Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness.
Credit: Instagram/@ozzyosbourne
From snorting ants to decapitating doves and bats, from unheard of drug excesses to giving birth to a genre that redefined music, Ozzy Osbourne lived a life of excess and debauchery unlike any man in the modern era.
But what stands out in the life of this unpredictable genius is his ability to connect with audiences as part of a band or all alone—churning out hit after hit—or even becoming the face of a reality TV show, something any rock musician true to his spirit would smirk at.
But Ozzy and his band was born to break the rules. When the train called Black Sabbath was gathering steam, they were projecting themselves as the direct anti-thesis of the flower-power, free-love hippies of the late 1960s and 70s—they were brooding, ominous, evil, and perhaps most importantly 'heavy'.
While an accident with Black Sabbath guitarist Toni Iommi's finger gave heavy metal its signature sound, it was Ozzy's persona, both on stage and off, gave them that reckless, anything-can-happen notoriety.
His solo works where Ozzy collaborated with guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoades and later with Zakk Wylde again spawned heavy metal hits that are a must in the playlist of any fan true to his salt.
Here's a list of iconic Black Sabbath and/or Ozzy Osbourne songs you can listen you to honour the Prince of Darkness in his eternal rest.
God is Dead (2013)
One of their later hits, this brooding guitar-heavy song from the 2013 album 13, shows how age did not dent the ferocity that Black Sabbath brought on stage.
Mama, I'm Coming Home (1991)
One of the softer songs by the Prince of Darkness, this track from his 1991 album Bark At The Moon saw Ozzy collaborating with another heavy metal legend—Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead—who penned the lyrics of this enduring tune.
Crazy Train (1980)
Out of Black Sabbath but not out of chartbusters, Ozzy, in his very first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, showed why he alone was enough to produce instant classics. Crazy Train stands out as a rock anthem for the ages.
Iron Man (1970)
A science fiction story about a man witnessing apocalypse and then becoming its harbinger, Iron Man from the 1970 classic album Paranoid is another masterpiece by the Birmingham-based band.
Black Sabbath (1970)
When this song released, fans knew instantly this band was not there just for entertainment. They had the capacity to scare you in equal measure. When Ozzy croons, "Figure in black that stands before me...", it still sends a chill down many spines.
Into the Void (1971)
An iconic track from the 1971 album Master of Reality, this song predicts what Elon Musk is talking about now: a time when the Earth will become unlivable and astronauts will be on spacecrafts, desperately trying to look for habitation beyond the planet.
Paranoid (1970)
The title track of Black Sabbath's 1970 classic album, this song was not even supposed to be on the record. The band decided to make a song when they were informed they needed a filler for their upcoming album, but what they came up with became one of the most iconic heavy metal tunes of all time.
War Pigs (1970)
One of the most iconic heavy metal anti-war songs, Sabbath here lay bare the greed of warmongers and the inevitability of justice that shall befall upon them one day.