Master of Reality peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart.
Released on 6 August 1971, Master of Reality was Black Sabbath’s third studio album and followed the major success of Paranoid. Its UK peak of number five confirmed the band’s growing commercial reach, even though contemporary critics were often dismissive of their heavy, dark style. In the United States, the album performed strongly as well, reaching number eight on the Billboard 200.
The record’s chart performance was supported by songs including “Sweet Leaf,” “Children of the Grave,” “Lord of This World,” and “Into the Void.” Its downtuned guitars and thick production later made it especially influential on doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal.
A frequent mix-up is confusing the album’s UK position with its American one: five is the UK peak, while eight is the US Billboard 200 peak. The album eventually sold more than two million copies in the United States and received double-platinum certification.