Introduction Black Sabbath, formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968, is universally acknowledged as the pioneering force of heavy metal . With their dark, sludgy, downtuned riffs, occult-tinged lyrics, and themes of war, drugs, and mental illness, they created a sound that changed rock music forever. While the band has undergone numerous lineup changes, their core legacy rests on the first eight albums with original singer Ozzy Osbourne (1970–1978), followed by a commercially successful and critically revered era with Ronnie James Dio (1980–1982, plus a 1992 album).