| We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | January 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1975 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 73:52 | |||
| Label | NEMS Warner Bros. (US/Canada) Vertigo (Europe) | |||
| Producer | Rodger Bain, Mike Butcher, Patrick Meehan, Black Sabbath | |||
| Black Sabbath compilations chronology | ||||
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We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll is a compilation album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, originally released in January 1976 in the UK [1] and 3 February 1976 in the US.
When Black Sabbath signed with NEMS, the label which would release their 1975 album Sabotage in the UK, NEMS acquired the band's back catalogue and wasted little time compiling this release. Authorized without the band's awareness by their previous manager, Patrick Meehan, the band would make no money whatsoever from the release.[ citation needed ] Although the band had six studio albums to its name at this point, this compilation drew heavily on the first four albums: this would also be a feature of most of the Osbourne-era compilations later released.
The original UK gatefold album, with a matte finish, featured a woman in a coffin holding what looks like a tin foil cross. Additionally, the original record retained Geezer Butler's bass solo before "N.I.B.", but this would be edited from later issues. Some US copies of the LP do not actually include "Wicked World" on the label or on the record itself, though it does appear on the cover. In the UK, "Wicked World" had been only a B-side and was relatively obscure.
Despite the album being an official release, Iommi has been quoted as saying that the first time the band knew of it was when asked to autograph copies which fans presented after concerts.[ citation needed ]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | (C) [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
It was certified Silver in the UK by the BPI on 1 October 1976. [5] In the US the RIAA certified the album as Gold on 7 February 1980, Platinum on 13 May 1986 and 2x Multi-Platinum (generally known as 'Double Platinum' outside the offices of the RIAA) on 16 March 2000. [6]
All tracks are written by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Black Sabbath" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 6:20 | |
| 2. | "The Wizard" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 4:22 | |
| 3. | "Warning" |
| 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 10:30 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Paranoid" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 2:45 |
| 5. | "War Pigs" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 7:55 |
| 6. | "Iron Man" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 5:47 |
| 7. | "Wicked World" | 1970 ~ [Non album B Side single] | 4:35 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Tomorrow's Dream" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Fairies Wear Boots" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 6:07 |
| 10. | "Changes" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Sweet Leaf" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Children of the Grave" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:15 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" | 1973 ~ Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 5:43 |
| 14. | "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" | 1975 ~ Sabotage | 4:20 |
| 15. | "Laguna Sunrise" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 2:49 |
| 16. | "Snowblind" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 5:25 |
| 17. | "N.I.B." | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 5:51 |
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [9] | 21 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [10] | 35 |
| US Billboard 200 [11] | 48 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) [12] | Gold | 100,000 |
| United States (RIAA) [13] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | January 1976 | NEMS |
| United States | 3 February 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| Canada | 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| United Kingdom | 1996 | Castle Communications |
| United Kingdom | 2004 | Sanctuary Records |
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 releases such as Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971). The band had multiple line-up changes following Osbourne's departure in 1979 and Iommi is the only constant member throughout their history.
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter, and television 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".
Never Say Die! is the eighth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 29 September 1978. It was the last studio album with the band's original lineup and the last studio album to feature original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne until the 2013 album 13. It was certified Gold in the U.S on 7 November 1997 and as of November 2011 has sold 133,000 copies in the United States since the SoundScan era. The album received mixed reviews, with critics calling it "unbalanced" and insisting its energy was scattered in too many directions.
Master of Reality is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 21 July 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".
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 Warner Bros. Records in the United States on 1 June 1970. The album is widely regarded as the first heavy metal album, and the opening track, "Black Sabbath", has been referred to as the first doom metal song.
Sabotage is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 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.
Vol. 4 is the fourth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in September 1972. It was the first album by Black Sabbath not produced by Rodger Bain; guitarist Tony Iommi assumed production duties. Patrick Meehan, the band's then-manager, was listed as co-producer, though his actual involvement in the album's production was minimal.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the fifth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in November 1973. It was produced by the band and recorded at Morgan Studios in London in September 1973. The writing process for the album, which began in Los Angeles, California, was initially hampered in part by the band's substance abuse and fatigue following their 1972–1973 world tour in support of their previous album, Vol. 4. The band then relocated to Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, where guitarist Tony Iommi conceived the main riff of what became the album's title track and lead single.
William Thomas Ward is an English drummer. He was a co-founder and the original drummer for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Ward helped found Black Sabbath in 1969 alongside bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi (guitarist) and Geezer Butler (bass).
Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 18 April 1980. It is the first Black Sabbath album to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1979.
Technical Ecstasy is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and released on 25 September 1976 by Vertigo Records. The album received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, peaking at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and number 51 on the US Billboard 200 Album chart, later being certified Gold by the RIAA in 1997.
Reunion is a live album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 19 October 1998. As implied by the title, the album features a reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup of vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The album represents the first new release featuring that version of the group since 1978's Never Say Die! and Osbourne's subsequent firing the following year. Black Sabbath received their first ever Grammy Award in 2000 for the live recording of "Iron Man" taken from Reunion.
"Changes" is a song by Black Sabbath. It first appeared on Vol. 4, which was released in 1972. Pitchfork author Stephen Deusner labeled it as one of Black Sabbath's best songs.
"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".
The Best of Black Sabbath is a double CD compilation album by Black Sabbath released in 2000 on the Sanctuary Records label. Its 32 songs are presented chronologically from the band's first 11 albums, spanning the years 1970 to 1983. Black Sabbath's classic six-album run, from 1970s debut Black Sabbath through 1975's Sabotage is celebrated with three to six songs from each album. Original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne's subsequent final two albums with the band, 1976's Technical Ecstasy and 1978's Never Say Die!, are represented by one and two songs, respectively. Replacement Ronnie James Dio's early 80's stint fronting the band on two albums is acknowledged with the title track of 1980's Heaven and Hell and a track from 1981's The Mob Rules. The compilation closes with a song from 1983's attempted rebirth, Born Again, former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan's sole album with the band. The Best of Black Sabbath does not include any later material with vocalists Glenn Hughes, Tony Martin (1986–96) or the returning Dio.
Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath are two Black Sabbath tribute albums, released in 1994 and 2000 respectively. The albums feature various heavy metal groups performing cover versions of Black Sabbath songs in tribute to the band.
Greatest Hits 1970–1978 is a compilation album from Black Sabbath, released in 2006.
The Reunion Tour was a concert tour by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, celebrating the band's 2012 reunion and in support of their album 13, which was the group's first album to feature their original singer Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's Never Say Die! and original bassist Geezer Butler since 1994's Cross Purposes.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album from Black Sabbath, released by Universal in 2009.
13 is the nineteenth and final studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was released on 7 June 2013 through Vertigo Records, acting as their first studio album in 18 years following Forbidden (1995). It was the band's first studio recording with original singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler since the live album Reunion (1998), which contained two new studio tracks. It was also the first studio album with Osbourne since Never Say Die! (1978), and with Butler since Cross Purposes (1994).
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