Black SabbathBest Black Sabbath Albums Ranked

Paranoid

pitchfork

9.5

“Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit the dawn of metal, a document of dreary working-class blight and anti-war screeds.”

Sabotage (Remastered)

pastemagazine

9.2

“For Rhino’s fourth Sabbath reissue this year, the metal giants’ most flamboyantly strange album gets augmented with a sterling remaster and an essential archival live show”

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4

pitchfork

9.0

“Made in L.A. under the influence of colossal amounts of cocaine, the heavy metal legends’ fourth album, recently reissued, made room for both light and shade and featured several of their signature songs.”

Black Sabbath

murfocakes

9.2

“There’s something thrilling about going back to Black Sabbath and trying to hear it as someone might have heard it in 1970. Not as the birth of heavy metal, not as the first chapter in a legendary career, but as a completely unknown record arriving out of nowhere. Even now, the title track retains its power. When Huey played the entire thing a month ago, rain, thunder, crackling fire and all, it was a reminder of just how radical those opening minutes remain. What must that have sounded like to a first-time listener in February 1970? Nothing on rock radio sounded remotely like it. And when the song ramps up into its exhilarating final section, it still feels genuinely menacing and exciting over fifty years later. What stands out throughout the album is how fully formed Black Sabbath were from the beginning. They weren't trying to be Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, or any of the other blues-rock heavyweights of the era. There are obvious influences, particularly Hendrix in Tony Iommi's playing, but the band already sounded utterly singular. Like the Beatles, Queen, or R.E.M. at their peaks, every member contributes something essential that couldn't simply be replaced. Ozzy Osbourne is extraordinary from the first note. His voice doesn't just sit on top of the music; it becomes part of the texture itself. At times it functions almost like another instrument, a sheet of sound floating above the riffs, reminiscent of the way Damo Suzuki would later operate within Can. His performance on "Black Sabbath" alone announces the arrival of one of rock's most distinctive vocalists. Iommi naturally receives much of the attention, and rightly so. Brian May's admiration makes perfect sense. The riffs are immortal, but there's also a fluidity and melodic imagination here that can sometimes be overlooked. "N.I.B." is the perfect example, with its almost flamenco-like melodic passages weaving through the heaviness. Yet the album's power also comes from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Their grooves are immense throughout, grounding the music while simultaneously pushing it forward. The one track that slightly drags the score down is "Warning". As extended blues-rock workouts from 1970 go, it's actually pretty good, but it feels more rooted in the past than the revolutionary material surrounding it. By comparison, "Black Sabbath", "N.I.B.", and "The Wizard" point directly toward the future. I've always thought of "Sleeping Village" as almost functioning as an introduction to "Warning", making the album's closing stretch feel like a single extended suite. It's also worth mentioning "Wicked World", which appears on streaming services despite being a B-side rather than part of the original UK album. A decent track, but not really essential to the album's core identity. Listening today, you can already hear seeds that would bloom elsewhere, not least on Queen's debut album. The influence of Sabbath would become almost impossible to escape, but what impresses most is how complete the vision already was. This isn't a promising first attempt. It's a band arriving with a sound, a personality, and an identity fully intact. One of the greatest debut albums ever made? Absolutely. Not quite perfect, though. For me, Paranoid takes everything great here and sharpens it into a flawless masterpiece.”

Paranoid

Gunnar

10

“**💭 Thoughts:** Black Sabbath’s 1970 sophomore album, *Paranoid*, is widely regarded as one of the greatest metal albums ever recorded and is often credited with laying the foundation for the metal genre as a whole. Every song on this album is either close to perfect or simply perfect, with all the tracks containing unforgettable and iconic riffs. From start to finish, *Paranoid* delivers an incredible level of consistency, reinforcing it’s status as a classic. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) War Pigs 🔵🥉 2.) Paranoid 🔵 3.) Planet Caravan 🔵🥈 4.) Iron Man 🔵 5.) Electric Funeral 🔵🥇 6.) Hand of Doom 🔵 7.) Rat Salad 🔵 8.) Fairies Wear Boots 🔵 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🔵 Loved — Thoroughly enjoyed it and will revisit often. 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often. 🟡 Mixed — Enjoyed it somewhat, but some aspects held it back for me; most likely won’t revisit. 🟠 Disliked — Didn’t enjoy it very much; won’t be revisiting. 🔴 Hated — Didn’t enjoy any part of it; no desire to revisit ever again. ⚪️ Interlude, etc. — Not rated as an actual song. ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4

Liquify05

9.5

“Originally supposed to be called Snowblind taking inspiration from Cocaine, the band members were elbow deep in that powder and with it we got this a killer heavy metal record with just pure gold through it, Produced mostly by Iommi it’s has several songs that are in my opinion not as appreciated as their more famous tracks”