Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)

Last updated

"Paranoid"
Paranoid-The Wizard 1970 7.jpg
Single by Black Sabbath
from the album Paranoid
B-side "The Wizard"
Released7 August 1970 [1]
RecordedJune 1970
Studio Island Studios, London [2]
Genre
Length2:48
Label Vertigo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Rodger Bain
Black Sabbath singles chronology
"The Wizard"
(1970)		"Paranoid"
(1970)		"Children of the Grave"
(1971)
Music video
"Paranoid" on YouTube

"Paranoid" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 off the band's second studio album, Paranoid (1970). It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". The song is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time. It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [1]

Contents

Song information

"Paranoid" was the first Black Sabbath single release, coming six months after their self-titled debut was released. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler (from Guitar World magazine, March 2004):

A lot of the Paranoid album was written around the time of our first album, Black Sabbath. We recorded the whole thing in about 2 or 3 days, live in the studio. The song "Paranoid" was written as an afterthought. We basically needed a 3 minute filler for the album, and Tony came up with the riff. I quickly did the lyrics, and Ozzy was reading them as he was singing. [6]

The song is an E minor pentatonic and only uses power chords. The guitar solo is a dry signal on the left channel, which is patched through a ring modulator and routed to the right channel; this effect was used again on the song 1978 "Johnny Blade".

According to extant lyric sheets, "Paranoid" was at one time titled "The Paranoid." [7]

"Paranoid" eventually became the name of the album, and somewhat unusually, the word paranoid is never mentioned in the lyrics. Originally, the band had wanted to call the album War Pigs after the song of the same name, but the record company persuaded them to use "Paranoid" instead because it was less offensive. [8]

"Paranoid" drew controversy for apparently encouraging suicide, much like the song "Suicide Solution". Particularly, the lyric "I tell you to enjoy life" was misheard as "I tell you to end your life". [9]

Reception

Cash Box described the song as being "as dense, musically as 'Whole Lotta Love,'" stating that "crashing, non-stop beat with gobs of bass and drums laced liberally with stinging, echoey vocals and hot guitar licks move the song along at a blistering pace." [10]

"Paranoid" was ranked No. 34 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. [11] In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 11 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Rolling Stone ranked it number 250 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [12] and 13th on their 2023 list "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time." [13] "Paranoid" was ranked the fifth best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check. [14] In 2020, Kerrang ranked the song number five on their list of the 20 greatest Black Sabbath songs, [15] and in 2021, Louder Sound ranked the song number six on their list of the 40 greatest Black Sabbath songs. [16]

Personnel

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
NME United Kingdom"All Time Top 100 Singles" [17] 197641
Spin United States"100 Greatest Singles of All Time" [18] 198981
Radio Veronica Netherlands"Super All-Time List" [19] 198916
Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame
United States"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs
that Shaped Rock and Roll" [20]
1994*
Guitarist United Kingdom"Top 100 Guitar Solos of All-Time" [21] 199884
Rolling Stone United States"500 Greatest Songs of All Time" [22] 2004250
Q United Kingdom"1010 Songs You Must Own!" [23] 2004*
Q United Kingdom"100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!" [24] 200511
Q United Kingdom"100 Greatest Songs of All Time" [25] 2006100
VH1 United States"40 Greatest Metal Songs" [26] 20061
VH1 United States"100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" [27] 20084

(*) designates unordered lists.

Track listing

  1. "Paranoid" – 2:45
  2. "The Wizard" – 4:20
  1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
  2. "Rat Salad" – 2:30
  1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
  2. "Happy Being Me" [I] – 15:54
  1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
  2. "Evil Woman" – 3:25
  1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
  2. "Tomorrow's Dream" – 3:11
  1. "Paranoid" – 2:45
  2. "Snowblind" – 5:25

Note

Charts

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Australian Go-Set National Top 60 [29] 18
Austrian Singles Chart [30] 3
Canadian Singles Chart [31] 54
Danish Singles Chart 1
French Singles Chart [32] 7
Irish Singles Chart [33] 12
Netherlands Singles Chart [30] 2
Norwegian Singles Chart [30] 6
South African Springbok Radio Top 20 [34] 3
Swiss Singles Chart [30] 2
UK Singles Chart [30] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [35] 61
US Cashbox Top 100 [36] 79
West German Singles Chart [37] 1
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Hungary (Single Top 40) [38] 20

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [39] Gold45,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [40] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [41] Platinum50,000‡
Poland (ZPAV) [42] Gold25,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [43] Gold20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [44] Platinum600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Legacy

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Sabbath</span> English heavy metal band

Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with their first three albums Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971). Following Osbourne's departure in 1979, the band underwent multiple line-up changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout their history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Osbourne</span> English musician and TV personality (born 1948)

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English musician and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".

<i>Paranoid</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Black Sabbath

Paranoid is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 18 September 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and on 7 January 1971 by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album contains several of the band's signature songs, including "Iron Man", "War Pigs" and the title track, which was the band's only Top 20 hit, reaching number 4 on the UK charts.

<i>Master of Reality</i> 1971 studio album by Black Sabbath

Master of Reality is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in August 1971 by Vertigo Records. It is regarded by some critics as the foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal. Produced by Rodger Bain, who also produced the band's prior two albums, Master of Reality was recorded at Island Studios in London from February to April 1971. Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler downtuned their instruments during the production, achieving what Iommi called a "bigger, heavier sound".

"War Pigs" is an anti-war protest song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970. It is the opening track from the band's second studio album Paranoid (1970).

<i>Black Sabbath</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 13 February 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album, and the opening track, "Black Sabbath", has been referred to as the first doom metal song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Iommi</span> British rock guitarist (born 1948)

Anthony Frank Iommi Jr. is an English musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader, primary composer, and sole continuous member for over five decades. He is considered one of the trailblazers and pioneers of heavy metal music, and is responsible for inspiring numerous subgenres of metal, most notably doom metal. Iommi was ranked number 13 on Rolling Stone's 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time.

<i>Sabotage</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1975 studio album by Black Sabbath

Sabotage is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 28 July 1975. The album was recorded in the midst of a legal battle with the band's former manager, Patrick Meehan. The stress that resulted from the band's ongoing legal woes infiltrated the recording process, inspiring the album's title. It was co-produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and Mike Butcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Man (song)</span> Song by Black Sabbath

"Iron Man" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 from the band's second studio album, Paranoid, and as a single in the US in October 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Train</span> 1980 single by Ozzy Osbourne

"Crazy Train" is the debut solo single by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and was released in 1980 from his debut album as a solo artist, Blizzard of Ozz (1980). The song was written by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley. The lyrics deal with the subject of the Cold War and the fear of annihilation that existed during this period.

"Black Sabbath" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, written in 1969 and released on their eponymous debut album in 1970. In the same year, the song appeared as an A-side on a four-track 12-inch single, with "The Wizard" also on the A-side and "Evil Woman" and "Sleeping Village" on the B-side, on the Philips Records label Vertigo. In Japan and the Philippines, a 7-inch single on the Philips label was released with "Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me" on the A-side and "Black Sabbath" on the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wizard (Black Sabbath song)</span> Song by Black Sabbath

"The Wizard" is a song by the English heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath from their 1970 album Black Sabbath. "The Wizard" was selected as their debut single in France, backed by "Evil Woman" which was released as A-side in many other countries. It was also the B-side to the 1970 single "Paranoid", which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Changes" is a ballad by Black Sabbath. It first appeared on Vol. 4, which was released in 1972.

"Fairies Wear Boots" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, appearing on their 1970 album Paranoid. It was released in 1971 as the B-side to the single "After Forever".

"Planet Caravan" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was originally released on their 1970 album Paranoid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Sabbath discography</span>

The discography of Black Sabbath, an English heavy metal band, includes 19 studio albums, eight live albums, 13 compilation albums, nine video albums, three extended plays and 37 singles. The band was formed in 1968 by John "Ozzy" Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi, Terence "Geezer" Butler, and Bill Ward (drums). The band has undergone multiple lineup changes. Though the second most recent line-up of the band to work together were Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice, Iommi, and Butler, for three new songs for a compilation in 2007, the original line-up was still considered the "current" lineup at the time and had been since their reunion in 1997. The 2007 sessions were deemed a one-off which led to the Heaven and Hell side project, resulting in a new studio album in 2009 titled The Devil You Know. In June 2013, a partial reformation of the original line-up released 13, which was the first album to feature Osbourne on vocals since 1978's Never Say Die!. After 49 years together, Black Sabbath announced their breakup in March 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children of the Grave</span> Song by Black Sabbath

"Children of the Grave" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song lyrically continues with the same anti-war themes brought on by "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" from Paranoid.

<i>The Collection</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1992 compilation album by Black Sabbath

The Collection is a compilation album released by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1992. The album was released on the label Castle, who released two CD versions of this album in the UK, both with the same cover art and songs. The album includes greatest songs of Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne prior to his dismissal in 1979, from the eponymous album to Never Say Die!. The album has 15 tracks, two from Black Sabbath, two from Paranoid, one from Master of Reality, two from Black Sabbath Vol. 4, two from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, two from Sabotage, two from Technical Ecstasy and two from Never Say Die!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Is Dead?</span> 2013 single by Black Sabbath

"God Is Dead?" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, the second track on their nineteenth studio album, 13 (2013). It was released as the album's lead single on 19 April 2013, the first Black Sabbath release with Ozzy Osbourne since "Psycho Man" and "Selling My Soul" from Reunion (1998).

References

  1. 1 2 Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography . Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p.  65. ISBN   0-86241-385-0.
  2. ↑ Tice, Russell (1 January 1999). "Classic Tracks: Black Sabbath's "Paranoid"". MIX Online. Future plc. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Chris Nickson (3 August 2002). Ozzy Knows Best: The Amazing Story of Ozzy Osbourne, from Heavy Metal Madness to Father of the Year on MTV's "The Osbournes" . St. Martin's Press. p.  102. ISBN   978-1-4299-5452-5.
  4. ↑ Wilkening, Matthew (17 August 2011). "10 Best Black Sabbath Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Paranoid". Rolling Stone . 9 December 2004. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  6. ↑ "Black Sabbath Paranoid Lyrics". Lyrics007.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Stolz, Nolan. 2019. "A Rumination on Black Sabbath's Birmingham and the Value of Music Tourism." Riffs Journal (September): 18". 19 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "Paranoid — Black Sabbath —". Last.fm. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  9. ↑ De Atley, Richard (21 January 1986). "Heavy Metal Singer Denies His Song Caused Suicide". AP News. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 October 1970. p. 16. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1–4 May 2006, VH1 Channel, reported by VH1.com; last accessed 10 September 2006
  12. ↑ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. 9 December 2004. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  13. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Rehe, Christoph (2013). Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check: alle Alben, alle Songs. Ein eclipsed-Buch (in German). Sysyphus Sysyphus Verlags GmbH. ISBN   978-3868526462.
  15. ↑ Law, Sam (7 September 2020). "The 20 greatest Black Sabbath songs – ranked". Kerrang . Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  16. ↑ Brannigan, Paul (22 November 2021). "Black Sabbath's 40 greatest songs ever". Louder Sound . Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "NME Lists". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  18. ↑ "Spin: 100 Greatest Singles Of All Time (1989)". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  19. ↑ "Super All-Time List – From 1989". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  20. ↑ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  21. ↑ "Guitar Lists". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  22. ↑ "The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  23. ↑ "1010 Songs You Must Own!". rocklists.net. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  24. ↑ "Q Lists". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  25. ↑ "Q Lists". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  26. ↑ "40 Greatest Metal Songs (VH1 made a decent effort)". listology.com. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  27. ↑ "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". stereogum.com. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  28. ↑ "Paranoid Vinyl 7" Discography". sabbath.se. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  29. ↑ "27 February 1971 Singles". poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 "Black Sabbath – Paranoid (song)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  31. ↑ "Black Sabbath – Paranoid (song)" (PDF). Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  32. ↑ Top France - 26/12/1970
  33. ↑ "Paranoid". irishcharts.ie.com. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  34. ↑ "SA Charts 1969 – 1989". rock.co.za. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  35. ↑ "Black Sabbath". Billboard .
  36. ↑ "Cashbox Top 100: December 26, 1970". cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  37. ↑ "BLACK SABBATH: Paranoid (Single)". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  38. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  39. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Black Sabbath – Paranoid". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  40. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Black Sabbath; 'Paranoid')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  41. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Black Sabbath – Paranoid" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  42. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  43. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Black Sabbath – Paranoid" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  44. ↑ "British single certifications – Black Sabbath – Paranoid". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  45. ↑ "Cindy & Bert - Der Hund von Baskerville (1971) Black Sabbath "Paranoid" Cover" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgTB4gLzsgo
  46. ↑ "DICKIES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts .
  47. ↑ "Sid & Nancy soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  48. ↑ "Dazed and Confused soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  49. ↑ "The Stoned Age soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  50. ↑ "Any Given Sunday soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  51. ↑ "Almost Famous soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  52. ↑ "We are Marshall soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  53. ↑ "CHiPs soundtrack | Complete List of Songs". Soundtrackmania.net. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  54. ↑ IGN Staff (17 August 2001). "Dave Mirra Soundtrack Revealed". IGN . Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  55. ↑ Timo Rautio: Rokatessa roiskuu osa 3 (2004)
  56. ↑ Walter De Camp: "Sisäpiiri: Walter De Campin tutkimuksia – Extreme-seksin maantiede" An article appeared in paper City-lehti, 2006, issue 20, page 26 URL:
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.