Iconic heavy metal band Black Sabbath were crowned the most important British hard rock act of all time in a major poll unveiled today by record industry trade body the BPI.
The Birmingham-born pioneers of heavy metal, who have sold more than 70 million records worldwide - including the 1970 classic Paranoid - bagged almost half of the votes (45%) in a poll of more than 3,600 hard rock / metal fans. Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin completed the trio of the most respected British hard rock legends, each taking one fifth of the votes.
Commenting on the poll-topping news, Black Sabbath said,
“We are honoured and flattered to be acknowledged in a poll like this which is voted for by the fans. We thank you.”
The survey – carried out partly in conjunction with leading publications Kerrang! and Metal Hammer – found that aficionados of hard rock and metal get bitten by the bug early, with over 40% discovering it before their teenage years.
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