Which band's 1981 album 'Mob Rules' features the song 'The Mob Rules'?

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Black Sabbath's 1981 album Mob Rules features the song “The Mob Rules.”

Mob Rules was Black Sabbath's tenth studio album, released in November 1981. It followed Heaven and Hell and was the second Sabbath album to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio. The record also introduced drummer Vinny Appice, who had replaced Bill Ward during the Heaven and Hell tour.

The title song had an unusual beginning: Black Sabbath recorded “The Mob Rules” for the soundtrack of the animated film Heavy Metal before making it part of the album. The track's aggressive riff and Dio's commanding vocal helped establish the album's darker, driving character.

The song is sometimes confused with Dio's solo work because Dio later became strongly associated with the title and performed it outside Black Sabbath. However, the album itself belongs to Black Sabbath, with Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, Dio on vocals, and Appice on drums. Deep Purple and Rainbow are neighboring hard-rock names, but neither released this album.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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