Birmingham ‘birthplace of heavy metal’ the Crown secures listed status
Pub where Black Sabbath played their first gig gains Grade II status after thousands sign petition
February 2024
‘Kills me every single time’: readers on their favourite breakup songs
Ozzy Osbourne criticises Kanye West for using sample: ‘He is an antisemite’
October 2023
Birmingham Royal Ballet: Black Sabbath – The Ballet; English National Ballet: Our Voices – review
The fathers of heavy metal have gained at least one new fan thanks to an inspired new Carlos Acosta commission. And the music’s the star in the English National Ballet ambitious new mixed bill
September 2023
Black Sabbath: The Ballet review – riveting riffs, endless kisses and flying limbs
Paranoid pirouettes – inside Black Sabbath: The Ballet, already a headbanging hit
July 2023
‘I’m just not ready yet’: Ozzy Osbourne cancels first show in nearly five years due to health
The 74-year-old singer makes ‘painful’ decision to withdraw from Power Trip festival in California to avoid giving ‘half-assed’ live performance
April 2023
‘Hate to be predictable’: Acosta brings Black Sabbath ballet to Birmingham
City gets ready for ‘world’s first heavy metal dance experience’ celebrating the music of Ozzy and co
February 2023
Notebook
Salman Rushdie is determined to have the last word
Tim Adams
Riffs and tutus: Black Sabbath ballet to be staged in Birmingham
Ozzy Osbourne was the wild man of metal on stage – but vulnerability was his secret weapon
Michael Hann
Ozzy Osbourne to retire from touring due to declining health
October 2022
Ranked
The 100 greatest BBC music performances – ranked!
As the Beeb celebrates its centenary, we take a look at its most memorable pop moments, from the birth of grime to the first sightings of Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, plus TOTP goes Madchester and countless classic Peel sessions
September 2022
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Ozzy Osbourne: Patient Number 9 review – immortal king of heavy metal cheats death again
The irrepressible rocker offsets his usual forays into the occult with moving contemplations of illness on a star-studded return
July 2022
Commonwealth Games opener will be on par with London 2012, says director
Opening ceremony to feature Birmingham’s rich musical heritage in ‘generation-defining show’
February 2022
Ziggy bows out, Madonna scares the pope and Dylan goes electric: 50 gigs that changed music
Five decades after David Bowie’s seminal tour, our music writers reflect on the concerts that have left a mark, from Billie Holiday to Billie Eilish
March 2021
The Royal Albert Hall at 150: 'It's the Holy Grail for musicians'
It’s hosted opera greats, suffragette rallies, Hitchcock films, sports events, sci-fi conventions – and, of course, the Proms and countless rock gigs. Artists from Led Zeppelin to Abba recall their moments on the hallowed stage
October 2020
Deep Purple's Ian Gillan at 75: 'I can't pole vault any more!'
The rock singer is still yelling his way round the world, having weathered booze, hepatitis and hysterically embarrassing Spinal Tap moments. His secret? ‘Loyalty is overrated’
September 2020
The music essay
Black Sabbath's Paranoid at 50: potent anthems of working-class strife
Written off by critics as horror trash from ‘unskilled labourers’, Sabbath’s masterpiece album took beaten-down listeners on a rollercoaster out of their struggles
August 2020
Martin Birch, producer for Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and more, dies aged 71
Hard rock ‘genius’ helmed nine classic Iron Maiden albums and worked with Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac and others
