Black Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled debut album has enjoyed a spectacular resurgence, with sales skyrocketing 2,800% thanks to a recent vinyl reissue. According to Forbes, the album sold 3,365 copies during the most recent tracking period, which is a significant increase from the 116 copies sold during the previous period. This rise propelled the iconic album to number six on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart and number twenty-third on the Top Album Sales chart.
This unexpected spike in sales highlights the enduring legacy of Black Sabbath, a band that shaped the Heavy Metal genre for more than five decades. Although the album is 54 years old, it continues to attract new listeners and collectors, demonstrating the timeless appeal of its groundbreaking sound. This phenomenon is reminiscent of the steady sales of other classic albums, such as Metallica’s Black Album.
In addition to the success of the reissue of its debut album, Black Sabbath also reissued opuses from the Tony Martin era, making them available both physically and on streaming platforms for the first time in years. Tony Martin, who was the band’s lead singer from 1987 to 1991 and from 1993 to 1997, contributed to five studio albums: The Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, Tyre, Cross Purposes and Forbidden. Prior to these reissues, most of these albums were inaccessible in any format, with the exception of The Eternal Idol, which has been available on streaming services for some time.
