After four decades, Black Sabbath tops U.S. album chart

Original members of the rock band Black Sabbath, Bill Ward (L), Ozzy Osborne (2nd L), Geezer Butler and Tony Lommi (R), announce their reunion during a news conference at the Whiskey A Go Go, the club where the band first performed 41 years ago, in Los Angeles, California November 11, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/David McNew

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:23pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran heavy-metal band Black Sabbath landed its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, more than four decades after the rockers debuted their first album in the United States.

"13," the 19th studio album from Black Sabbath, sold 155,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, knocking last week's No. 1 album by Queens of the Stone Age off the top spot on the weekly U.S. album chart.

Black Sabbath, an English rock band fronted by lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, released their debut self-titled album in North America in 1970, but were never able to notch the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart in a career spanning 43 years.

"The news is absolutely amazing - we couldn't have imagined this would happen," guitarist and founding member Tony Iommi said in a statement. Osbourne added, "to finally have our first No. 1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath."

French electronic duo Daft Punk held steady for the second week at No. 2 with "Random Access Memories," which has sold 543,000 copies since its release on May 18.

Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" saw a surge in sales last week after the album was discounted for Father's Day, with 35,000 copies sold and climbing from No. 9 to No. 3.

Country band Florida Georgia Line also benefited from Father's Day promotion sale prices, as their album "Here's to the Good Times" climbing back into the top 10 at No. 5.

Black Sabbath was one of five new debut albums in the top ten this week.

Boy band Big Time Rush came in at No. 4 with "24/Seven," alternative-rockers Goo Goo Dolls landed at No. 8 with their latest record "Magnetic," and movie score maestro Hans Zimmer's soundtrack for Superman movie "Man of Steel" flew into No. 9.

Comedy trio The Lonely Island, fronted by former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Andy Samberg, rounded out the top 10 with their latest collection of parodies, "The Wack Album."

Overall album sales totaled 5.25 million for the week ending June 16, down 10 percent from the comparable sales week in 2012, according to Billboard.

Next week's chart is likely to see a high debut from rapper Kanye West, who released his latest record "Yeezus" this week and is currently at the top of the iTunes album chart.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Jackie Frank)

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Black Sabbath guitarist pens Armenia's Eurovision song entry

Tony Iommi of British heavy metal group 'Heaven and Hell' on stage during concerts in Oslo June 4, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Terje Bendiksby/Scanpix

LONDON | Wed Mar 6, 2013 5:35pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has written the music for Armenia's entry to the annual Eurovision Song Contest, bringing a heavy metal pioneer to an event described by the media as a "kitschfest" and "bad taste party".

The musician, a founding member of the influential British band, said the song called "Lonely Planet" was a "demo idea" which was eventually voted Armenia's Eurovision contender.

It is due to be performed by the Dorians in the semi-finals on May 16 in Malmo, Sweden, Iommi said.

Iommi has connections in Armenia as he was one of several rock stars who helped raise funds after a huge earthquake in 1988 killed 25,000 people and let tens of thousands homeless in the then Soviet Armenia.

He was given an order of honor by Armenia during a visit in 2009 and became involved in another project, to re-build a music school there.

Despite critical derision, Eurovision is watched by a television audience of tens of millions each year, and has helped launch the career of one of the biggest acts of all time, Abba, which won in 1974 with "Waterloo".

Last year's Eurovision Song Contest was held in Azerbaijan and won by Swedish act Loreen. The victory means Sweden hosts the competition this year.

Iommi has joined fellow founding members Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) and Geezer Butler (bass) to record Black Sabbath's first new album in 33 years, 13", which is due out in June.

Drummer Brad Wilk joined them after original band member Bill Ward pulled out of the reunion recording over a contract dispute.

The band's plans for a tour in 2012 were scaled back drastically after Iommi was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment for lymphoma.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

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Tony Iommi denies report of Black Sabbath reunion (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on Tuesday denied a report that the veteran British rock band was getting back together in its four man original line-up.

British paper The Birmingham Mail had reported that Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward had begun rehearsing for a tour and a new studio album for release next year.

It quoted Iommi, 63, as saying the original foursome, which dates back to 1969, was looking forward to performing together again.

But in a statement on his official website on Tuesday, Iommi said he was just speculating and described the report as "absolute nonsense."

Iommi said the journalist had taken "a conversation we had back in June and made it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.

"At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"

"Thanks to the Internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense," Iommi said, apologizing to his three bandmates.

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to a revolving line-up for a number of years. The original members got back together for the 1998 album "Reunion" but split again afterward.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Tony Iommi denies report of Black Sabbath reunion

Members of the band Black Sabbath Tommy Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward (L-R) react after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York March 13, 2006.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

LOS ANGELES | Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:01pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on Tuesday denied a report that the veteran British rock band was getting back together in its four man original line-up.

British paper The Birmingham Mail had reported that Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward had begun rehearsing for a tour and a new studio album for release next year.

It quoted Iommi, 63, as saying the original foursome, which dates back to 1969, was looking forward to performing together again.

But in a statement on his official website on Tuesday, Iommi said he was just speculating and described the report as "absolute nonsense."

Iommi said the journalist had taken "a conversation we had back in June and made it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.

"At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"

"Thanks to the Internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense," Iommi said, apologizing to his three bandmates.

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to a revolving line-up for a number of years. The original members got back together for the 1998 album "Reunion" but split again afterward.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here