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“Next on American Bandstand, a Kooky Bunch All the Way from England…”

The 20 Most Shockingly Radio-Friendly Black Sabbath Songs

Hooks, melody, lyrics about girls…Sabbath occasionally reached out in desperation to prop up their career. Here are the songs that raised a few eyebrows, caused a few snickers, or otherwise wrinkled noses.

1—“It’s Alright”

Technical Ecstasy in general trended toward the rock ’n’ rollsy, away from doom, but “It’s Alright” went way farther than that, emerging as the band’s first ballad without a hint of doom, and first with all instruments in, meaning, ‘Hey, we’re serious here.’ It’s a rare Bill War–-penned title, and Bill even sings it (sort of a Peter Criss—“Beth” situation). Apparently Bill used to sing quite a bit in the early days, indeed, this, very personable, Beatle-esque track having been worked up by Bill and Tony as far back as 1972.

2—“Rock ’n’ Roll Doctor”

Back to Technical Ecstasy for a heavy number, yet one that is framed around a churlish, stripper boogie, Sabbath party rocking, arguably, for the first time in their dour and serious career of doom. And if we didn’t get the point that this is a Sabbath yearning for a little happiness, there’s honky-tonk keyboard to float your boat. Of note, the track first showed up as an instrumental during the band’s tour for Sabotage, and then doesn’t really live an out-of-the-closet life until the lubricated and fun-loving Ian Gillan takes a hold of it on tour for his lone record with the band, Born Again.

3—“No Stranger to Love”

The incongruous Glenn Hughes joins the band (well, this was supposed to be some sort of Tony solo album) and croons his brokenhearted way through a rote ’80s hair band power ballad, even if Tony manages to massage into the thing a few apocalyptic chord sequences. The video, in which a lonely Tony looks for love, doesn’t help assuage the pain that Sabbath as we knew it had been slowly chipped to fragments.

4—“Changes”

Anything quiet Sabbath did previous to “Changes” was funereal to say the least, and really, this track is still sobbingly sad. Still, it’s a relationship song, and there’s a detectable rise in elbow grease applied to it over previous tinkly tunes. Thirty years hence, Ozzy and his daughter Kelly took an almost touching duet version of this song to the top of the British pop charts.

5—“Spiral Architect”

Bits and pieces of the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album had fans up in arms, many comparing the album to Led Zeppelin III, claiming the Sabs had gone soft and fancy-pants. “Spiral Architect” was the chief villain, given its drippy, psychedelic melody and the obvious amount of seriousness with which the band treated the strings-’n’-things pastoral arrangement.

6—“Neon Knights”

I wanted to represent the Dio years (original era) because really, so much of the band’s material here felt less doomy, more willing to embrace the punters. “Slipping Away” is funky, “Wishing Well” is bouncy and melodic, “Country Girl” raised eyebrows because it was a bit of a love song…but really, “Neon Knights,” for all its secure reputation, is quite up-tempo, melodic, party-hardy, and then there’s that title, which includes both a pun and the jarringly modern word neon. Yes, that’s how we analyzed the Sabbath situation back in 1980, furrowing brows that there was something a little too non-doom about this song and even the whole idea of the new, shiny, and efficient Sabbath with Ronnie.

7—“The Illusion of Power”

Brooding, third-rate, warehouse-of-riffs Sabbath that it is, “The Illusion of Power” had no hope of being a hit, especially given Sabbath’s waning lifeblood during these lost years. I only include it because, like Rush’s “Roll the Bones,” the song includes a gratuitous rap; here, big-shot Ice-T providing some rhymes, blasphemy to Sabbath purists, and a pox and pall over the whole album, which was produced, bafflingly, by Ice-T’s partner in Body Count, Ernie C.

8—“Never Say Die”

Perhaps “A Hard Road” is the more obvious choice form the band’s last album with Ozzy if one is to cast aspersions toward ear candy and other commercial panderings, but since the day Never Say Die came out, the title track has always sat off to the side as this hugely melodic, supercharged, incongruously speedy song of pop persuasion. And if we can squeeze in another form of commerciality and bow to current trends, it’s a bit of a punk rocker as well.

9—“Psycho Man”

Not that negative a factor in the mechanics of the appreciably heavy track lacking much hook, nonetheless “Psycho Man” was cobbled together quickly, somewhat as a test of the creative possibilities of a reformed Sab, but also as a shot at a single. The naff lyrical conceit however seems cynically commercial, horror by boardroom, dumbed down for the common mob of knobs.

The tepid reception afforded new compositions “Psycho Man” and “Selling My Soul” was a likely factor in Ozzy deciding that the magic and material weren’t on tap with respect to the Sabs being able to craft a studio reunion album.

10—“Paranoid”

Not for the girls per se, but nonetheless, “Paranoid” was swift, curt, and molded to be single material, not so much a light bit to be added to the oppressive album of the same name, but still something accessible. Plus it didn’t help that various UK journos harrumphed about it, jealous of the quick success the Sabs found, fueled, really, by this first single. All told, it’s a bit similar to the tale of Deep Purple’s “Never Before” as well as “Black Night.”

11—“Turn Up the Night”

That title sounds like something by a glam band, although coming out of Ronnie, it’s wrapped in evil and mysticism, so fair enough. But dig into the song, and it’s plainly prepared for partying as a second-rate “Neon Knights.” Plus, as much as I dig it, Tony’s guitar solo here is all sugar and spice.

12—“Evil Woman”

The commerciality of Black Sabbath’s very first record slants in from a few directions. First off, it’s a cover, demonstrating a willingness by the boys to be jerked around and given a song to do, conveniently, with the publishing already owned by their new record company. Plus, lyrically, the song represents a softer version, a compromise of the satanic doom and gloom of much of the rest of the debut album. Last, the track is short and bouncy, not nearly glam-happy or anything, but still quite accessible, even if down a downer rock path to perdition.

13—“Feels Good to Me”

This one’s a power ballad that breaks (wind) from the conceptual nature of Tyr. Iommi’s chord changes are typically mournful, but Tony Martin’s stadium rock pipes take it in a Whitesnake direction, while Cozy’s big and boomy drums remind one of production travesties from the hair metal ’80s.

14—“Call of the Wild”

The title is a tip-off for this one, Tony Iommi getting about as close to a hair metal rocker melody as he’s likely capable of conjuring. The year’s right for hair, and Tony Martin, despite losing his, is suitably melodramatic as well. There’s also a trendy sitar part and, come break time, muted Def Leppard picking. The dated and dry ’80s production values support the above premise.

15—“Angry Heart”

Almost everything on Seventh Star feels radio-friendly, Tony writing rootsy for Glenn’s pipes and for his accessible boy/girl lyrics. “Angry Heart” is a tough, bluesy number, although not as rote as “No Stranger to Love.” Still, it’s a three-minute rocker that gets to the point immediately. As well, it gets very melodic for the chorus. All told, one could imagine this as a radio hit like any number of desperado Whitesnake anthems from that band’s transitional (and best) midyears.

16—“Looking for Today”

Side two of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath seemed to most robustly support the argument many had of Sabbath going soft after four pretty uncompromising and hefty records. “Looking for Today” was indeed quite light, they guys offering up an almost southern rock–pickin’ chorus and arguably also a verse that contained just a bit too much soul, all in the name of sophistication, stepping out, maturation.

17—“Orchid”

Yeah, I know, it’s dumb calling this minute-and-a-half bit of instrumental acoustic crumpet “commercial,” but man, I bring it up because of all the clueless mainstream reviewers who used to waste words on these things, remarking how Sabbath had learned to write some lovely songs and have spread their gossamer wings beyond that nasty, loud acid rock they will surely be denouncing forthrightly once they really study James Taylor. In effect, these brief spots of chill-out music, by virtue of being remarked upon beyond relative importance, became stealthy commercials embedded in these ancient print notices, drawing in unsuspecting fans of the Carpenters, and, who knows, maybe even Karen and good Richard themselves.

18—“Back to Eden”

Cross Purposes has a few annoyingly commercial tracks, but this one chafes in a few ways, one, through its funky arch-Aerosmith riff; two, through its overtly melodic chorus; and three, through the modulation come guitar solo time. Sure, the single was “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” and “Dying for Love” is a power ballad, but “Back to Eden” just feels gratuitous.

19—“Time Machine”

Granted, it’s a stretch, to say anything from the grim and sludgy Dehumanizer album was remotely radio-friendly. But “Time Machine” qualifies given its ties to the Wayne’s World movie, as well as its hip-swiveling beat (amongst a career-suicidal collection of dirgy numbers). Furthermore, it’s blessed with a completely hooky, welcome, and well-reasoned chorus, which, no doubt is the musical passage the largest cross section of Sabbath fans could, when pressed, drag out and hum from this humdrum album.

20—“Digital Bitch”

Given the filthy production job foisted upon the Born Again, it’s really hard to imagine any of these songs being played on the radio. Still, as would occur on the following record, Tony found himself with a lyricist who wasn’t about to go for the usual Sabbath claptrap. So we got songs like “Hot Line” and “Trashed” and track at hand “Digital Bitch,” which is yer standard butt-shakin’ meat-and-potatoes metal song from the early ’80s, something that coulda shown up on a Ratt or Crüe record with a bit more spit and polish. Plus to the traditional metal fan, there’s just something jarring, and yes, commercial, about seeing both the words digital and bitch in a Black Sabbath song title.