Billy Corgan, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman known for weaving his childhood rock influences into the band's music, has singled out Black Sabbath's 1971 album Master of Reality as the record that shaped his sense of what heavy music could achieve. He has described first hearing the track "Sweet Leaf" as a child as an almost spiritual experience, likening the guitar tone to "the sound of God" and saying he has never encountered anything cooler since.

Corgan drew on a wide range of touchstones when crafting the Pumpkins' sound, from the grandeur of Boston and the technicality of Rush to the power of Led Zeppelin, but reserved particular admiration for Black Sabbath's raw heaviness. He recalled being just eight years old when he first heard "Sweet Leaf" from Master of Reality, and being struck by a feeling of awe rather than fear at Ozzy Osbourne's vocals and the crushing riff. He also praised the album's other tracks, including "Children of the Grave", crediting guitarist Tony Iommi with an almost mystical ability to conjure uniquely menacing riffs that set Sabbath apart from other blues-rooted bands of the era.