Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler said the band were surprised by the commercial and radio success of 1980’s “Heaven and Hell”, despite believing strongly in the song. He suggested that some listeners had expected the group to decline after Ozzy Osbourne’s departure, but were won over by the album and its new singer, Ronnie James Dio.

Butler contrasted Dio’s collaborative approach with the difficult final period of Osbourne’s 1970s tenure, saying Ozzy had become unwilling to engage with lyrics and recordings for “Never Say Die!”. Dio, who joined in 1979, could demonstrate musical ideas on guitar, helping the band develop songs; “Heaven and Hell”, nearly seven minutes long, nevertheless gained significant US radio acceptance. Butler also recalled Black Sabbath’s final reunion performance with Osbourne at Birmingham’s Villa Park, attended by more than 40,000 people and watched by 5.8 million via livestream.