
After earlier incarnations as Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth, they adopted the Black Sabbath name in 1969, distinguishing themselves with occult themes, horror-inspired lyrics, and heavily tuned-down guitars. Their 1970 debut album was commercially successful despite poor reviews, with Paranoid following later that year.
Osbourne was fired in 1979 due to substance abuse and replaced by Ronnie James Dio. The band underwent numerous lineup changes through the 1980s and 1990s, with Iommi remaining the only constant member. The original lineup reunited in 1997, releasing their final studio album 13 in 2013. They played their farewell concert in Birmingham on February 4, 2017.
Black Sabbath sold over 70 million records worldwide, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.