Black Sabbath Is Back Inside The Top 10... Without Ozzy Osbourne

Forbes

23-04-2025

Black Sabbath may be nearing the end of the road, but the band is still giving fans something to celebrate in 2025. With Ozzy Osbourne slated to perform with the legendary group for what will almost certainly be the final time this July, interest in the heavy metal pioneers is once again on the rise. A decades-old collection from the outfit – one which doesn't actually involve Osbourne at all – is finally a hit on several charts in the United Kingdom, where things began for the act, and where, soon, they will conclude.
The Eternal Idol arrives on three U.K. charts this week thanks to a special Record Store Day reissue. The album, re-released in limited quantities on red translucent vinyl, was clearly a hot ticket item among collectors and longtime fans of the outfit.
The collection debuts highest on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, where it opens at No. 6. The project also sneaks onto two additional rosters: the Official Physical Albums list, where it appears at No. 69, and the Official Albums Sales tally, where it manages to debut at No. 71.
With The Eternal Idol now part of the mix, Black Sabbath has scored 21 top 10 placements on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart. That tally is dedicated solely to rock, hard rock and metal efforts, and Black Sabbath has been a familiar figure on the roster for many years.
The band has now seen 32 releases reach that genre-specific ranking. Two-thirds of those titles have climbed into the upper tier. That's more top 10s on this niche chart than the group has total placements on some more encompassing lists. For example, The Eternal Idol marks just the seventeenth appearance for the band on the Official Albums Sales chart.
The band hits a milestone on the Official Physical Albums chart as The Eternal Idol launches. With this new arrival, Black Sabbath has now collected 25 appearances on that roster. Despite a shift toward streaming, the metal outfit has still managed to get fans to turn up and buy albums, whether online or in traditional record stores, which is where many of them headed recently to snag a copy of this latest offering.
Part of what makes The Eternal Idol such a fascinating chapter in the group's discography is that it was the first album recorded without Osbourne's vocals. He had been fired from the band by the time it came together. Instead, it features Tony Martin on lead vocals, kicking off an entirely new era for the act. In some ways, that makes it a controversial win for the act, but it all counts towards the brand's overall count.