When asked in a recent interview with Wall Of Sound to name the one Black Sabbath album he would take to space if Earth were doomed, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan didn’t hesitate: “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. For Corgan, this 1973 masterpiece is emblematic of guitarist Tony Iommi’s groundbreaking approach to heavy metal.
“Tony was such a pioneering guitarist and a visionary musically,” Corgan explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), “and what makes him so interesting is he pioneered the idea of a riff becoming part of the song in a way that was almost atmospheric and cinematic.” He highlighted how Iommi’s innovative use of the guitar reshaped heavy metal, moving beyond its bluesy, doomy roots into more experimental territory.
By the mid-’70s, Corgan noted, Sabbath was evolving into something truly unique:“I think we really all understand that now, especially those of us who love metal. But then in about ’74, ’75, Tony starts to take this kind of artistic turn. It’s almost an alternative Sabbath, if you really look at it. And I think that’s why Sabbath has so much street cred with alternative musicians, rappers, and stuff like that. There’s this other Sabbath. ‘Cause early Sabbath is more bluesy, heavy, doomy, but somewhere in there, it starts to get really out there, and that’s the Sabbath I love the most.”
Corgan also shared a fascinating anecdote about Sabbath’s fourth album, Vol. 4, a record that reflects the chaos of its creation. “I did ask Tony once… — I’m bragging, but I got to work with Tony on his solo record — Why does Vol. 4 sound so weird?’” he recalled. Iommi’s response? “We were living up in the hills in L.A. And every day the guy with the drugs would show up. We were just so high. And we were working in a house. I think it’s just the way we were living.” This unorthodox recording environment gave the album a distinctive, otherworldly quality, one that Corgan appreciates despite — or perhaps because of — its unconventional origins.
For Corgan, Black Sabbath isn’t just the greatest metal band of all time; it’s his favorite band, period. “The great thing about [Sabbath]… is every album is different,” he said. Even as the original lineup unraveled toward the end of the Ozzy Osbourne era, the band maintained a spirit of experimentation. “They’re still trying to kind of be a little punk… There’s some good stuff in there.”
Corgan’s admiration for Sabbath runs deep, not just as a fan but as a musician. In a 2022 interview with Kerrang! magazine, he described how Iommi’s riffs shaped his own artistic vision.
“Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, he’s my hero, and Tony wrote those riffs that, when you hear him, it’s like a movie. In my mind, I always call it ‘Cosmic Sabbath’. When I would listen to Sabbath, I felt like I was peering into the universe. That’s the way it made me feel, even as a little kid. So for me, a great riff has to kind of make you feel something bigger.”