Ozzy and the other nine singers: a ranking of Black Sabbath’s ten vocalists
Roppongi Rocks ranks Black Sabbath’s ten lead vocalists. Ian Gillan is at one end of the list and Ozzy Osbourne at the other end.
Black Sabbath may be over and done (or not?), with their final world tour completed in 2017. But the band’s mastermind and leader Tony Iommi just released a fab new solo track. With all of the band’s original members (Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne) still alive, who knows, perhaps they will record the odd new song at some stage? Iommi has said that he has plans to reissue a remastered version of 1983’s masterpiece “Born Again”, the only studio album with Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan on lead vocals. While original singer Ozzy Osbourne is the band’s most famous frontman, he wasn’t always up to the task and has been in and out of the band since 1968. Not everyone is aware, but the band has had no fewer than ten vocalists over the years.
Here’s Roppongi Rocks’ ranking of Black Sabbath’s ten vocalists:
- Ian Gillan (1982-84)
- Ronnie James Dio (1979-82, 1991-92, 2006-10)
- Glenn Hughes (1985-86)
- Tony Martin (1987-91, 1993-97)
- Rob Halford (1992, 2004)
- Ray Gillen (1986-87)
- Dave Walker (1977-78)
- Ron Keel (1984)
- David Donato (1984)
- Ozzy Osbourne (1968–1977, 1978–1979, 1985, 1997–2006, 2011–2017)
Agree or not?
