Watch: Birmingham MPs message the Queen to get official recognition for Black Sabbath

Hailing from here in Birmingham, they have sold 70 million records, are stars around the world and defined a musical genre. Recently a campaign has been launched to gain official recognition for Black Sabbath - one of most influential heavy metal bands of all time, and starts of the Commonwealth Games 2022 Closing Ceremony.

Formed in 1968 in Aston, Black Sabbath is often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped to shape the sound and style of the genre with their dark, heavy riffs and lyrics about topics such as horror, the occult, and social instability. Today they’re widely considered to be one of the most influential metal bands.

Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 1970, Black Sabbath have gone on to sell over 70 million records. Their music has stood the test of time, and their legacy continues to inspire new generations of musicians across the world.

Many MPs and dignitaries across Birmingham have signed an open letter sent to her majesty the Queen with the hope that Black Sabbath - arguably the biggest band to have come out of Birmingham - will finally get the recognition they deserve.

Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, says: “Well the letter is not another formal way of asking for the honours list. Normally it goes to the government office and they look at it and then they decide who deserves it or not.

“But what we’ve done here - is because of the timescale and the way that that the system’s overlooked these these guys who’ve been absolutely brilliant, and the way that they’ve entertained people. We’ve had to - I’ve had to decide to go directly to her Majesty, and ask for her input to deal with this.”

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