The singer, born July 10, , was a giant in metal, bringing a wealth of great songs and stage presence to a lengthy and successful career. Even early on, when he was fronting upstate New York bluesy rockers Elf, Dio always seemed poised for bigger things. It's no surprise that when Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and was looking for a magnetic frontman for his new band, Rainbow, he quickly recruited Dio. After a hugely successful run of four studio albums with the band, Ronnie quit Rainbow for to become the new singer in Black Sabbath. The marriage of Tony Iommi's molasses-thick guitar tone and Dio's authoritative vocals made for heavy metal magic, and everything the new Sabbath put down on tape should already be in your music collection. Though the pairing of talents worked so well artistically, other factors lead to Black Sabbath Mark II's end in That same year, Ronnie formed the band that would take on his surname. Dio would go on to have numerous member changes through its three decade career, but the high quality of their material never wavered. Noisecreep has compiled a list of 10 essential Dio the band songs.
'Falling off the Edge of the World'
'Killing the Dragon'
The group's catalog spans 10 albums across the span of just over two decades with stories full of magical places that can be seen as a safe haven for any metalhead. Despite numerous lineup changes, the body of work is unbelievably strong and proves that Ronnie James Dio was a catalyst for greatness. Ronnie's lyrics came from a place of wisdom and wonder. He brought us tales from a world of fantasy and made it real.
'Evil on Queen Street'
Which is why we asked you, our readers, to weigh in with your thoughts. And you did not disappoint. Dio forever! Dio also has the ability to make a song about wizards not sound corny or contrived, instead crafting a true parable about hubris, the human condition and determination that can be applied to any setting, person or time. Avoiding that quagmire entirely It's undeniable that this track is an absolutely perfect testament to why Dio deserves worship and respect.
As this list of Ronnie James Dio songs demonstrates, there's no way to overstate the impact the signer had on hard rock and heavy metal. But we'll be damned if we won't try to anyway, one more time. From his blue-collar efforts behind countless, mostly forgotten rock and doo wop vocal groups during the late '50s and '60s, through his decades as one of metal's preeminent vocalists, bestride, Elf, Rainbow , Black Sabbath , Dio , and Heaven and Hell, Ronnie's resume simply stands second to none. And because his one-of-a-kind voice always remained instantly recognizable throughout, it's with great excitement and respect that we compile the Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Songs. The final recordings of Ronnie James Dio's life, for Heaven and Hell's 'The Devil You Know' album yielded numerous highlights, but arguably none as memorable as the ominous 'The Bible Black,' which proved the great singer's vast vocal and emotional powers had lost nothing to time's inexorable march. Also, can we all just admit this is a Black Sabbath album now? This oft-overlooked colossus from the second half of Black Sabbath's 'Mob Rules' simply can't be overlooked by our list of the Top 10 Ronnie James Dio Songs, as it sees the singer's unique gifts for spinning fantastical yarns -- filled with kings and queens and dragons too -- at their most colorful and evocative.
