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22. Disturbing the Priest from Born Again [1983]
Apart from having possibly the best title for a song ever, "Disturbing the Priest" has a rather funny story behind it. As the band were rehearsing with Gillan in a church "for some reason", they were approached by a rather nervous priest, who told them that he thought the music was lovely, but that it was disturbing the choir practice. This event then managed to work its way into the album, injecting a very healthy dose of British humour into the record. The song itself seems to address the issue of the faithful and the evil, as they are unable to find purpose without having the other to stand as their nemesis. The almost choir-like progression of the song, along with Gillan's vocals are an immediately outstanding track on the album, and manages to strike the balance between being a scary tale and a rocking song particularly well. The unique feel of the record make for a refreshing change and the fact that Gillan aspires to push his vocal ability to its limits on this track make it a 5* contender.

23. Dirty Women from Technical Ecstasy [1976]
The radical departure from the brutal heaviness of Sabotage and the frankly bizarre depiction of "two robots screwing on an escalator" on its artwork may divide Sabbath fans, and Technical Ecstasy may be somewhat patchy, showing a band that was worn-out and struggling to stay alive, let alone stay together musically. But the change is not all bad. The theme of prostitution may not seem totally fitting for a band of Sabbath's more serious nature, but "Dirty Women" is a triumph, regardless. Following the lonely narrator on his journey to find a lady of the night, the song perhaps poignantly reflects the depraved and desperate nature of the band at the time. They had indeed sunk into a decadent, wasteful lifestyle of girls and drugs, allowing for "Dirty Women" to appear more confessional than perhaps intended. Far from being amusing, once Iommi's hammering riff kicks in and the declaration that "Those dirty women, they don't mess around" is made, the darkness of the song is realised. This is an apocalyptic vision of lust and degradation, it's a subject matter and a set of lyrics that one would expect to hear from a Rolling Stones track, but it has been giving the Sabbath treatment, and I praise it for its boldness, and its untouchable power when played live. 5*s all round!

24. Eternal Idol from The Eternal Idol [1987]
The Eternal Idol, for me is the most consistent and solid album ever made with Tony Martin, and is one of the darkest, most unsettling Sabbath songs ever made. It ends the album on an embittered, shaded note, made chilling by the restrained of Martin in the vocal department, letting his tone rise only for the wailing cry of "You and I are victims of their words, As the masters of power try to poison our world!" This 5* song is a showy piece of powerful music, venting a very direct and non-cryptic dissatisfaction with political injustice, a style that has become commonplace in this post 9/11 world. This deserves 5*s for being so timeless, and years ahead of its time, still as relevant now as it was in the 80s. It's just a shame that it's so overlooked.

25. The Warning from Black Sabbath [1970]
A cover that the band made their own, "The Warning" is a 10 minute dive into the improvisational power of Sabbath. The bluesy lyrics and slick guitar/bass work of the song make it instantly alluring, and lead the listener gradually into the breakdown of structured verses and solos into an inspiring display of musicianship from Iommi, Geezer and Ward. There begins a series of jamming style, progressive pieces that continue to enthral and enrapture until the very end where the vocals re-appear. I love this song because it has the same prog-rock attitude as bands like King Crimson, where the music may stop for a moment, allowing for some breathing space before kicking back into life and tearing the place up. This track is Sabbath unleashed, and is an example of a youthful band giving it their all, showing so much promise for their future. 5*s!

26. God Is Dead? from 13 [2013]
I had spent weeks and weeks anticipating and imagining what Sabbath's new record would sound like, and when it was announced that a single would be released, I could not contain my excitement. "God Is Dead?" was everything I could have asked for and more. The (slightly over produced) sound did not mar the quality of the song, as the beast was re-awoken with a steadily building riff and Ozzy's grizzled vocals, allowing the scars of age to show met my ears. The toned down, rough diamond singing, combined with Geezer's famous doom-loving lyrics was (for lack of a better word) inspiring. It was proof to me that the old dogs could still rock, and the patience displayed as the song builds to its climax, with an astonishing riff from Iommi and a new found confidence in the band shining through. This track deserves 5*, because it has the same anger and same brute force that magnum opuses like "Hand of Doom" achieved in the 70s, a true delight.

So there we have it, what I perceive to be the 26 finest Sabbath tracks. There are three albums that did not have delegates appearing in the list, and what I will say is, though I view Mob Rules to be a brilliant album overall, there are no songs that stand out individually enough for me to enter here. Cross Purposes is a lacklustre effort, with only a few tracks holding it up, none of them really possessing that superior spark necessary. And although I consider Forbidden to be an underrated album, the worthy mentions do too fall just a few points far of being included.

If you read to the end, thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

__________________
'Well, I'm a common working man,
With a half of bitter, bread and jam,
And if it pleases me, I'll put one on ya man,
When the copper fades away!' - Jethro Tull