BY THE NUMBERS: ‘Black Sabbath’
Black Sabbath’s debut album Black Sabbath was released on February 13, 1970. To many, it’s considered the birth of heavy metal, and those “many” aren’t wrong. No one had sounded…
Black Sabbath’s debut album Black Sabbath was released on February 13, 1970. To many, it’s considered the birth of heavy metal, and those “many” aren’t wrong.
No one had sounded quite like Sabbath, and in five decades, no one else has sounded quite like them since. (We can likely thank Tony Iommi losing the tips of his fingers in a freak accident at a sheet metal factory for that.)
In honor of its anniversary, here’s a “By The Numbers” look at the album.
RELATED: Black Sabbath: The Best 30 Songs From The Ozzy Osbourne Era(s), Ranked
Age: 51
Kevin Winter/Getty Images'Black Sabbath' came out February 13, 1970.
Number of Tracks: 7
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images“Black Sabbath,” “The Wizard,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “N.I.B.,” “Evil Woman,” “Sleeping Village” and “Warning.”
Copies Sold: 1 Million
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images(This is in the U.S. only. Worldwide sales figures are not available to the public.)
Years it took for the album to be certified Platinum: 16
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesCertified by the RIAA on October 13, 1986.
Hours it took to record: 12
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesYes, you read that correctly.
Months between Sabbath’s next album, 'Paranoid': 7
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images'Paranoid' was released on September 18, 1970.
Time it took to say “Whoa…” upon looking at the album’s eerie cover for the first time: 5 Seconds
Warner Bros.(Okay...that's not an exact science, but that number has to be close.)
