Black Sabbath fans convinced they'd 'never have made it' if they stuck to original name

The legendary metal band Black Sabbath didn't always go by that name, and their original choice even landed them in a spot of "trouble".

Formed in Birmingham in 1968, the band's original line-up featured guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and frontman .

They're widely celebrated as the forefathers of heavy metal , having played a crucial role in reshaping the rock landscape. However, their journey to acclaim wasn't without its bumps, particularly with critics.

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Their self-titled debut album, which hit the shelves in 1970, was met with critical disdain but still managed to be a hit with fans, paving the way for their second album, Paranoid, released that same year.

Their third offering, Masters of Reality, which came out in 1971, cemented their reputation as heavyweights in the industry.

These three albums, featuring classics like The Wizard, Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs, and Children of the Grave, were instrumental in carving out the metal genre.

By the time they dropped Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in 1973, the critics had started to come around. It's speculated their initial name might have been a stumbling block to achieving their status as icons of rock and metal - some fans are sure "they'd have never made it" under their original choice.

Before they embraced the name in 1969, the group was once known as the Polka Tulk Blues Band and then briefly as Earth.

TikTok creator and author Mark Mallman has discussed the band's fascinating origins on the popular social media app. He said: "Black Sabbath's original name is Polka Tulk Blues Band - they considered changing it to Blues Band Margarine but they decided on Earth.

"They find out there's another band called Earth, all the while the unnamed Black Sabbath are rehearsing across the street from a movie theatre and they see people lined up everyday for scary movies."

Mallman then highlighted a spooky incident involving bassist Geezer Butler: "Geezer, who apparently saw a shadowy figure at the foot of his bed one of those nights in 1969, what do you know, he loves this movie called Black Sabbath."

He concluded the name Black Sabbath was a perfect fit for the band's emerging style, with their signature mix of occult themes, horror-inspired lyrics, and heavy guitar riffs.

On , Saf from the Rock and Roll Garage channel elaborated: "They originally were a pure Blues band, playing Blues covers, but they later on decided to change the name to Earth however there was already another band called Earth and that was getting them into trouble.

"They were being mistaken for that band and people would show up at the gigs, you know, hoping that it was the other Earth, and they played a quite different kind of music so they decided to change the name again."

He then reiterated Mallman's point about the band taking their name from the 1963 horror anthology film, Black Sabbath.

Over on , fans have been weighing in on how pivotal the name 'Black Sabbath' was to the band’s mystique and success. One fan mentioned: "Black Sabbath as a name, especially at the time, was so evocative and spooky that I think it did a lot for them."

Another shared their support for the iconic moniker: "The band name 'Black Sabbath' definitely has more marquee value than 'Earth,' that's for sure."

A third commenter added: "They'd have never made it, metal would never be invented, and this would be a Swiftie subreddit."

Black Sabbath explored new ground in albums such as Vol. 4 released in 1972, Sabotage in 1975, Technical Ecstasy in 1976, and Never Say Die! launched in 1978, where they dabbled with progressive styles.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, the Black Sabbath line-up changed on multiple occasions, save for the unwavering presence of Tony Iommi. Since 1997, however, the group has largely reverted to its classic cohort, though Bill Ward has not always been in the mix.