Thom Panunzio

Classic track, classic tracks, black sabbath, paranoid, Ozzy Osbourne

Classic Tracks: Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”

By Russell H. Tice ⋅ Published: 07/22/2025 ⋅ Updated: 08/06/2025

In the fall of 1970, Black Sabbath mounted an aural assault on the music world with the release of their second album, Paranoid. Creating...

A close-up view of a typical drum setup in Studio 1. PHOTO: Troy Germano

Business

The Hit Factory Recording Studio Reborn! — Part 3

By Tom Kenny ⋅ Published: 03/31/2023

Our Hit Factory coverage concludes with how owner Troy Germano built his own legendary studio—and then seized the opportunity to bring the Hit Factory...

A bit of history: the back wall of Studio 1 at the previous incarnation of The Hit Factory, West 54th Street, circa 2002. Photo: Dave King.

Business

The Hit Factory Recording Studio Reborn! — Part 2

By Tom Kenny ⋅ Published: 03/30/2023

After 20 years, The Hit Factory -- the legendary NYC studio that reinvented popular music -- is truly back.

In January 2023, after 20 years, Troy Germano reacquired rights to The Hit Factory name, bringing back one of the world’s iconic studio brands and renaming his world-class Germano Studios in NoHo, New York City. Pictured in Studio 2, from left: Slick Rick, engineer Kenta Yonesaka, Troy Germano, Mark Ronson and Steve Jordan. Photo: Bob Gruen.

Facilities

The Hit Factory Recording Studio Reborn! — Part 1

By Tom Kenny ⋅ Published: 03/29/2023 ⋅ Updated: 03/30/2023

After 20 years, The Hit Factory -- the legendary NYC studio that reinvented popular music -- is truly back.