It’s no stretch to say that heavy metal as we know it would not exist without the powerfully elemental vocals of the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. What’s wild, though, is how he shaped the budding genre in his image not just as the founding vocalist of iconic gloomsmiths Black Sabbath, but again in the early Eighties when he launched his enormously successful solo career.
Between 1980 and 2022, Ozzy released 13 solo albums that ran the gamut from neo-classical bangers and Southern-crunching glory to occult-and-horror-inspired shredders, earnestly Beatles-saluting ballads and more. While he commanded the mic with wild-eyed intent and unshakeable center-stage charisma, it’s a period where he also gracefully spotlighted a crack team of musicians, including guitar gods Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde and more.
But what’s the all-time Ozzy anthem? The song that has you howling in approval the second it starts up? We asked Revolver readers to rank the greatest solo songs ever sung by the Prince of Darkness, and they rode a symbolic white horse towards this top 5.
“Bark at the Moon”
1983’s Bark at the Moon was a rebuild after the rebuild, and followed the tragic passing of Osbourne’s first iconic guitarist, Randy Rhoads.
It’s title cut also possesses one of the most instantly recognizable riffs in Ozzy’s catalog — and while there could never be a replacement for the late Rhoads, it cemented Jake E. Lee’s rep as a total shredder in his own right. Truly, his quick-wristed picking and lyncanthropic legato work on the track have plenty of bite.
Osbourne also breaks the silence with a howlingly gothic tale about a tragic figure living in the lunar spell. Feverishly inspired, soaked in panic sweat and performed for at least one day in a full-body werewolf getup as memorable as the hairy beasts in The Howling and An American Werewolf in London, “Bark at the Moon” remains one of Ozzy’s most exquisitely horrific metal masterworks.
“Mr. Crowley”
We’ve approached a tune that is classic.
The Prince of Darkness’ pensive yet pounding ode to Aleister Crowley finds Osbourne incredibly curious about the nature of the English occultist — both fascinated by and skeptical over the good Mr.’s apparent ability to communicate with the dead. Ironically, by exploring the life of someone once dubbed “the wickedest man in the world” by the English press, Osbourne himself became a high-profile media target during the Eighties’ morally righteous Satanic Panic era.
The song itself begins with an exquisitely chilling synth intro like no other, and gets driven home by Randy Rhoads’ impeccably neo-classical tapping solo.
“No More Tears”
Zakk Wylde’s guitar playing took Osbourne’s music towards a crunchier, gnarlier and undeniably more Southern-inspired direction. Take the the epic title cut to Ozzy’s landmark 1991 effort, where Wylde hits the bullseye with dive-bar bluesy slide work and bloody-knuckled chord attacks. That said, “No More Tears” does have an exquisitely fanciful mid-song pivot point, so the song has layers to it.
Osbourne goes for broke with foreboding, foghorn-loud interjections, eerie-Beatle vocal stacks and more. The red light went on in the studio, and he delivered a performance of a lifetime.
“Diary of a Madman”
While Ozzy’s infamous bat-biting concert would take place during the promotion cycle for Diary of a Madman, his reputation for being one of rock’s most unpredictable wildcards had already been set in place by the time he recorded its aptly named closing title cut. That said, the fan favorite taps into a more tragic mania.
The track’s sanity-spiraling narrative is super vulnerable, with Osbourne selling the pathos across a consciousness-expanding arrangement of acoustic prettiness, seasick 7/4 metering, Escher staircase-tumbling leadwork from Rhoads and a chilling church-choir-assisted finale.
It’s a song that’ll truly blow your mind.
“Shot in the Dark”
Don’t underestimate the greatness of “Shot in the Dark.”
While it’s true that Ozzy was no great fan of 1986’s The Ultimate Sin, his misgivings had more to do with the Eighties-excessive production than the material. After all, the platinum-selling record yielded him his biggest solo hit yet, the street-stalking “Shot in the Dark.” All these years later, it’s the Ozzy song that fans are ready to crank at a moment’s notice.
While loaded with Lee’s dangerously squealing accoutrement, the steady-stomped anthem has got melodies for days. Osbourne’s vocal runs super elastic in the all-timer chorus. This is all to say: A voice is calling from inside our heads, and it often sounds like Ozzy singing “Shot in the Dark.”