Music enthusiasts likely have listened to countless acclaimed and beloved classic rock albums. While it may seem nearly impossible to name the best of classic rock, the publication Far Out magazine did just that by releasing a ranking of the “five greatest classic rock albums of the 20th century” in February 2026.
According to Far Out, some of the best classic rock albums that came out before 2000 includeJimi Hendrix‘s 1968 record, Electric Ladyland, Horses by Patti Smith, released in 1975, and 1975’s Born to Run byBruce Springsteen. The publication named Black Sabbath‘s 1970 record, Paranoid, as the top 20th-century classic rock album. Far Out reported that Black Sabbath’s second record has remained significant in heavy metal history, and has solid tracks, like “Iron Man” and “Electric Funeral.”
Geezer Butler Discussed Recording ‘Paranoid’ in a 2025 Interview
Black Sabbath’s bassist, Geezer Butler, now 76, shared information about recording Paranoid in a July 2025 interview with Q104.3 New York. Butler said he and his bandmates, which included the late Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi, were given less than a week in the studio to record the album.
“We were allowed five days in the studio because it was the follow-up album. The first album [Black Sabbath (1970)] was done in two days. And because of its success, the record company allowed us five days to do Paranoid,” recalled the British musician.
Butler also said that the band didn’t have the album’s title track until the very end of their recording session.
“So we got to what we thought was the finished song. And the producer says, ‘It’s 37 minutes, you’ve got to have at least 40 minutes for it to be legally an album.’ So we went, ”Oh no,'” said Butler in the 2025 interview.
According to Butler, he and his bandmates had “a cup of tea” to discuss the situation. The band’s guitarist Iommi then came up with “the riff to ‘Paranoid.”
“And the producer went, ‘Yeah, that’s great. Now, Ozzy, come up with the vocals.’ So Ozzy quickly came up with the vocal line. And I had to write the lyrics,” said Butler during the radio interview.