Top 10 Best Ronnie James Dio Songs

A metal masterpiece in every sense of the word. This song combines several elements found in nearly all metal tracks to date, and even in some non-metal songs. His voice is so powerful it can level mountains.

Not only is it the best performance in Dio's career, but perhaps one of the genre's best songs ever created.

This must be the greatest song ever written by Rainbow. At the time, there was a whole new mood of young teenage rockers following the legendary Ritchie Blackmore after his departure from Deep Purple.

This new wave rock band continued to change its lineup from probably the most successful album to RJD leaving after the much-awaited Long Live Rock & Roll album.

I like how the slow to fast rhythm emphasizes the essence of this song, Heaven and Hell. It's masterfully composed, and Ron's vocals add the finishing touch.

Hard rock doesn't get any better than Heaven and Hell (song and album). Take all of RJD, and you have a top-five catalog in the history of music. Just flat-out powerful!

When the vocals come back after the solo and smack you in the face - it's one of the best moments in metal.

Beautiful song. Dio does it great. I love how it starts off slowly, then it starts to REALLY rock. His style is absolutely incredible. When the guitar solo comes, I imagine Dio riding a tiger. Crazy good song.

First Dio song I ever heard - in high school, on cassette, in the parking lot in the back of a friend's car during lunch, August of 1983. I have never been the same since.

The perfect song. I have listened to this song hundreds of times and it never gets old.

Vocals, lyrics, and the keyboard riff. Rainbow in the Dark is the epitome of a hard rock/heavy metal track with such obscure yet beautiful lyrics.

Maybe I'm just voting for this because of nostalgia, but the fact remains that this was the first song by Dio I ever heard, and quite frankly, it still tops my list. RIP RJD.

A beautiful song that soon will be on my arm forever!

The best, as so many of Dio's early Rainbow songs were. Cutting edge, and as usual, Blackmore started that style of rock, and Ronnie was the perfect fit. He put Ronnie on the "map" to be seen.

Just listen to it, and you'll understand completely why this is my choice.

Still one of the best ever made.

Greatest "home" ever sung. NEVER gets old. Like a shot of adrenaline right in your heart. Viv and Vinny at their best.

After Heaven and Hell, this is the next best song!

So good, can't stop listening to this song!

Wow! No. 12 & 20, it's moving up. Metallica exposed the song to a larger audience.

Great track from Rainbow Rising. Awesome vocals by Ronnie James Dio.

Ritchie and Ronnie are a perfect duo for metal. Nothing comes close, not even Hetfield and Hammett.

Ronnie James Dio is the greatest rock singer that has ever lived on the planet Earth since the beginning of time. Plain and simple. For someone to be better than him, you would have to be above God. When he passed, I cried badly. I have all his CDs and movies of him. He is a legend.

If life lasts another million years, how will he ever be beaten?

The vocals in this song were unbelievably beautiful. So high at the beginning, yet so powerful towards the end.

Appeared on the last Dio album that went gold in the States.

Great performance on this fun track. From the Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast concept album, and later on Deep Purple's live at the Royal Albert Hall. It was well received in the Netherlands and Australia.

Another that I am shocked is not here. Great song to open up Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath's second-best album, behind Paranoid, of course.

Dio at his absolute best with Sabbath. Awesome tempo and it really deserves to be up there in the top ten along with We Rock and Stand Up and Shout.

This one is legendary. That's all I can say.

Iommi's beautiful acoustic intro is followed by a badass riff and Dio's amazing voice and fantastical lyrics at their best. The dichotomy between gentle and powerful, both musically and vocally, makes this a very special song.

"Fade away, fade away, vanish into smoke, fade away, fade away, break the crystal ball" - a really heavy song by Black Sabbath. It's so beautiful. Deserves to be at least the second-best Dio song.

This song was insanely fast for the '70s and is one of the most influential metal songs. It was covered by many bands: Heathen, Metallica, Candlemass, Jorn, Primal Fear, Adrenaline Mob, Liege Lord, Grave Digger, and several more.

I don't believe it is not at the top of the list. Perfect song.

I LOVE this song. It's one of my favorite Ronnie James Dio songs. I listen to it almost all the time.

Rock on, Ronnie. We miss you.

How the hell is this not on the list? Brilliant opener to Holy Diver!