Rock fans are having a lightbulb moment as they uncover the true origins of Black Sabbath’s iconic name.

The band, fronted by the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, is gearing up for their final gig at Villa Park this summer, sharing the stage with metal giants like Metallica and Slayer for the “Back to the Beginning” concert.

Known for anthems such as War Pigs and Paranoid, Black Sabbath’s moniker was actually inspired by a horror flick – a fact that has only recently clicked for many followers.

A Reddit post on r/todayilearned has enlightened numerous devotees about the movie that sparked the change from Earth, their original bluesy title, to the more ominous Black Sabbath after they watched a Boris Karloff chiller bearing the same name.

The Reddit post reads: “Today I learned that heavy metal band Black Sabbath started as a blues band called Earth, but changed their name after seeing the Boris Karloff horror film ‘Black Sabbath’. They liked “that people paid money to be frightened’.”

Additionally, a snippet from Osbourne’s autobiography cited by a user shed light on another motive behind the switch — the discovery of another band named Earth, which led to a mix-up and an accidental booking.

Back in 1989, a group known as Earth emerged onto the drone rock scene and they’re still making waves with their music today. But before Black Sabbath released their debut single “Evil Woman”, they were jamming under a different moniker — “Polka Tulk Blues Band”.

However, they’d soon adopt the legendary name Black Sabbath, and the rest is heavy metal history. They went on to release a self-titled album that’s a stark contrast to the blues-rock Black Sabbath had made before their name change.

As they get ready to hang up their guitars with a grand finale on July 5 at Villa Park, there’s a buzz of excitement. Sharon Osbourne recently confirmed Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s curtain call.

She said: “Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop. This is his full stop.”

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