Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Songs

Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Songs

Feature Photo: rjforster from Worcester, UK, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Songs list looks back at the years when Ronnie James Dio served as lead vocalist for Black Sabbath. When Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath went their separate ways, there was an important decision that needed to be made. Fortunately for the British-based heavy metal band, Ronnie James Dio was the man that was able to rise to the occasion. In 1979, with Osbourne out and Dio in, this marked a whole new era for Black Sabbath.

Born on July 10, 1942, Ronnie James “Dio” Padavona grew up as an army brat as his father served in the military. Part of Ronnie’s upbringing included spending a considerable amount of time listening to opera music. Long before belting out as the frontman for big-name bands like Black Sabbath and earning the Dio monicker, he learned how to play the trumpet when he was just a small kid. Ronnie also played for the high school band and it would be at this time his musical path steered in favor of rock and roll. He still played the trumpet at that time but also sang and played bass guitar.

After graduating in 1960, Ronnie Padavona chose to major in pharmacology at Buffalo University. While there, he continued to play the trumpet as a member of the school’s band. When asked about his vocal talent, Ronnie admitted he never received any formal training. He credited the breathing techniques he developed as a trumpet player for his ability to sing.

As for “Dio” as a monicker, there have been conflicting stories about how Ronnie Padavona got the name. According to the man’s autobiography, Padavona used “Dio” as a stage name for a 1960 recording he did while still with the band he founded. That band underwent a series of name changes before settling on Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. This continued until 1967 before the era of The Electric Elves began. This name was later shortened to The Elves after an automobile accident in 1968 claimed the life of one of their bandmates. It remained the band’s name until 1972. Upon the release of their first studio album, the band changed its name to Elf. As Elf, Ronnie James Dio was making a name for himself before the group disbanded in 1975. From there, he formed a new band, Rainbow.

Rainbow was a rock group founded by Ritchie Blackmore after choosing to leave Deep Purple due to creative differences. He already met Ronnie James Dio as Elf previously opened for Deep Purple in concert. After recruiting Dio, he also brought Gary Driscoll before the trio recorded and released music in 1975. At the time, Ronnie James Dio further established himself as a top-notch lead vocalist. This paved the way for Ronnie James Dio to replace Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne as the band’s new lead singer.

Heaven or Hell?

In 1979, Black Sabbath made the hard decision to fire Ozzy Osbourne from the lineup. At the time, the band’s frontman was having difficulty dealing with his addiction to drugs and alcohol. It was enough to compromise his performance as a lead singer, as well as a team player for a band that was still at the height of its popularity. When Osbourne was booted out, the door was open to bringing in a new lead singer. In came Ronnie James Dio as he became the new lead vocalist from 1979 until 1982. This came by the suggestion of Sharon Arden, the daughter of Black Sabbath’s manager at the time, Don Arden. This is the same Sharon Arden who later became Ozzy Osbourne’s wife in 1982.

While with Black Sabbath, it was he whose voice graced 1980’s Heaven and Hell and 1981’s Mob Rules before venturing on his own to form his own band, Dio. While Heaven and Hell seemed to come together like butter, this wasn’t the case with Mob Rules. It was this album Black Sabbath that had a new drummer, Vinny Appice. During the production process of Mob Rules, there were creative differences and personality clashes that gave both Appice and Dio cause to move on. This came about after 1982’s live album release, Live Evil. It wouldn’t be until 1991 Dio would return to Black Sabbath. Dehumanizer wasn’t quite as successful as the previous recordings that featured Dio as Black Sabbath’s lead singer. Part of the blame fell on the difficult working relationship Dio and Appice had with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. It was enough for Appice and Dio to say goodbye to Black Sabbath a second time.

Dio’s Legacy

After his days with Black Sabbath were over, Ronnie James Dio enjoyed a solid career as a classic rock god that earned him scores of fans. It didn’t matter if he was with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, or as his own entities, Dio and Heaven & Hell. Oddly enough, as Heaven & Hell, whatever differences he had with Tony Iommi once upon a time was no longer an issue in 2006. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a union that would last for long as Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2009. On May 16, 2010, the disease claimed his life. However, even from the grave, the influence of Dio’s legacy as a heavy metal god continues. This was the man behind the popularization of devil horns that were used as part of his hand gesture as a performer. His lyrical style leaned in favor of a hard-edged medieval theme, which perfectly meshed with Black Sabbath’s occult-like style. When asked about the devil horns, Dio credited his grandmother for this as it was a classic Italian-based gesture.

While with Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio recorded and released three studio albums and three live albums. Heaven and Hell sold enough copies to become certified platinum with the Recording Industry Association of America, as well as certified gold with the British Phonographic Industry and Music Canada. Mob Rules became certified gold with Music Canada and the RIAA, as well as silver with the BPI. These albums marked the end of Black Sabbath’s studio album certifications until Ozzy Osbourne’s return for the 2013 album, 13.

There were also two compilation albums featuring Ronnie James Dio as a member of Black Sabbath that were also released. 2007’s Black Sabbath: The Dio Years was the first while 2008’s The Rules of Hell was the second. However, this was just a fraction of Dio’s contribution to rock and roll as the man’s legacy cemented him as one of the all-time greats.

Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Songs

#10 – Neon Knights

As a medieval-themed heavy metal song, “Neon Knights” seemed to come pretty easy for Ronnie James Dio when it came to writing out the lyrics. As Black Sabbath’s new lead singer at the time, this song was recorded in 1980 as the final track for the album, Heaven and Hell. This was also the only song from the album that had songwriting input from Geezer Butler, the band’s bassist. At the time, Butler was going through a divorce so he wasn’t able to entirely commit to the full recording process of the album like Tony Iommi and James Dio were. When it was released as a single, it charted as high as number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart.

 

#9 – Lady Evil

Released in 1980, “Lady Evil” was Ronnie James Dio’s debut as the new lead singer of Black Sabbath. Although the song failed to chart at the time, it still became a post-Osbourne favorite among the fans that grew in popularity over time. This was a song that showed off Dio’s talent as a lyricist. It was also completely different from the kind of material Ozzy Osbourne was known for. As a song, Dio’s reputation for misogyny was highlighted even further, despite the fact his second wife, Wendy Galaxiola, was close to him and served as manager until the day of his death in 2010.

 

#8 – Die Young

On the UK Singles Chart, “Die Young” became the first hit for Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio as its new lead singer. This was no small achievement as ousting of Ozzy Osbourne from the lineup still felt too fresh for comfort among die-hard Ozzy fans. Furthermore, Dio wasn’t a Brit as he was American. However, his ability to establish himself as a world-class heavy metal rocker spoke loud and clear to an appreciative fan base. The song itself dealt with the reality that living a life isn’t easy, especially when you’re a young person having to deal with a world full of trouble. Among the fans, this was a song they could relate to so it was easy for it to become a favorite when it was first released. In live performances, “Die Young” became a staple that was featured in concerts that extended well beyond Dio’s era as a Black Sabbath member.

 

#7 – Mob Rules

“Mob Rules” was the title track from the 1981 album of the same name. On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked as high as number forty-five. The point Ronnie James Dio aimed to make as Black Sabbath’s lead vocalist was how easily a mob can dictate the actions of people when the momentum is in their favor. Even among the most foolish members of mankind, when caught up in the moment, even the most rational human beings behave like mindless dolts who don’t realize what they’re doing until it’s too late. Oddly enough, for a band that was known for occult-related lyrics, they were also noted for coming across as a uniquely biblical group. It was enough to win over the attention of Stryker, who were often inspired by Black Sabbath’s music when it came to their Christian-themed heavy metal songs.

 

#6 – The Devil Cried

In 2007, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, “The Devil Cried” was released as a live performance single with Ronnie James Dio as the group’s lead singer. On the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, it peaked as high as number thirty-eight. Among the fans, the debate lingered about who was it Dio addressed as someone he loved in the song. Was it Satan or God? Either way, his performance as someone looking to escape hell. He pleaded his cause with Satan in an attempt to tug at the devil’s heartstrings so he could get out. The goal of the song was to emphasize that love truly can conquer all, even in Satan’s own domain.

 

#5 – Lonely Is the Word

“Lonely Is the Word” was a heavy metal song that featured the roots of Black Sabbath’s blues style they had before venturing completely into the dark world of occult-style music. This song came from the album Heaven and Hell and was performed by Ronnie James Dio as a broody number. The impact of “Lonely Is the Word” really hit home as Black Sabbath attempted to pick up the pieces after sending Ozzy Osbourne on his way. The timing of this song was written and released while Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were dealing with personal issues of their own that didn’t differ much from Osbourne’s.

Dio’s arrival came as a sigh of relief for a band that was still trying to regroup after losing Osbourne. However, as Black Sabbath, this was a name the band had to stick with due to contract obligations so each band member had to find a way to make this work. In many ways, it felt like a lonely experience, which made “Lonely Is the Word” so easy to put together as a song. This was a work of genius as this is the type of song found in blues or country music. Blending this with heavy metal influence made “Lonely Is the Word” a refreshing favorite. Clearly, the era of Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath was over. It was time for Dio’s Black Sabbath to rise from the ashes and carry on.

 

#4 – Voodoo

“Voodoo” was the first song performed by Ronnie James Dio as Black Sabbath’s lead vocalist to find a spot on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. In 1981, it peaked as high as number forty-six. This was no small feat as the American fans were still drawn to their heavy metal hero, Ozzy Osbourne. For Dio, his vocal performance of “Voodoo” established he was able to cast his own spell as a top-notch vocalist himself. Where Osbourne shined as a showman, Dio excelled as a powerful singer who knew how to hammer home some of the best classic hard rock songs in history.

 

#3 – Turn Up the Night

As a lead singer for Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio’s “Turn Up the Night” became the most successful single released, at least according to the music charts. It was a number twenty-four hit on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and a number thirty-seven hit on the UK Singles Chart. This came from the group’s second album with Dio, Mob Rules. This was a song designed to make the most out of the evening of fun and games loaded with sexual intent. This was a fast-paced, let’s a party song that let out the raw energy Dio’s Black Sabbath had as a group. Oddly enough, they found writing faster-paced music somewhat more difficult to do than slower tunes but they managed to make this one work well enough to make an impression on the American and British music charts. It was the only song released by them as a group that was able to pull this off.

 

#2 – Heaven and Hell

“Heaven and Hell” was the title track of the first Black Sabbath album to feature Ronnie James Dio as its new lead singer. While Tony Iommi came up with the musical composition, Dio worked out the lyrics. At the time, Dio had big shoes to fill as Ozzy Osbourn’s replacement as lead vocalist. Despite the challenge, he made it work. As a song, “Heaven and Hell” became a major fan favorite, as well as highly acclaimed by music critics. Outside of Black Sabbath, it was covered by Dio as a solo artist, then again as Heaven & Hell when he and Tony Iommi were teamed up as their own entity.

The song’s message focused on each human being’s ability to choose between doing heavenly good or hellish wrong as a person. Not only was it one of Dio’s personal favorites, but Tony Iommi’s as well. Other recording artists, including the Christian metal band Stryper, cover versions of “Heaven and Hell” as songs of their own. Oddly enough, while Stryper was criticized for covering music from groups like Black Sabbath, the band members pointed out the lyrical content was accurate enough to justify its place as part of the core of Christianity’s beliefs.

 

#1 – Children of the Sea

“Children of the Sea” was the first song written and recorded after Ozzy Osbourne was no longer part of Black Sabbath’s lineup in 1979. The melody and the lyrics were put together by Ronnie James Dio as the band’s new lead vocalist. This came together after Tony Iommi demonstrated a guitar riff that inspired Dio to come up with the song’s lyrics. Literally within a matter of minutes, “Children of the Sea” went from concept to a workable project that was recorded with ease. As a vocalist, Dio’s performance of this song was enigmatic. It also hammered the reality home that there was zero intent to take Osbourne’s place when it came to musical styles. This was evident as the original development of it while Osbourne was still with Black Sabbath was completely different. The song was meant to portray a ship crossing the sea that was owned and operated by galley slaves.

Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022

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