Black Sabbath

Considered by many to be the first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 by Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward in Birmingham, UK. The band's original name was the Polka Tulk Blues Band (later shortened to Polka Tulk) and later on changed to Earth before becoming Black Sabbath inspired by an Italian horror movie of the same name.

The original line-up lasted until 1979, after which Osbourne was fired and replaced by Ronnie James Dio. Throughout the years, there were several line-up changes with only Tony Iommi and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls remaining as consistent members. In 1997, Iommi, Butler, Ward, and Osbourne reunited for touring purposes. In 2007, they toured together as Heaven & Hell featuring Dio-era members.

In 2011, it was announced that the original line-up would be recording and touring again but Bill Ward dropped out due to contract issues. The three remaining members continued without him and released "13" in 2013. Black Sabbath played their final live show in Birmingham in 2017 but Tony Iommi has stated that future music and live appearances are still possible.