'80 - '81: The Classic Era Pt.I

With Ronnie on vocals, Black Sabbath released two of their best albums: Heaven and Hell (1980) and Mob Rules (1981). This was a slight departure from the earlier "doom metal" style of Sabbath, and was arguably the beginning of the style today known as "Traditional Heavy Metal".

'83 - '87: The Classic Era Pt.II

With his solo band (aptly named Dio), Ronnie went on to release Holy Diver (1983) which would become known as one of his best albums; with its perfect combination of '80s metal heaviness, melodies, and Ronnie's powerful clean vocals. This was followed by three slighly weaker but still very good albums within the same essential style: The Last In Line (1984), Sacred Heart (1985), and Dream Evil (1987).

'90 - '96: The Darker, Heavier Era

With Lock Up The Wolves (1990), Dio took a small step away from his previous style towards a heavier, slower sound. This was taken a step further towards a darker sound in the following release Strange Highways (1993). Both of these albums were still fairly enjoyable as the essential parts of the classic Dio sound were mostly present. Unfortunately, the style was taken further into the wrong direction with Angry Machines (1996), which would become one of Dio's weakest albums. It was fairly heavy but very slow, and, well, boring. But I suppose one must fall, if only a little, in order to rise again.

'00 - '04: The Return To Form Era

Dio's return to form began with Magica (2000), with its powerful guitar tone, excellent production and a shift towards the Dio sound of the mid to late 80s. The return to form came in full with Killing The Dragon (2002), with its powerful, energetic tracks and superbly enjoyable guitar playing. This was followed by a somewhat weaker Master Of The Moon (2004), which seemed to lack the energy and tempo of its predecessor. Sadly, this would be Dio's final solo album before his death in 2010.