Black Sabbath Blocked From No. 1 — By Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne’s The Essential Ozzy Osbourne hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart, blocking Black Sabbath’s Paranoid from the top spot. UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 06: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Photo of BLACK SABBATH, Ozzy Osbourne performing live onstage, with arms in air (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)

Redferns

Following Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, both the rocker and his band Black Sabbath soar onto charts all around the planet, as millions of people buy and stream everything the legendary artist left behind. There’s room for both acts on the charts, but in some instances, the two, which are counted separately, compete with one another, as Osbourne and Black Sabbath appear on multiple rock and hard rock rankings published by Billboard.

In one instance, the soloist even keeps the group that brought him to fame from reaching No. 1.

Ozzy Osbourne’s New No. 1 Album

This week’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart is ruled by The Essential Ozzy Osbourne. That compilation of many of Osbourne’s most successful singles surges from No. 9 to the top spot – and it’s not the only effort from the late rocker to rise dramatically.

Black Sabbath Forced to Settle for No. 2

Black Sabbath’s Paranoid advances to the runner-up spot on Billboard’s ranking of the most consumed hard rock projects in the United States, jumping from No. 18 to No. 2. Paranoid has always been one of Black Sabbath’s most famous releases, but it has never managed to conquer the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The set enters the top 10 on the tally for the first time this week, and only Osbourne himself keeps the group from scoring a new No. 1 album.

Black Sabbath’s Sole No. 1

Black Sabbath has only ever ruled the Top Hard Rock Albums list once before. In the summer of 2013, the group’s appropriately-titled release 13 debuted in first place. It went on to live there for two frames, and still stands as the group’s longest-running success on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, with 23 frames spent on the roster.

Paranoid Reappears on Multiple Charts

Paranoid returns to two Billboard lists, reentering both the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales charts inside the top 40 as it surges to the runner-up space on the Top Hard Rock Albums list. The full-length also opens inside the top 10 on both the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums rankings.

Black Sabbath’s Multiple Wins

Black Sabbath only manages to occupy two spaces on a single Billboard tally this week, and it’s the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. As Paranoid almost becomes another No. 1, The Ultimate Collection also reappears at No. 23.