Black Sabbath were an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The band initially performed under the names Polka Tulk Blues Band and later Earth, before adopting the name Black Sabbath in 1969. They became known for lyrical themes influenced by horror and the occult, as well as for the use of down-tuned guitars. Their first three albums, "Black Sabbath" and "Paranoid" (both 1970), and "Master of Reality" (1971), achieved commercial success and are widely cited as foundational works in the development of heavy metal. Subsequent releases, including "Vol. 4" (1972), "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (1973), "Sabotage" (1975), "Technical Ecstasy" (1976), and "Never Say Die!" (1978), featured broader stylistic experimentation and elements drawn from progressive rock.
Osbourne was dismissed from the band in 1979 and replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. With Dio, Black Sabbath recorded the albums "Heaven and Hell" (1980) and "Mob Rules" (1981), followed by the live album "Live Evil" (1983). The latter two releases featured drummer Vinny Appice, who replaced Ward. After the departures of Dio and Appice, Iommi and Butler recorded "Born Again" (1983) with Ward returning on drums and Ian Gillan, formerly of Deep Purple, on vocals. By 1984, Butler, Ward, and Gillan had left the band, leaving Iommi as the sole remaining founding member.
From the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, Black Sabbath underwent frequent lineup changes. Vocalists during this period included Glenn Hughes, who sang on "Seventh Star" (1986), and Tony Martin, whose tenure was the longest among the band’s post-Osbourne singers.
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