Having managed a total of 19 albums before their eventual disbandment on February 4, 2017, true metal aficionados owe it to themselves to undertake a comprehensive trawl through the catalogue. From the unsurpassed peak of those first six albums, through the drug-fuelled breakdown that followed, the stunning resurgence of the Dio era and topsy-turvy later output featuring vocalists as talented as Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin, there are so many stories to be told and lessons to be learned.
As always, though, it’s irresistible to try and distil the very best of the best, so here’s our shot at narrowing down the Sabbath story to just 20 brilliant tracks...