Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)

"Paranoid" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 off the band's second studio album, Paranoid (1970). It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". The song is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time. It reached number 4 on the UK singles chart and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Black Sabbath's first song to place on both of those charts.<ref name=Strong/><ref name=Billboard>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Song information

"Paranoid" was the first Black Sabbath single release, coming six months after their self-titled debut was released. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler (from Guitar World magazine, March 2004):

A lot of the Paranoid album was written around the time of our first album, Black Sabbath. We recorded the whole thing in about 2 or 3 days, live in the studio. The song "Paranoid" was written as an afterthought. We basically needed a 3 minute filler for the album, and Tony came up with the riff. I quickly did the lyrics, and Ozzy was reading them as he was singing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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The song is an E minor pentatonic and only uses power chords. The guitar solo is a dry signal on the left channel, which is patched through a ring modulator and routed to the right channel; this effect was used again on the 1978 song, "Johnny Blade".

According to extant lyric sheets, "Paranoid" was at one time titled "The Paranoid".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"Paranoid" eventually became the name of the album. Originally, the band had wanted to call the album War Pigs after the song of the same name, but the record company persuaded them to use "Paranoid" instead because it was less offensive.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"Paranoid" drew controversy for apparently encouraging suicide, much like Osbourne's later solo song "Suicide Solution". Particularly, the lyric "I tell you to enjoy life" was misheard as a mondegreen: "I tell you to end your life".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Reception

Cash Box described the song as being "as dense, musically as 'Whole Lotta Love'", stating that "crashing, non-stop beat with gobs of bass and drums laced liberally with stinging, echoey vocals and hot guitar licks move the song along at a blistering pace."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

"Paranoid" was ranked No. 34 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs.<ref>"VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1–4 May 2006, VH1 Channel, reported by VH1.com; last accessed 10 September 2006</ref> In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 11 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Rolling Stone ranked it number 250 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and 13th on their 2023 list "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Paranoid" was ranked the fifth best Black Sabbath song by Rock – Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2020, Kerrang! ranked the song number five on their list of the 20 greatest Black Sabbath songs,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and in 2021, Louder Sound ranked the song number six on their list of the 40 greatest Black Sabbath songs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personnel

• Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
• Tony Iommi – guitars
• Geezer Butler – bass
• Bill Ward – drums

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
NME	United Kingdom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1976	41
Spin	United States	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1989	81
Radio Veronica	Netherlands	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1989	16
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame	United States	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1994	*
Guitarist	United Kingdom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1998	84
Rolling Stone	United States	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2004	253
Q	United Kingdom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2004	*
Q	United Kingdom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2005	11
Q	United Kingdom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2006	100
VH1	United States	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2006	1
VH1	United States	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2008	4

(*) designates unordered lists.

Track listing

• 7" single (Vertigo 6059 010)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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1. "Paranoid" – 2:45
2. "The Wizard" – 4:20

• 7" single (Vertigo 6059 014)

1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
2. "Rat Salad" – 2:30

• 7" singles (Vertigo AS 109)

1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
2. "Happy Being Me"Template:Ref label – 15:54

• 7" 1977 re-release (Immediate 103 466)

1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
2. "Evil Woman" – 3:25

• 7" 1977 re-release (Nems SRS 510.044)

1. "Paranoid" – 2:50
2. "Tomorrow's Dream" – 3:11

• 7" 1980 re-release (Spiegelei INT 110.604)

1. "Paranoid" – 2:45
2. "Snowblind" – 5:25

• Digital Single (Reunion Live Promo Single)

1. "Paranoid" (Live at the NEC, Birmingham, UK - December 1997) - 3:49
2. "Psycho Man" (Radio Edit) - 4:03
3. "Psycho Man" (Danny Saber Remix Edit) - 4:14

Note

• I^{{#if:| }} "Happy Being Me" is performed by Manfred Mann Chapter Three and appears on their second album Manfred Mann Chapter Three Volume Two.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Paranoid"

Chart (1970–1971)	Peak position
Australian Go-Set National Top 60<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	18
Austrian Singles Chart<ref name="Au Chart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3
Canadian Singles Chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	54
Danish Singles Chart	1
French Singles Chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	7
German Singles Chart<ref name="ge Chart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Irish Singles Chart<ref name="Ir Chart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	12
Italian Singles Chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	9
Template:Single chart
Norwegian Singles Chart<ref name="Au Chart"/>	6
South African Springbok Radio Top 20<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3
Swiss Singles Chart<ref name="Au Chart"/>	2
UK Singles Chart<ref name="ukchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	4
US Billboard Hot 100<ref name=Billboard></ref>	61
US Cashbox Top 100<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	79

1980 chart performance for "Paranoid"

Chart (1980)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart<ref name="ukchart"/>	14

Template:Single chart

Chart (2023)	Peak position

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2025 chart performance for "Paranoid"

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Greece International (IFPI)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	61
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	34
Norway (IFPI Norge)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	48
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	46
Portugal (AFP)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	175
Russia Streaming (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	97
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	21

Yearly charts

Year-end chart performance for "Paranoid"

Chart (1970)	Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	9

Cover versions

Cindy & Bert version

In 1971, German schlager vocal duo Cindy & Bert covered the song with lyrics based on Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles as "Der Hund von Baskerville". The unlikely cover version with a heavy Hammond organ, featured in a TV show<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with a tiny Pekingese dog standing in as "hound" and dancers getting ushered back to their seats, has become a collector's curiosity and a document of 1971 zeitgeist.

The Dickies version

American punk rock group the Dickies covered the song for their debut album The Incredible Shrinking Dickies (1979). Released as single, it charted at #45 in the UK.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Megadeth version

Megadeth's cover of "Paranoid" for the tribute album Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath received a Grammy nomination in 1995 for 'Best Metal Performance'.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This track also famously ends with drummer Nick Menza forgetting to end the song and continuing to play as Dave Mustaine repeatedly yells his name.

Legacy

• The original Black Sabbath recording has been used numerous times in various films and television shows including Sid & Nancy,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dazed and Confused,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Stoned Age,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Any Given Sunday,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Almost Famous,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> We Are Marshall,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Angry Birds Movie, Suicide Squad, Kong: Skull Island, CHiPs, and Tron: Ares.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song was used in the video games Rock n' Roll Racing, Guitar Hero 3, Madden NFL 10, WWE 2K17, and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• On 5 July 2025, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath held their final live performance titled Back to the Beginning. "Paranoid" was the final song that they performed.<ref name="o546">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Osbourne died 17 days after the concert at the age of 76.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• The Band of the Coldstream Guards performed the song in tribute to Osbourne during the Changing of the Guards ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London on the day of Osbourne's funeral procession at Aston, Birmingham on 30 July.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Popular culture

• In Finland, "Paranoid" has the same status as Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in the United States as a song the audience finds humorous to request during a concert. So regardless of a band or the style of music in question, somebody may shout "Soittakaa 'Paranoid'!" ("Play 'Paranoid'!") during a gig.<ref name="Rautio">Timo Rautio: Rokatessa roiskuu osa 3 (2004)</ref><ref>Walter De Camp: "Sisäpiiri: Walter De Campin tutkimuksia – Extreme-seksin maantiede" An article appeared in paper City-lehti, 2006, issue 20, page 26 URL: [1]</ref>

References

Sources

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