summarise, I recommend half of Never Say Die!; the other half is just generic hard rock.
Recommended: 'AIR DANCE', 'Never Say Die', 'Johnny Blade'.

9. Cross Purposes (1994)

Holy shit, Sabbath's seventeenth album is an underrated masterpiece. By far the best Sabbath album with Tony Martin behind the microphone, Cross Purposes is a diverse album with a diverse selection of topics: from paedophille priests to cult leaders to the nurse who killed children in her hospital in 1991, Beverley Allit, Cross Purposes, like Dehumanizer, was a mirror for society when it was released. Sadly, it is out of print and is difficult to get. Also, dismiss the shitty, grunge inspired 'Virtual Death', it's not Sabbath. Unlike the following album, Forbidden, this one is totally worth picking up; it was a pleasant surprise to me when I first heard it as I expected it be as bad as that, but thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong.
Recommended: 'I Witness', 'Psychophobia', 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle'.

8. Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972)


I'm probably going to get some flack for putting this one so far below on my list, but the truth is, I've never really cared much for Vol. 4; it's by far my least favourite of Sabbath's first six and I've never truly understood why. The songs have never gripped me as much as the ones on its surrounding albums: 'Snowblind' is not the classic I hear that everyone claims it is; a good song, sure, but a classic? No. It also has shit like 'FX' (by far the worst 'song' of the original Sabbath line-up) and 'Changes' which really marrs my enjoyment of the album. That said, the songs on here I like, I LOVE. 'Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener' and 'Under the Sun/ Every Day Comes and Goes', the latter of which Sabbath played live when I saw them to my surprise, are phenomenal; they're far more progressive than songs from their first three albums, yet they retain that proto-doom metal sound that so enthrals me. Vol. 4 is therefore inconsistent: it has such high peaks, yet so low plunges.
Recommended: 'Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener', 'Under the Sun/ Every Day Comes and Goes', 'Laguna Sunrise'.

7. Heaven and Hell (1980)

After the debacle of Never Say Die! and the subsequent firing of Osbourne, Black Sabbath present their ninth album, complete with new vocalist Ronnie James Dio, with renewed passion and vigour. Unlike the earlier albums in which Geezer Butler wrote most of the lyrics, Dio is the writer here and his passion for rainbows, evil women and fantasy freshen up Sabbath's approach. There are so many fantastic songs on here, every one, with the possible exception of the out of place 'Walk Away', show the band reborn, living a second life with aplomb. Dio's vocals are soaring and beautiful, but at the same time, harsh and sarcastic; they cover an extensive range of sounds. From the fast and heavy 'Neon Knights' to the 'morose and sorrowful 'Children of the Sea' and 'Lonely is the Word', Dio injects much needed energy into Sabbath at that time.
Recommended: 'Children of the Sea', 'Heaven and Hell', 'Die Young'.

6. Mob Rules (1981)

As much as I love Heaven and Hell, I have to go with Sabbath's tenth album, Mob Rules as my favourite Dio-fronted Sabbath album because it is an evolution of the sound from its predecessor. Granted, some songs such as 'Turn Up the Night' ('Neon Knights') are obsolete because there are better versions on Heaven and Hell, but overall, this album is more satisifying. 'The Sign of the Southern Cross' is my favourite Black Sabbath song without Osbourne and songs like 'Falling off of the Edge of the World' and 'Country Girl' are not far behind either. Hell, even the filler instrumental, 'E5150' (which means 'Evil' if you translate the numbers into Roman numerals) is a capitivating listen that does sound throughly evil. From the straight rockers like 'The Mob Rules', to the bluesy 'Over and Over', to the reflective 'Falling off the Edge of the World', Mob Rules has everything.
Recommended: 'The Sign of the Southern Cross', 'Falling off the Edge of the World', 'Country Girl'.

5. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

After some experimentation with their signature sound in Vol. 4, Black Sabbath go all out on their fifth album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Definitely their most progressive album, Sabbath took a risk with this one and, unlike the later Technical Ecstasy, it paid off. From the almost beautiful sounding title track to the progressive closer 'Spiral Architect', Sabbath take the listener on a journey. 'Fluff' is an evolution of 'Laguna Sunrise' from the previous album and, with 'Air Dance', one of the most beautiful Sabbath songs; it even played at Tony Iommi's wedding. 'Sababra Cadabra' is similar to Zeppelin; a rock and roll song about loving a woman 'every night and day' with a signature Iommi riff highlighting the point. The synthesised 'Who are You?' is a misstep though, sounding like something from Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die!. It's probably the least Sabbath sounding song on their first six. Overall, however, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's other seven songs more than compensate and it all accounts to one of Sabbath's most interesting records. I just wish they'd have played at least one of these songs live, but the process would probably shred what remains of Osbourne's voicebox.
Recommended: 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', 'Sababra Cadabra', 'Spiral Architect'.

4. Paranoid (1970)

The second album is definitely their most famous. To be fair, the triade of 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' are good songs, but they are easily the dullest parts of the album because they've been heard so many fucking times. I don't even like 'Iron Man' that much; why that song is singled out and not 'Electric Funeral' boggles my small, little mind. When it comes to 'War Pigs', I much prefer the demo version, 'Walpurgis' which was about Satan, although I guess lyrically, it would have fitted on Black Sabbath but not Paranoid. 'Paranoid' is over played and is Zeppelin's 'Communication Breakdown'. 'Planet Caravan', on the other hand, is a masterpiece. It's such a relaxing, soothing song that it takes me to another world. 'Electric Funeral' is the real fucking deal though. This song alone got me into Black Sabbath. That riff is the best Iommi riff barring the 'Black Sabbath' song; it is so destructive! 'Hand of Doom' is another underrated masterpiece too as it has my favourite drumming by Bill Ward and more menancing riffs by Mr. Iommi. The albums ends with the karoke-inducing 'Fairies Wear Boots.' When my girlfriend and I went to see Black Sabbath live in December 2013, someone put this on when we were on the train and everyone sang to it. Overall, I see Paranoid as the opposite of Never Say Die!, ignore the first half except for 'Planet Caravan' and listen to the perfect second half. You won't regret it when 'Electric Funeral''s riff takes over 'Iron Man''s in your head. Probably the best Black Sabbath album to start with.
Recommended: 'ELECTRIC FUNERAL', 'HAND OF DOOM', 'Planet Caravan', 'Fairies Wear Boots'.

3. Sabotage (1975)

Ignore the laughable album cover because Sabbath's sixth album is the real deal. Not satisified with the arguably more laid-back approach of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, the band wanted to make another rock album. As it is, Sabotage is a perfect mix of the heaviness of their first four albums and the progressive fifth album. 'Hole in the Sky' is a great album opener, setting the mood of the piece, while 'Symptom of the Universe' fucking destroys. Arguably the very first thrash song, 'Symptom of the Universe' is like the evil brother of 'Planet Caravan'. While the Paranoid song is content with being relaxed in exploring the universe, 'Symptom' crashes through the universe at full speed. Ironically, however, my favourite part of the song is the mellow acoustic final two minutes that resulted from the band jamming. When I said earlier that Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the band's most progressive, I lied because 'Meglomania' winds and turns through different tempos and time signatures. Clocking in at nine minutes, it's the band's longest song (barring the jamming on 'Warning') and they make good use of the time; as Bill Ward said later, there are always new things you discover when you listen to the song, it's a behemoth. 'Supertzar' is my favourite Sabbath instrumental because the choirs combined with a brave riff by Iommi give off an 'epic' vibe (I know, I hate the word too). It all culminates in the final song, 'The Writ' which explores the band's then legal troubles and Osbourne's anger at those stuffed shirts. Speaking of Ozzy, Sabotage is his best vocal performance; you can hear him destroying his voicebox during 'Megalomania'. To cut a long story short, Sabotage is a masterpiece and it makes the shitty follow-up Technical Ecstasy all the more tragic. Essential.
Recommended: 'SYMPTOM OF THE UNIVERSE', 'MEGALOMANIA', 'Supertzar', 'The Writ'.

2. Master of Reality (1971)

By far the heaviest Black Sabbath album, their third is influential and devastating. The opener, 'Sweet Leaf', is a  continuation of Paranoid's closer, 'Fairies Wear Boots', and this is where you can compare the two albums. The tone of the guitar on Paranoid was straining Iommi's fingers, so he down tuned it for Master of Reality and Geezer followed suite and made the sound that would inspire doom metal, sludge metal and stoner metal. 'Sweet Leaf' celebrates weed and the album starts as it means to go on with Iommi choking on a joint. 'After Forever' is one of my favourite songs on here which I find funny as it is a Christian rock song and I'm a staunch atheist. The riff and the lyrics are extremely well done, so much so, I can look past the preaching and simply enjoy the music. 'Children of the Grave' is the 'Iron Man' of Master of Reality, however unlike 'Iron Man', I love 'Children of the Grave'. 'Lord of this World' is another favourite of mine, while 'Solitude' is another underrated gem. While many people thought that Bill Ward sang the lyrics for this one like he would later do in 'It's Alright' and 'Swinging the Chain', it is actually Osbourne displaying an air of sensitivity and vunerability seldom seen in his work. The final song, 'Into the Void' fucking slays. The riff is the typical doom metal riff done ten-fifteen years before the likes of Witchfinder General, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Candlemass; it's Master of Reality's 'Electric Funeral' as it depicts nuclear destruction in the same devastating way. The only problem I have with Master of Reality is its short length. At thirty-four minutes, I think it's Sabbath's shortest ever album; it's certainly the shortest of the Ozzy years. The instrumentals are nice, but if they were full length songs, Master of Reality would be my favourite. Speaking of which...
Recommended: 'Children of the Grave', 'Lord of this World', 'Solitude', 'Into the Void'.

1. Black Sabbath (1970)

I'm sorry but to this day, Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album is still my favourite. This does not reflect on their later albums in any way, but their first album has the band at their best, their most humble, their most invested. Free from the meddling influence of producers in later albums, Black Sabbath were free to do the music they wanted to do (save for the two covers which I'll mention later) by making scary music. After falling in love with the Paranoid album and 'Electric Funeral', I went back and got the debut which fully converted me into a Sabbath fanatic, mainly due to the self-titled song. 'Black Sabbath' is tied with another song from this album as my favourite song. Forty-four years on and the song is still scary; propelled by Iommi and Butler's riff, Ward's apocalyptic drumming and Ozzy's anguish-laded vocals, the band nail the stifiling atmosphere of Satan invading the earth. This song alone set the blueprint for my favourite subgenre of music, doom metal, and while the genre has bred some amazing songs, the best of which being 'Solitude' by Candlemass in my humble opinion, none come close to 'Black Sabbath'. It is the one metal song I will never tire of. 'The Wizard' follows and it is an oddity in the Sabbath catalogue as it sees Osbourne playing a harmonica. An allegory about their drug-dealer, 'The Wizard' is one of the first songs ever written about The Lord of the Rings. 'Behind the Wall of Sleep' is another terrifying song. Osbourne's vocals are double-tracked giving him an air of authority similiar to the Orwellian Big Brother lording over the dead. 'N.I.B.' is that song tied with the self-titled as my favourite Sabbath song. The bluesy riff and the story of Lucifer falling in love are an interesting inversion; Sabbath aren't the Satanists their detractors claim. It is also another Sabbath song that owes itself for having a sing-along vibe to it, making it catchy as hell. The song is perfect. 'Evil Woman' is the weakest on the album, but what do you expect? It's a cover of a song they didn't want to do. I don't mind it though, I think it's got a good riff to it and Iommi's heavy guitar tone make the song Sabbath's own. 'Sleeping Village', on the other hand, is an underrated masterpiece. At just fifty-three seconds, Sabbath immediately set the mood of a quiet village, however one can infer that there is something wrong with the village. It blends into 'Warning', another cover but this is undeniably Sabbath's own now. The original song was four minutes, yet Sabbath's is ten and a half minutes, highlighting the fact that Sabbath were a jam band; they wrote most of their songs by just playing and this improvisation can be seen in Iommi's guitar riffs. Finally, 'Wicked World', originally only on the American version replacing 'Evil Woman', is probably the most bluesy and I think that it was also the very first Black Sabbath song. It shows Ozzy at probably his most angry outside of 'The Writ', in which he blames the government for poverty. A great song. Osbourne's vocals are unique for this album. Unlike Paranoid and later albums where Osbourne sings from the nose, on Black Sabbath he sings from the throat, sounding like a tired blues artist singing at a railway station. He also sounds older on this album. I mean both of these remarks as compliments because they set the bluesy tone of the entire album. Save for occasional songs later on, Sabbath abandon the blues for Paranoid going into full metal, but Black Sabbath set the foundations.
Recommended: 'BLACK SABBATH', 'N.I.B.', 'The Wizard', 'Behind the Wall of Sleep', 'Sleeping Village'/ 'Warning'.