On This Day in 2013, Black Sabbath Breaks UK Chart Record with Historic 42-Year Gap Between #1 Albums
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Record‑Breaking Return
Black Sabbath’s album 13 reached number one on the UK Albums Chart on 16 June 2013, setting a record for the longest wait between chart‑topping releases. The achievement came forty‑two years and eight months after their 1970 classic Paranoid last held the top spot.
Black Sabbath set a remarkable UK chart record for the longest gap between #1 albums when their latest release debuted at the top, marking 42 years and 8 months since their second album, “Paranoid,” reached the summit. According to The Official Charts Company, no other artist has ever experienced such a lengthy wait between UK chart-topping albums.
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From Paranoid to 13
Paranoid hit number one on 24 October 1970, boosted by singles “Iron Man” and the title track, and helped turn the Birmingham quartet into global pioneers of heavy metal. After that breakthrough, the band released a mix of acclaimed and divisive records, changed members, and even paused touring because of illness, yet their influence kept growing. When producer Rick Rubin reunited Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler in the studio, expectations were high. Rubin urged the group to recapture the dark riff‑driven feel of their earliest work.
Recording sessions began in Los Angeles and later moved to Iommi’s home base in England while the guitarist underwent cancer treatment. Despite delays, the finished album combined modern production with vintage heaviness and featured Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine on drums.
Chart Competition and Sales
Released in the UK on 10 June 2013, 13 sold nearly 56,000 copies during its first week, outselling Beady Eye’s BE by roughly 13,000 units. The Guardian noted that the veteran group overtook Rod Stewart’s recent record for the longest gap, which had stood at just 37 years. Industry watchers highlighted that the album also debuted at number one in the United States, another first for Sabbath, with 155,000 initial sales.
Ozzy told reporters, “I’m in shock. The success of this album has blown me off my feet. We’ve never had a record climb the charts so fast.” The Guinness World Records site later listed the gap as 42 years and 255 days.
Legacy of the Milestone
The victory underscored the continued appeal of classic metal to both older fans and new listeners discovering the band through streaming platforms.
It also proved that long‑running acts can still top contemporary charts when they balance nostalgia with fresh material. For Black Sabbath, 13 became a bookend to a storied catalogue, reminding the music world that heavy riffs never truly go out of style, even in an evolving industry.
