Iron Man (song)

"Iron Man" is a song written and performed by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on their 1970 album Paranoid. The lyrics tell the story of a man who time travels into the future and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present he is turned into steel by a magnetic field, and his attempts to warn the public are ignored and mocked. Feeling shunned and alone, Iron Man plans his revenge on mankind, causing the apocalypse seen in his vision.[1]

This article is about the song by Black Sabbath. For the song by The Tansads, see The Tansads.

"Iron Man"
Single by Black Sabbath
from the album Paranoid
B-side"Electric Funeral"
ReleasedOctober 1971
Format45 RPM
Recorded1970
GenreHeavy metal
Length3:33 (Single version)
5:56 (Album version)
LabelWarner Bros. (US/Canada)
Songwriter(s)Iommi, Osbourne, Butler, Ward
Producer(s)Rodger Bain
Black Sabbath singles chronology
"Children of the Grave"
(1971)		 "Iron Man"
(1971)		 "Tomorrow's Dream"
(1972)

Upon hearing the main guitar riff for the first time, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne remarked that it sounded "like a big iron bloke walking about".[2] The title became "Iron Man", with Geezer Butler writing the lyrics around the title. Osbourne sang behind a metal fan to get the sound effect in its first line, 'I am Iron Man!'.[3] Despite the title, the song has no connection to the Marvel Comics character of the same name,[4] although it was used in the end credits of the 2008 movie Iron Man, and the trailer for the 2010 sequel, Iron Man 2. The character Tony Stark, alter-ego of Iron Man, also wears a Black Sabbath t-shirt in the 2012 film The Avengers.

Awards and accolades
The Iron Man riff Play 
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  • The song won spot number 317 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time as of 2004.[5]
  • "Iron Man" was ranked the sixth best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.[6]
  • The song peaked at number 52 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.[7]
  • The song reached number 68 on the Canadian RPM Magazine Top 100.[8]
  • VH1 ranked the song as the greatest heavy metal song of all time.[9]
  • The live rendition of the song from Reunion won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.[10]

Personnel

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Silver 200,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

See also

References
  1. "BLACK SABBATH - FAQ version 2.0". Black Sabbath Online.
  2. Classic Albums - Paranoid, by Isis Productions/Eagle Rock Entertainment
  3. "'Guitar Hero': The Video Game That Literally Rocks". MTV News. 14 December 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  4. "The Story Behind Black Sabbath's Iron Man". 102.9 WMGK. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  5. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  6. Rehe, Christoph (2013). Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check: alle Alben, alle Songs. Ein eclipsed-Buch (in German). Sysyphus Sysyphus Verlags GmbH. ISBN 3868526463.
  7. Billboard Singles for Black Sabbath at AllMusic
  8. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7505.pdf
  9. VH1.com. archived 2007-11-18.
  10. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/black-sabbath
  11. "British single certifications – Black Sabbath – Iron Man". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 April 2020. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Iron Man in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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