Being a self-proclaimed aficionado on heavy metal I would have to respectfully disagree that Led Zeppelin are the primary innovators of heavy metal. With that being said in no way shape or form does that take away any credibility to the influence Led Zeppelin has had on the world and the accomplishments that dwarf most artists in music history Led Zeppelin to me will always have a special place and are for me one of the greatest bands of all time. The band I would personally pick when introducing the early beginnings of heavy would be Black Sabbath they to me are the innovators and have set the standard for most if not all the early and future predecessors to heavy metal and are the true pioneers of that genre. The band didn’t just sound heavy they personified the image of heavy metal all from the lifestyle to the appearance and performance down to the lyrics they were heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne being the frontman of Black Sabbath who has almost been elected unanimously as the face of heavy metal and one of the biggest icons in music period. Not to mention the rest of the band who consisted of Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward all of whom personify the meaning of heavy metal down to its essence.
Black Sabbath “The Wizard” exemplified the early transition from blues rock showcased using the harmonica and the metamorphosis from rock to heavy metal with distorted guitar riffs and lyrics that referenced the occult something that had not been touched on in fear of ostracization from mainstream music listeners and vilification from extreme religious groups. “The Wizard” was released during their first self titled album on February 13th, 1970 this date also marked the birth of heavy metal in my opinion respectively. “Black Sabbath’s eponymous 1970 debut changed the music world forever. Universally regarded as the first genuine heavy metal album, the downtuned guitar from Tony Iommi alongside Geezer Butler’s foundation-cracking bass tone, the pointedness of Bill Ward’s drumming and the unnerving vocal charm of Ozzy Osbourne set the bar and set it high”.1 The status quo was set, and Black Sabbath did not disappoint later that same year they followed up with their album ‘Paranoid’. If ‘Black Sabbath’ didn’t provide sufficient evidence that they were the first to do ‘heavy metal’ the follow up album definitely did.
“War Pigs” was on their second album “Paranoid” which was released in the same year as “Black Sabbath”. “Paranoid” is the album in particular that has been accredited to being the pinnacle of the birth of heavy metal music. “Paranoid” arguably the heaviest album Black Sabbath ever produced went on to become their most popular album as well. “When it comes to Black Sabbath’s discography, everyone has their personal favorites. What can’t be argued is that their second album, ‘Paranoid,’ is lined start to finish with not only great Sabbath cuts, but all-time heavy metal classics. Fortifying their sound into indisputable heavy metal”1 this album alone stands out as being the cornerstone to the genre in determining what the criteria was to be ‘heavy metal’.
‘The Writ’ from a lesser known Black Sabbath album called Sabotage provided another track that was lyrical maleficent it encapsulated what heavy metal was all about musically and lyrically. The lyrics are filed with angst and contempt for those who want to change them and those who oppose their style the beginning of the song intro’s a rather unsettling sound that sounds like something you would hear during an exorcism this adds to the atmosphere of the song and the premise of the lyrics.
Black Sabbath to me needs no explanation as to why they are so influential on music and are the true innovators of heavy metal they created a new genre by manipulating what has already been done but made it all there own and created this unique sound that influenced a generation of metal heads. I think Black Sabbath were more appealing to the average person because the emotion they would provoke in their songs was relatable and the inner anarchist could unleash his inhibitions with mass acceptance around people who also appreciated the music “Sabbath never came off as golden gods in the mould of Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones. On the contrary, Osbourne, Iommi, Ward and bassist Geezer Butler were blue-collar outsiders who had more in common with their audience than with jet-set rock stars”2. Sabbath could connect with the working class because they too came from humble beginnings much like those who liked their music that’s why the emotion involved at the performances and in the lyrics are very apparent because of the relationship they have with the lyrics and how personal they are. “Black Sabbath mirrored that dead-end world in dark, ominous music that buried the flower-power era beneath mountainous guitar riffs and cinder-block drum beats. It was a new sound – heavy, bleak and scorched with horror-film lyrics”2 And this is what truly separated them from the others that may be considered the creators of heavy metal.
Bibliography
- Divita, J. (2016, May 10). Black Sabbath Albums Ranked . http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-albums-ranked/
- Kot, G. (2015, November 3). The ‘Satanists’ who changed . http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20151027-the-satanists-who-changed-music
‘Payola – The paying of cash or gifts in exchange for airplay’. [2] This is the broad definition of the term ’Payola’ but what this definition lacks is the substance that makes the word so memorable to so many within the music industry. The Payola scandal is one of the most significant events in the introduction of popular music into the mainstream the influence it had on future music and the music that was deemed popular at the time was all influenced by this particular event and it may have very well changed the course of music history. “Payola” is a contraction of the words “pay” and “Victrola” (LP record player). [2] This basically means hat whoever was in changed could be bribed into playing songs that were not on the set list which gave more exposure to the artists that were in need of radio play to kick off their careers.
“In 1959, Alan Freed, the most popular disc jockey in the country, was fired from his job at WABC after refusing to sign a statement that he’d never received payola to play a record on the air. For most of America, the word payola was a new one. But for anybody in the music business, it was as old as a vaudevillian’s musty tuxedo” [1]. Although not new to many within the industry payola became an important part of the late 50’s and into the early 60’s with Alan Freed standing trial along with another popular DJ at the time Dick Clark both decreed their innocence in receiving payments to play certain songs. “It was Freed who ended up taking the fall for DJs everywhere” [1]. The question is why did Alan Freed take the brunt of these accusations when Dick Clark among many other DJ’s at the time were guilty of the same thing? Alan Freed had a reputation of being more outspoken “Freed was abrasive. He consorted with black R & B musicians. He jive talked, smoked constantly and looked like an insomniac” [1]. 
Whereas Dick Clark had a different persona which was reflected by his peers, “Clark was squeaky clean, Brylcreemed handsome and polite” [1]. The fate of these two major players in the payola scandal took two different paths “Freed’s friends and allies in broadcasting quickly deserted him. He refused to sign an affidavit saying that he’d never accepted payola. WABC canned him, and he was charged with twenty-six counts of commercial bribery. Freed escaped with fines and a suspended jail sentence. But he died five years later, broke and virtually forgotten” [1]. Dick Clark’s fate was much different which leads people to believe that Alan Freed took the fall for other DJ’s including Clark, “Dick Clark had wisely divested himself of all incriminating connections (he had part ownership in seven indie labels, six publishers, three record distributors and two talent agencies). He got a slap on the wrist by the Committee chairman, who called him “a fine young man”. [1]Dick Clark was clearly the largest proprietor of the payola scandal having for a DJ to be that heavily involved as an owner in those businesses he had to have been doing well financially and subsequently had a major influence on those artist’s who were looking to make it big. This marked the first time that music within the African American community got some national attention during the payola scandal Alan Freed “first played Rhythm & Blues (R & B, or “race music”) in 1951. Until that time, the music remained largely in the black community”. [4] Until this point the music that was primarily known in the African American communities had some exposure on some mainstream radio stations because of guys like Alan Freed, however the principle of exploiting these musicians and using the advantage of their position to gain some financial power at the expense of the lack of acceptance of African American’s can be considered a little disingenuous because of the situation even though these musicians had major talent which led into the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Mamie Smith born Mamie Robinson was not only known for her role in pioneering blues music as a woman she dabbled in other entertainment as well, such as performing on vaudeville shows as a singer, dancer, pianist, and she was an actress as well appearing in a few films intermittently starting in 1929 with “Jailhouse blues” to her last film in 1943 called “Because I love you.” However, not much is known about Mamie Smith’s life beyond her entertainment career. It is believed that she was born on this date in 1883 in Cincinnati, OH.[1] Much of her early years are an enigma to many, which has left people who have been influenced by her, completely mystified by the lack of knowledge of her previous life before her entertainment career. “Though technically not a blues performer, Mamie Smith notched her place in American music as the first Black female singer to record a vocal blues”. [1] With that being said she transformed what the public originally thought of the status quo for someone who sang the blues. Being the first female to record as a blues singer she paved the way for many future ethnic minorities especially females that did not think it was possible previously. “Crazy Blues” (recorded August 10, 1920), which sold a million copies in its first six months and made record labels aware of the huge potential market for “race records.” This paved the way for Bessie Smith (no relation) and other blues and jazz performers”. [1] Mamie Smith passed away in 1946 in Harlem nothing has been documented about how she passed but this seems to be the theme for this blues icon. Which leaves her personal life to the imagination of the audience, her music speaks for her it may even give insight into her personal life, that creates a portrait for the population of listeners that often wondered about the background of this legend of blues.