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Few rock as hard as Ozzy Osbourne. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the best songs from the Prince of Darkness’ solo career.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the best songs from the Prince of Darkness' solo career.
00:14We'll be emitting guest appearances on other tracks while also saving Ozzy's work with Black Sabbath for another day.
00:30Number 20, Secret Loser. Hey, are you looking for a great, easily accessible song to introduce a friend to the heavy metal bombast of Ozzy Osbourne?
00:46Secret Loser is a great place to start. A hooky single from the man's underrated 1986 slab, The Ultimate Sin.
00:54Jake Ely's main riff is infectiously catchy. Ozzy's vocal lines are melodic, and Phil Susan's bass does some seriously heavy lifting during the breakdown before the final verse.
01:13Secret Loser was even featured in the 1986 sci-fi fantasy, The Wraith, and appeared on that film's soundtrack.
01:24The cut is a secret, pardon the pun, killer from a discography chock-full of hidden gems.
01:42Number 19, Steal Away, The Night.
01:46Does the act of including a parenthetical automatically make a song better?
01:58Well, not particularly, but it doesn't hurt, especially when it's a track that rocks as hard as Steal Away, The Night.
02:05Come on, baby, now I've met your honesty.
02:10You are here in ISB.
02:12The cut is tucked away as the closing track to Ozzy's breakout Blizzard of Oz LP from 1980.
02:19But don't think for a second. It's a throwaway.
02:22Instead, Steal Away, The Night ends Blizzard of Oz in rousing, thunderous fashion.
02:28A blazing rocker with a killer riff.
02:31Randy Rhoades rips out an amazing lead guitar performance,
02:34while Bob Daisley's bass adds a melodic counterpoint to the verses against Ozzy's vocals.
02:40It's great stuff.
02:43Steal Away, Steal Away, The Night.
02:49Number 18, Bloodbath in Paradise.
02:53We've come at home, there's blood on the walls.
02:57The laundry list of guitar players who have served at Ozzy's right hand
03:04leads like a veritable who's who of heavy metal talent.
03:07Zach Wilde made his debut as Osbourne's sideman with 1988's No Rest for the Wicked,
03:13and he brought with him a fresh air of riffing urgency.
03:17Bloodbath in Paradise serves as a calling card for Wilde's wicked six-string skills.
03:30A devious and dark song about Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca murders.
03:35The song's quick pace and hyper-aggressive approach is perfect for Ozzy's late 80s career,
03:41as heavy metal was becoming faster and heavier by the day.
03:47There's little in the way of subtlety, sure, but this isn't a bad thing.
03:57Bloodbath in Paradise is a banger.
04:00It's a scandal, it's viral, yeah, yeah.
04:07Number 17, Mr. Tinkertrain.
04:17We're going to keep the darkness train rolling for our next pick, the pitch-black predatory
04:24opener to 1991's No More Tears.
04:26It was a gutsy move for Ozzy and his band to kick off Osbourne's first album for the 90s
04:32with Mr. Tinkertrain.
04:34The groove here is as sleazy as the song's subject matter, while the arrangements are remarkably
04:40inventive.
04:41Take, for example, how the second verse opens up with some finger snaps.
04:54Meanwhile, Zach Wild proves how he was one of Ozzy's heaviest guitar players, slinging riffs
05:01that are stunningly heavy.
05:02The production is thunderous and loud, lifting Mr. Tinkertrain to the summit of Ozzy's heaviest
05:09jams.
05:17Number 16, The Ultimate Sin.
05:20Ozzy's The Ultimate Sin album from 1986 is, for many fans, one of the man's finest recorded
05:36efforts, full stop.
05:37We're singling out the heavy AF title track in particular, a song that showcases guitarist
05:43Jakey Ali in typically amazing form.
05:54This period of Ozzy's career was marked by what was perhaps the man's closest flirtation
05:59with glam metal.
06:00But this definitely isn't a bad thing in our eyes.
06:05The Ultimate Sin is flashy, fiery, and overproduced, just the way we like it.
06:11The song's main riff is crunchy, too, proving that the Sunset Strip influenced Ozzy still
06:17had plenty of gas left in the creative tank.
06:28Number 15, Flying High Again.
06:31The discography of Ozzy Osbourne is nothing if not diverse.
06:43His songs often encompass a variety of moods, including the lighter feeling of songs like
06:48Flying High Again.
06:49It's the spirit of 1970s arena rock that permeates this cut from Ozzy's Diary of a Madman album
06:56from 1981, a feel-good tune about creative freedom.
07:07Indeed, Flying High Again actually isn't about cannabis or narcotics use, but instead Ozzy's
07:14enthusiasm for his budding solo career after departing Black Sabbath.
07:18Flying High Again is an easygoing jam that's perfectly tailored to rock radio, and one that
07:24still gets played often, today.
07:35Number 14, You're No Different.
07:37The era of Ozzy Osbourne's career with guitarist Jakey Lee was one marked with flashy theatrics
07:51and some truly great songs.
07:53It's here, with songs like You're No Different, where Ozzy's career seems to veer even further
07:58away from Black Sabbath's doom and gloom and further into commercial success.
08:03You're No Different is slicker, the riffs, pantsier, and the arrangements geared more towards
08:15catchy hooks and memorable choruses.
08:17You're No Different is moody and gothic, while Ozzy's vocals present a brooding prince of darkness,
08:24backed by Lee's enviable guitar mastery.
08:27Number 13, Miracle Man.
08:45Ozzy had long been in the political crosshairs of the religious right prior to 1988's No Rest
08:51for the Wicked album.
08:52However, the Oz man took aim right at figures like Jimmy Swaggart on his song, Miracle Man.
08:59This was a scathing rebuke of the perceived hypocrisy of high-profile television preachers caught
09:05with their proverbial, and sometimes literal, pants down.
09:07It's a great way to open up the album, as Zach Wilde kicks out the jams with a riff that practically
09:25screams for air guitar accompaniments.
09:27Meanwhile, drummer Randy Castillo pounds his kit for all it's worth, making each beat count
09:33as Miracle Man races towards the finish line.
09:43Number 12, I Just Want You.
09:53Here's a question.
09:54Does an artist's whole career matter, or do some of us, as fans, tune out after a while?
10:011995's Osmosis could be considered as one of Ozzy's last great solo albums.
10:07At the very least, it contains some truly awesome songs, such as I Just Want You.
10:13The tune is melodic and indicative of how the Osmosis album took some creative risks.
10:26There are some Beatles-esque harmonies utilized by Ozzy on the song, while the backing keyboard
10:31orchestration adds some texture to the song's overall quirkiness.
10:35The vocal melody is also incredibly strong and memorable.
10:40Leading the charge to present I Just Want You is perhaps one of those Ozzy songs you forgot
10:45about, but are glad to revisit.
10:48I just want you!
10:54I just want you!
10:58Number 11, Suicide Solution.
11:01Ozzy isn't exactly a stranger to controversy, but it was this song that got the singer in
11:13legal trouble back in 1985.
11:15The song was blamed for the death of John Daniel McCollum, a blame for which Ozzy was found
11:21not guilty in courts.
11:22The tune itself, meanwhile, anchors itself on an iconic riff from Randy Rhoades, a spitfire
11:28affair that's heavy and groovy at the same time.
11:40Bob Daisley's bass anchors the entire thing with a rock-solid bottom end to boot.
11:46Ozzy would revisit similar themes with 1988's underrated Demon Alcohol, but it all started
11:51here, with this unforgettable track.
12:04Number 10, Mama I'm Coming Home.
12:14Ozzy is justifiably known for his contributions to heavy metal, but many laypersons possibly
12:21forgot how many wonderful ballads he's sung over the years.
12:24I guess that we'll meet, we'll meet in the end.
12:31Goodbye to Romance serves as a great example from Ozzy's early years, while Old L.A. Tonight
12:38is a latter-day tearjerker.
12:40Will it be alright tonight?
12:46Meanwhile, Mama I'm Coming Home sits smack dab in the middle, as one of the Oz man's
12:53most successful singles.
12:55The lyrics were written by Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, and possess a certain poetry that
13:00could often spring from that man's fertile mind.
13:03I could be right, I could be wrong, it hurts so bad, it's been so long.
13:11Meanwhile, Ozzy's vocal arrangements are lush, and service the song's lead melody in a keen
13:17and memorable way.
13:18Cause Mama, Mama I'm Coming Home.
13:26Number 9, Perry Mason.
13:28On his way to dinner, when he do keep a surprise.
13:34If you think that the famed TV lawyer Perry Mason is a strange subject for an Ozzy Osbourne
13:40song, then congratulations, you're absolutely right.
13:43It doesn't really matter at the end of the day, though, because this first single from
13:471995's Osmosis album hits all the right notes.
13:51The main riff is crunchy as hell, and the guitar solo from Zach Wilde is one of the finest
13:57ever put to tape on an Ozzy record.
14:07The songwriting feels economical here, with a beautiful bridge linking Perry Mason's
14:12driving verse sections, and that ultra sing-alongable chorus.
14:16Don't overthink it too much, and just enjoy Perry Mason for what it is.
14:20A great song.
14:22Tell me it's alright, just keep on talking baby, I've been doing this all night.
14:30Number 8, No More Tears.
14:33The light in the window is a crack in the sky.
14:41There were a number of singles released from Ozzy's landmark, super successful 1991 LP, No
14:47More Tears.
14:48The title track has endured right up to the modern day as well, remaining a staple on
14:53rock and heavy metal radio.
14:55It's easy to see why too, since No More Tears has one fantastic bass line going for it that
15:01helps drive the song.
15:03Mike Inez from Alice in Chains composed said bass line, although it's longtime Ozzy songwriter
15:16Bob Daisley who performed on the album.
15:19Speaking of which, No More Tears would mark the end of Daisley's often controversial partnership
15:24with Ozzy after years of royalty and songwriting credit disputes.
15:28If that team had to split up, however, No More Tears is one heck of a way to go out.
15:34Number 7, I Don't Know.
15:44All eyes were on Ozzy Osbourne as he departed the successful and influential Black Sabbath in
15:59favor of a solo career.
16:01Thankfully, Ozzy assembled a murderer's row of talent in order to help him achieve his
16:06goals on Blizzard of Oz.
16:08Keyboardist Don Airy and Uriah Heaps drummer Lee Kerslake joined up with the aforementioned
16:13Rhodes and Daisley to write and record Blizzard of Oz.
16:16And it's their contributions that helped lift songs like I Don't Know to icon status.
16:34Rhodes' main riff is aggressive but accessible, while Daisley and Kerslake's restrained rhythm
16:39sections allow the track to breathe.
16:42As for Ozzy, well, he nails that iconic chorus for all he's worth.
16:46And this opening track helped forge Blizzard of Oz into heavy metal legend.
17:01Number 6, Mr. Crowley.
17:04The Devil was truly in the details throughout a lot of heavy metal throughout the 1970s,
17:1880s, and beyond.
17:19Old Scratch was always a handy source of lyrical inspiration, but Ozzy took to more esoteric
17:26realms when he released Mr. Crowley as a single.
17:29The song's lyrical content is indebted to the infamous English occultist, Aleister Crowley,
17:35a hermetic magician who founded the religion of Thelema in the early 1900s.
17:40Mr. Crowley's musical approach echoes this mysterious and often shadowed world of religious study,
17:56particularly thanks to Don Airy's evocative keyboard intro.
18:00Elsewhere, Randy Rhoades' epic solo is the icing on the cake for this dark and driving song of heavy metal madness.
18:09Number 5, Shot in the Dark.
18:19There's a lot to unpack in Shot in the Dark.
18:30As mentioned before, Ozzy has always dodged allegations of improperly crediting those who have written songs for and with him over the years.
18:40Shot in the Dark was a notable hit from The Ultimate Sin, yet it's curiously missing from many compilation albums for reasons of nebulous ownership.
18:49Bassist Phil Susan brought the song to Ozzy after first demoing it with the group Wildlife in the early 80s.
18:56Shot in the Dark would be heavily reworked, however, gaining Jake E. Lee's shining stamp of guitar wizardry to make it thoroughly Ozzy's.
19:12Legal ownership aside, Shot in the Dark remains a melodic high point of exquisite songwriting and one of Ozzy's finest hours.
19:29Number 4, Bark at the Moon.
19:31We've talked up Jake E. Lee a lot and with good reason.
19:43The man could friggin shred.
19:44Bark at the Moon possesses what's perhaps one of Lee's finest hours with Ozzy.
19:49A riff masterpiece that was a barn burner from first note to last.
19:54The song wastes no time in melting faces with a central lick that's as catchy as a coal.
20:01Meanwhile, the solo section melds a bit of Randy Rhoads' classical inspiration with Lee's own flashy and theatrical style.
20:09This is over-the-top heavy metal with an equally outrageous music video to cap the whole affair in brilliant fashion.
20:26Oh, and that final solo by Lee as Ozzy's howl rings out and Bark at the Moon reaches a crescendo?
20:33Absolute brilliance.
20:35Number 3, Over the Mountain.
20:46Over the mountains, take me across the sky.
20:54Many musicians developed certain stylistic calling cards over the years.
20:58Lee Kerslake was one of those drummers who found a sweet spot with a certain type of dynamic drum fill.
21:04One he performed often with both Uriah Heap and Ozzy Osbourne.
21:08It's this fill that opens up Over the Mountain.
21:11A certified banger that was one of the singles from Ozzy's sophomore LP, Diary of a Madman.
21:17Kerslake's driving drumming works well with Randy Rhoads' classically inspired playing, particularly during the dynamic solo section.
21:31Kerslake punctuates Rhoads' cutting lead work with that aforementioned drum fill as Over the Mountain tramples over everything on the way to a skull-crushing finale.
21:44Number 2, Crazy Train.
21:57Crazy Train!
21:58Crazy Train!
21:59I thought you were gonna go wild tonight!
22:06A list of Ozzy Osbourne songs admittedly wouldn't be complete without Crazy Train, right?
22:11As the Ozman's best-known tune, and was for many years their first experience with Osbourne's solo career, Ozzy's iconic opening vocal leads into a thumping bassline, an equally classic main riff from Randy Rhoads.
22:26It's a lick that would be revised and revisited years later by Jakey Lee on Ozzy's lightning strikes.
22:41But the original has gone down in history, as perhaps Heavy Metal's catchiest single, Crazy Train, is an Ozzy song that will always be regarded as one of the man's musical calling cards.
23:01I'm going up the rails on a crazy train!
23:08Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
23:12Devil's Daughter, Holy War, Heaven vs. Hell, Winner Takes All,
23:18I'll pay a visit in your darkest hour.
23:25I Don't Want to Change the World, a great single from the No More Tears album.
23:30I don't want to change the world, I know I'm the one who can be.
23:37S-A-T-O, sailing across the ocean to progressive heights.
23:42She's a bold, she's a gold, gold and brighter than the sunlight.
23:49Desire, another songwriting contribution from Lemmy.
23:53It's a name of desire, nothing to say, nothing to say.
24:00Waiting for Darkness, an epic album closer.
24:04Here I'll stay, waiting for darkness.
24:08Tattooed Dancer, a slice of sleaze from the Oz Man.
24:14Now you see it, now you don't.
24:25Bob Daisley calls out Sharon in song form.
24:29Now you see it, now you don't.
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24:49Number one, Diary of a Madman.
25:02Much has been written over the years about Randy Rhoads' brilliant synthesis of classical music
25:08and heavy metal.
25:09Diary of a Madman just may be the perfect distillation of that experiment.
25:14While also existing as one of Ozzy Osbourne's most progressive sounding songs.
25:19The track is a mini epic.
25:21Hanging its hat on Rhodes' inspired playing.
25:24An orchestration that sounds like something out of a hammer horror movie.
25:28It's the sound of Ozzy perhaps working outside of his comfort zone.
25:41But wonderfully so.
25:42And successfully to boot.
25:44Crazy Train may be Ozzy's biggest hit.
25:47But it's Diary of a Madman.
25:49That's perhaps the man's best song.
26:00What's your all-time favorite Ozzy track?
26:02Let us know in the comments.
26:04In the comments.
26:05I'm still searching for the beat.
26:09What do you say?
26:10What do you mean?
26:11Let us know in the comments.
26:12Ask me to the beat.
26:13Now let us know where to be.
26:14If Prophet felt
26:22like daddyatan had it better,
26:29he crossed theaka kite dancing,
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