ACDC vs. Black Sabbath

Sabbath overplayed? The same 3 songs (from the same record) are. But so's You Shook Me All Night Long and many others by AC/DC.

Dismissing the Dio years out of hand is completely unfair. Dio revitalized a dying band and the Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules albums (even Dehumanizer to a certain extent) are way better than the lackluster Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die!. BTW, did you know that Ozzy had been fired and that they had recorded NSD with a different singer before getting him back (and him later leaving for good until the mid-90's reunion)?

When Heaven & Hell was released it was a huge hit and Ozzy felt much apprehension that his work would never have the same success. Of course Blizzard of Oz proved him wrong.

I can't say I'm as familiar with AC/DC as I am with Sabbath, especially their earlier stuff. But still, AC/DC never drew me as much as Sabbath's tunes, especially when you discover all the great stuff beyond the Paranoid album (or just the b-sides which are fantastic - Hand of Doom, Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots?).

We've mentioned guitarists, frontmen, themes and imagery, but here's one thing nobody's mentioned: how great and influential Bill Ward was as a drummer. No contest compared to AC/DC's pretty bog standard drumming.

Vote: Black Sabbath


BTW, went to see AC/DC's last tour a couple years back. It's all about Angus and Brian strutting around and doing their stuff, the other three are way back on stage, with Malcolm and Cliff walking forward in step to do the backing vocals, then back to their very static positions on each side of the drum riser.