Ozzy Osbourne was the Godfather of Metal for a reason. The man helped forge the genre, with his Black Sabbath bandmates, and he did it with the voice of a (fallen) angel.
From his time in Sabbath all the way back into the 70s, into his extensive solo catalog, Ozzy laid down some incredible vocal performances during his career. While we may have lost The Prince of Darkness, we’ll always have the amazing music he gave us, so let’s celebrate that and talk about some of his all-time best performances.
“Crazy Train”
Right outta the gate, we have to acknowledge the masterpiece that is “Crazy Train”. A lot of times, lists like these tend to skew toward more obscure fare. Deep cut songs are great and all, but classics are classics for a reason.
Ozzy’s voice sounds incredible on “Crazy Train”, and there’s no ignoring the iconography of Randy Rhoads’ guitar riffs. This one is undeniable.
“War Pigs” by Black Sabbath
Throwing it back to Black Sabbath’s second album, “War Pigs” is one of the most passionate performances Ozzy ever delivered. Paired perfectly with the band’s heavy blues approach to rock music, Ozzy is singing powerfully from his soul here.
There’s also something to be said for how this was the beginning of his career, before his voice matured more. And still, he’s commanding the track, just like those “generals gathered in their masses.”
“Changes” from ‘Live & Loud’
We all know that “Changes” is a Black Sabbath song, but let’s be honest with ourselves… It’s an Ozzy song. I don’t mean that in terms of literal ownership or solo conception. I just mean, this track became intrinsically Ozzy over the years. It feels closer to his solo material than anything else he ever did with Sabbath.
For this list, I think we need to note the rendition of “Changes” from Ozzy’s 1993 live album Live & Loud. It’s an all-timer. Do the vocals sound as good as the studio recording? Objectively: no. But there’s a vulnerability here that I think is worth noting. At this point in his life, after all he’s been through—losses and gains—he is singing this song as a man who’s weathered so many changes.
Black Sabbath’s ‘Sabotage’ Album
This last one might seem daunting, but just about any Black Sabbath/Ozzy fan will tell you that Sabbath’s sixth studio album, Sabotage (1975), is the best Ozzy ever sounded. That’s not to say his solo stuff wasn’t amazing too, but there’s something about this particular record… every single member of the band was firing on all cylinders.
Ozzy is singing these songs with such focus, without ever letting it diminish his intensity. Trust me, pull this one up and stream the entire thing, and I dare you to tell me I’m wrong.
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