Black Sabbath took the music world by storm in the 1970s. They pioneered a new, heavier form of music that blew most of the other music from the era out of the water. While many were grooving to Fleetwood Mac and ABBA, Black Sabbath was reshaping people’s minds with dark, wailing heavy metal.
They released their debut album in 1970 and the rest of the decade was a legendary run for the band, fronted by certified nutcase Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy was fired in 1979, and many lineup changes followed, which people have varying opinions on. But for that first decade, they were truly the masters of reality.
Check out these pictures of Black Sabbath from their golden age, when heavy metal was brand new and exciting.
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Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward goofing around, circa 1970s
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Ozzy Osbourne celebrating the 10th anniversary of Black Sabbath, 1978
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Bill Ward onstage in 1976
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Geezer Butler onstage at Madison Square Garden in 1975 during the Sabotage Tour
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Tony Iommi onstage in 1976
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Black Sabbath performing in Amsterdam, 1971
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Black Sabbath with Van Halen, 1978
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26-year-old Ozzy Osbourne in 1974
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Black Sabbath in London, 1970
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Black Sabbath in the studio recording Paranoid, 1970
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Black Sabbath circa 1972
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Black Sabbath backstage at The Whisky a Go Go before a show, Los Angeles, 1971
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Black Sabbath pose with a skull, circa 1970s
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Ozzy Osbourne fronting Black Sabbath at California Jam, 1974
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Black Sabbath on a park bench in the 70s
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Black Sabbath with Linda Blair, who played Regan in The Exorcist. 1976
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Geezer Butler, the bassist and lyricist for Black Sabbath, at a hippie festival in 1968 before joining the band
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Black Sabbath in a graveyard in 1970. Left to right: Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tony Iommi
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Ozzy Osbourne in the studio in London, 1970
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The first photo ever taken of Black Sabbath, 1968
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Black Sabbath performing at Plumpton Festival in Sussex, England, 1970
