Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on February 13, 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and Warner Bros. Records in the United States on June 1, 1970.
The album is widely regarded as the first heavy metal album, and the opening track, Black Sabbath, has been referred to as the first doom metal song. Upon release, the album reached number eight on the UK Albums Charts and number 23 on the US Billboard 200. Black Sabbath is included in Robert Dimery‘s 2005 musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Black Sabbath was recorded for Fontana Records, but prior to release the record company elected to switch the band to another of their labels, Vertigo Records, which housed the company’s more progressive acts.
Released on Friday the 13th February 1970 by Vertigo Records, Black Sabbath reached number eight on the UK Albums Charts. Following its United States release in June 1970 by Warner Bros. Records, the album reached number 23 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for more than a year and sold one million copies.
European edition
Side A
- Black Sabbath
- The Wizard
- Behind the Wall of Sleep
- N.I.B.
Side B
- Evil Woman (Crow cover)
- Sleeping Village
- Warning (The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation cover)
Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne: lead vocals, harmonica on “The Wizard”, tambourine
Tony Iommi: guitar
Geezer Butler: bass
Bill Ward: drums
Production
Rodger Bain: production, Jew’s harp on “Sleeping Village”
Tom Allom: engineering
Barry Sheffield: engineering
Marcus Keef: graphic design, photography
