| We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | January 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1975 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 73:52 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. (US/Canada) Vertigo/Nems (Europe) | |||
| Producer | Rodger Bain, Mike Butcher, Patrick Meehan, Black Sabbath | |||
| Black Sabbath compilations chronology | ||||
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We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll is a compilation album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, originally released in January 1976 in the UK[1] and 3 February 1976 in the US.
When Black Sabbath signed with NEMS, the label which would release their 1975 album Sabotage in the UK, NEMS acquired the band's back catalogue and wasted little time compiling this release. Authorized without the band's awareness by their previous manager, Patrick Meehan, the band would make no money whatsoever from the release.[citation needed] Although the band had six studio albums to its name at this point, this compilation drew heavily on the first four albums: this would also be a feature of most of the Osbourne-era compilations later released.
The original UK gatefold album, with a matte finish, featured a woman in a coffin holding what looks like a tin foil cross. Additionally, the original record retained Geezer Butler's bass solo before "N.I.B.", but this would be edited from later issues. Some US copies of the LP do not actually include "Wicked World" on the label or on the record itself, though it does appear on the cover. In the UK, "Wicked World" had been only a B-side and was relatively obscure.
Despite the album being an official release, Iommi has been quoted as saying that the first time the band knew of it was when asked to autograph copies which fans presented after concerts.[citation needed]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | (C)[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
It was certified Silver in the UK by the BPI on 1 October 1976.[5] In the US the RIAA certified the album as Gold on 7 February 1980, Platinum on 13 May 1986 and 2x Multi-Platinum (generally known as 'Double Platinum' outside the offices of the RIAA) on 16 March 2000.[6]
All tracks are written by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Black Sabbath" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 6:20 | |
| 2. | "The Wizard" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 4:22 | |
| 3. | "Warning" |
| 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 10:30 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Paranoid" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 2:45 |
| 5. | "War Pigs" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 7:55 |
| 6. | "Iron Man" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 5:47 |
| 7. | "Wicked World" | 1970 ~ [Non album B Side single] | 4:35 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Tomorrow's Dream" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Fairies Wear Boots" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 6:07 |
| 10. | "Changes" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Sweet Leaf" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Children of the Grave" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:15 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" | 1973 ~ Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 5:43 |
| 14. | "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" | 1975 ~ Sabotage | 4:20 |
| 15. | "Laguna Sunrise" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 2:49 |
| 16. | "Snowblind" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 5:25 |
| 17. | "N.I.B." | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 5:51 |
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] | 40 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 21 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 35 |
| USBillboard 200[12] | 48 |
| Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] | 33 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[14] | 15 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | January 1976 | NEMS |
| United States | 3 February 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| Canada | 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| United Kingdom | 1996 | Castle Communications |
| United Kingdom | 2004 | Sanctuary Records |
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