Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath is a band that doesn't hold back. 49 of 84 songs hit intense — this is music that demands something from you.
The character of Black Sabbath
Across the 84 Black Sabbath songs we've measured, intensity averages 56/100 — more charged than the typical song we measure (46/100).
They run from Laguna Sunrise (the calmest here, 9) to Die Young (the most charged, 96), with layered textures most common and a mix of the expected and the surprising. It spans 1970–2013.
The widest dynamic swing belongs to War Pigs.
7.1
Avg Intensity
84
Songs Decoded
0
Fan Stories
The songs that hit hardest
Black Sabbath
intense
harsh texture · frequent changes · DR 8
· 1970
Electric Funeral
intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1970
Fairies Wear Boots
intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1970
Hand of Doom
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1970
Paranoid
intense
smooth texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1970
Rat Salad
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1970
War Pigs
intense
complex texture · frequent changes · DR 9
· 1970
Wicked World
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1970
Children of the Grave
intense
complex texture · mild changes · DR 9
· 1971
Into the Void
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1971
Lord of This World
intense
harsh texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1971
Sweet Leaf
intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1971
Cornucopia
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1972
Snowblind
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1972
Supernaut
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1972
Under the Sun
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1972
Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1972
Killing Yourself to Live
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1973
Hole in the Sky
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1975
Megalomania
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1975
Symptom of the Universe
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1975
The Thrill of It All
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1975
Dirty Women
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1976
You Won't Change Me
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1976
Johnny Blade
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7
· 1978
Never Say Die
intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1978
Shock Wave
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1978
Children of the Sea
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1980
Die Young
intense
complex texture · extreme changes · DR 9
· 1980
Lady Evil
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1980
Neon Knights
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1980
Walk Away
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1980
Falling Off the Edge of the World
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1981
The Mob Rules
intense
complex texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1981
Turn Up the Night
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1981
Voodoo
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1981
Digital Bitch
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1983
Disturbing the Priest
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1983
Trashed
intense
complex texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1983
Zero the Hero
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1984
Age of Reason
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
Damaged Soul
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7
· 2013
Dear Father
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
End of the Beginning
intense
layered texture · frequent changes · DR 9
· 2013
God Is Dead?
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
Live Forever
intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 8
· 2013
Loner
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
Methademic
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
Pariah
intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 2013
The controlled burn
Behind the Wall of Sleep
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1970
Evil Woman
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1970
Iron Man
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1970
N.I.B.
moderate
layered texture · none changes · DR 7
· 1970
The Wizard
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1970
After Forever
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1971
Over to You
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1972
St. Vitus Dance
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1972
Tomorrow's Dream
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1972
A National Acrobat
moderate
complex texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1973
Looking for Today
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1973
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1973
Sabbra Cadabra
moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7
· 1973
Spiral Architect
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1973
Am I Going Insane (Radio)
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1975
Gypsy
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1976
Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1976
Air Dance
moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 6
· 1978
Breakout
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1978
Hard Road
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1978
Junior's Eyes
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1978
Heaven and Hell
moderate
complex texture · moderate changes · DR 8
· 1980
Lonely Is the Word
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1980
Over and Over
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1980
Keep It Warm
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6
· 1983
Stonehenge
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 1983
Naïveté in Black
moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7
· 2013
The quiet ones
Planet Caravan
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3
· 1970
Embryo
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4
· 1971
Orchid
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3
· 1971
Solitude
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3
· 1971
Changes
safe
smooth texture · mild changes · DR 4
· 1972
Laguna Sunrise
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3
· 1972
She's Gone
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4
· 1976
Zeitgeist
safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4
· 2013
Frequently asked about Black Sabbath
Answered from our measurements of every song above.
What is the most intense Black Sabbath song?
Of the 84 Black Sabbath songs we've measured, “Die Young” scores highest at 96/100 for intensity — computed from its dynamic range, texture, sudden changes and tempo.
What is the calmest Black Sabbath song?
“Laguna Sunrise” measures gentlest at 9/100. It runs 65 BPM. The songs here span 9–96 on our 0–100 intensity scale.
How intense is Black Sabbath overall?
Black Sabbath averages 56/100 intensity across 84 measured songs — more charged than the 46/100 average across our whole catalog.
What is the average tempo of Black Sabbath?
The Black Sabbath songs we've measured average about 113 BPM — upbeat.
Which Black Sabbath songs are calm enough for background listening?
These measure in our gentlest band (steady level, no sudden shifts): “Laguna Sunrise”, “Orchid”, “Solitude”, “Planet Caravan”.
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