The Eternal Idol is the thirteenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in November 1987 in the UK and on 8 December 1987 in the US.

Eric Singer played the drums, with the percussion credit for Bev Bevan being for a few cymbal overdubs on "Scarlet Pimpernel".

[7][9] A number of singers auditioned for Black Sabbath, including Jon Oliva of Savatage and a then-unknown Tony Martin.

[10] Martin was hired and reconstructed the vocals under the guidance of Chris Tsangarides at Battery Studios shortly before production ended.

The tour was one of Sabbath's shortest, totaling 20 dates: one on Greece and 6-7 each in South Africa, Germany and Italy[13] The video for "The Shining" was filmed in-between Spitz's departure and Burt's arrival.

"[14] The album cover features two models in bronze paint re-enacting Auguste Rodin's 1889 sculpture "The Eternal Idol".

[4] A three-minute and fifteen second studio outtake titled "Some Kind of Woman", written by Tony Martin shortly after joining the band, appeared as a B-side of "The Shining" single.

An early version of "Black Moon"—a song that would ultimately appear on the 1989 album Headless Cross—was released as a B-side of the "Eternal Idol" single.