Black Sabbath Rock Fight: Paranoid vs Iron Man Which GUITAR RIFF is King?

No matter your personal opinion of Black Sabbath and the legacy they created, there is one thing you cannot deny. The bands landmark second album, 1970’s Paranoid, contains some of the most iconic and most recognizable guitar riffs in history. There may not be two more perfect examples than the albums legendary title cut and Side A’s ominous closer Iron Man. Both are immediately recognizable, both are truly iconic. What which riff is king?

In this corner….The albums legendary title cut which, according to late drummer Bill Ward, was written in full in just 25 minutes in the studio. Built of course on the power of Tony Iommi’s monstrous guitar riff. Paranoid is absolutely one of Sabbath’s defining moments.

In this corner….It provides an ominous end to side A and sets the tone for what is to come when you flip the record over. And the RIFF can be heard in every guitar shop in the world. Iron Man puts a perfect close to side A.