Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4 reenters the U.K. Rock and Metal Albums chart at No. 39, keeping the band’s catalog alive as other titles decline. UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 06: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Photo of BLACK SABBATH, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne performing live onstage (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
Redferns
When the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s death first spread around the world, the tragedy struck millions. Both Osbourne’s solo material and the music he made as part of Black Sabbath returned to charts everywhere, and the two acts maintained an incredible presence on the weekly lists for a while.
As is always the case whenever such a spur occurs, the two musical stars are now on the decline. This week, most of Black Sabbath’s albums have fallen off the majority of tallies, and those that remain are dropping. Just one title bucks the trend in the United Kingdom – Osbourne’s home country – as it seems that British fans are not done consuming everything that he and his band left behind.
Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4 Returns
Black Sabbath’s simply-titled Vol. 4 reappears on the Official Rock and Metal Albums chart this week. The group’s fourth proper studio album breaks back onto the list of the bestselling rock and metal full-lengths and EPs in the nation at No. 39. The tally only features 40 spaces, so Black Sabbath barely manages to send the project back at all.
Paranoid, The Ultimate Collection and Master of Reality
The heavy metal pioneers fill four spaces on the Official Rock and Metal Albums chart as Vol. 4 reenters. Paranoid, The Ultimate Collection, and Master of Reality all slip from where they sat last frame. Those full-lengths dip to Nos. 17, 28, and 40, respectively.
Paranoid Also Lives on Multiple Other Charts
Among that group, only Paranoid also appears on other lists in the U.K. What is widely regarded as Black Sabbath’s most important album can also be found on both the Official Album Sales and Official Physical Albums rankings. Coincidentally, the bestseller dips more than 30 spaces to land at No. 70 on both of those charts.
Black Sabbath’s Top-Downloaded Album
Just one other Black Sabbath classic is still charting in the U.K. at the moment: the band’s Greatest Hits. One of multiple compilations from the group, it dips 10 spaces to No. 65 on the Official Album Downloads list.
“Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “War Pigs”
More than a month after Osbourne’s death, Black Sabbath still sees a trio of tunes occupy space on the U.K. charts. “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “War Pigs” fall on the Official Rock and Metal Singles ranking, making homes at Nos. 5, 39, and 40, respectively. “Paranoid” is the highest-ranking of the bunch, as it sat at No. 2 on the rock-only tally just days ago. It’s also still amazingly present on the Official Singles chart, where it lives at No. 57.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/08/27/black-sabbath-is-falling-on-the-charts—save-for-one-album/
