The Ultimate Rock Riffs

Dubbed as the first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath truly lived up to their dangerous image in the 1960s.  However not all of their songs were heavier metal than contemporary greats Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.  The opening riff of ‘N.I.B’,  (named after the shape of drummer Bill Ward’s goatee beard, a shape which the rest of the band thought resembled a pen nib) is a warm, downtuned tone that Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and other guitarists used in later years.

Buy this song at iTunes or Amazon. The official band site is here.

‘Paranoid’ is fast-paced and boasts a simple arrangement, making it incredibly catchy! Although Black Sabbath were the first true heavy metal band out of the blocks, their best-known song to this day is not really metallic at all. The secret of its appeal lies in Tony Iommi’s nifty three-note turnaround after each line, coupled with Geezer Butler’s bass fill.

Buy this song at iTunes or Amazon. The official band site is here.