Fifty years ago today Black Sabbath released its self-titled debut album.

It wasn't for wimps.

It was actually too scary for me. I was just getting into heavy-metal at the time, but couldn't really handle the opening track. It freaked me out. Still does.

And I'm not the only one. A few years back I was interviewing Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and he said that "Black Sabbath" was "the most evil song that's ever been written".

"It’s very fucking scary!," he told me. "There’s something very malevolent about that song. It’s just the whole–it’s the way it starts, and then it’s almost deathly quiet, and then that opening line: ‘What is this I see before me?’

“You know, I just get goosebumps thinking about it now.”

I guess we all know what album to buy that special vinyl-loving someone for Valentine's Day now.