10 Underrated Hard Rock Albums Of The 1980s
5. Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
The second album to feature Ronnie James Dio on this list, the singer replaced outgoing Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. While Ozzy went on to enjoy a massive solo career, Sabbath's future looked less certain in 1980, and Dio, fresh off the back of Rainbow, was a real gamble.
The band's debut album without Osbourne, Heaven And Hell, was released in April that year, and while not being part of the classic Sabbath line-up, it's still a great album that retained the Sabbath sound, albeit different to what had come before. With the addition of Dio, the music became more melodic, and the singer's influence is quite clearly heard on tracks such as 'Children Of The Sea' with very poetic lyrics. The title track is also considered a metal classic.