Ronnie James Dio had the PIPES, but some of the lyrics and "talking in the songs" stuff annoyed me
I've been trying to make a Ronnie James Dio mix CD for the car. While he may have had great songs and / or performances elsewhere, the core albums for me are:
Sabbath
Heaven and Hell
Mob Rules
Dehumanizer (primarily for "I"
Live at Hammersmith Odeon (probably the best RJD Sabbath live album, "limited edition" from Rhino Records, sold out almost immediatey, repackaged in the Mob Rules "deluxe" edition)
Rainbow
All three studio albums
Dio
Holy Diver
The Last In Line
Some of the live stuff is red hot...he would really rip into "Neon Nights" and because it is a short song I don't believe he ever injected a "monologue." Here's the list I've come up with...79 minutes, a minimum of "groaners" in the lyric department:
Man on the Silver Mountain
Starstruck
Stargazer
A Light In The Black
Long Live Rock & Roll
Children Of The Sea
Heaven & Hell
Neon Knights (Live version from "Live At Hammersmith"
The Sign Of The Southern Cross
I
Holy Diver
Don't Talk To Strangers
Rainbow In The Dark
Evil Eyes
What do you think? Did I miss any of your favorites?
= new reply since forum marked as read
loved Ronnie James Dio 
Good times. 
...it's definitely a stronger song AND performance.
