10
'Mr.
Crowley'
From:
'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980)
Osbourne's
first solo album 'Blizzard of Ozz' is one of the greatest heavy rock albums of
all time. The record introduced the world to the talents of Rhoads, whose
remarkable fusion of Van Halen-esque technique with classical music forms reinvented
rock guitar playing. Nowhere was that more apparent than on 'Mr. Crowley,'
which boasts two lightning-fast-yet-still-melodic solos that rank among the
greatest rock guitar passages in history. Besides, how can you not like a song
about the elusive magus Aleister Crowley — whose dark influence also informed
the works of Jimmy Page.
9
'I Don't
Know'
From:
'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980)
Osbourne
has often said that he isn't a hero or role model for anyone, pointing to his
own decades-long struggle with substance abuse as a prime reason. In 'I Don't
Know' he set that anti-hero credo to music, telling his fans, “Don't look at me
for answers / Don't ask me, I don't know.” Rhoads once again demonstrated why
he was one of the essential hard rock/metal guitarists of that era with yet
another mind-bending solo, along with a dissonant chord progression that
somehow lends itself to a straight melody.
8
'Diary of a
Madman'
From:
'Diary of a Madman' (1981)
Rhoads
borrowed liberally from a classical guitar etude for the title song of Ozzy's
second solo album, providing the perfect bed track for Osbourne's dark
rumination about his state of mind. Performed mostly in the unusual time
signature of 7/8, the amalgam of classical, metal and progressive rock is
perhaps the most strikingly original piece of music to emerge from their
collaboration, easily qualifying it as one of the Top 10 Ozzy Osbourne Songs.
7
'Over the
Mountain'
From: 'Diary
of a Madman' (1981)
Like
'Blizzard of Ozz,' before it, 'Diary of a Madman' was a track-by-track classic
that stood head and shoulders above most hard rock and metal in both its
composition and musical execution. The opening cut 'Over the Mountain' was a
prime example, a song whose aggressive drum-and-guitar rhythm track was a
perfect match for a strong melody and vocal performance from Ozzy. Rhoads
topped it off with another in his seemingly inexhaustible supply of
jaw-dropping guitar solos.
6
'Bark at
the Moon'
From: 'Bark
at the Moon' (1983)
Osbourne
attempted to rebound from Rhoads' tragic death in a plane crash by hiring
guitarist Jake E. Lee for his third solo album, 'Bark at the Moon.' The title
track was an excellent standout from the record, which overall heralded a shift
toward synth-y pop-metal in both the sonic production, and in Ozzy's imaging.
Though there's no shortage of hooks and great guitar playing on 'Bark at the
Moon,' it helped lead Ozzy into a cartoonish, Spinal Tap-like period of
self-parody that he would later look back on with embarrassment.
Hear 'Bark
at the Moon'
5
'Mama, I'm
Coming Home'
From: 'No
More Tears' (1991)
Working
with Zakk Wylde — the best collaborator he'd had since Rhoads died — Ozzy
showcased his more sensitive side with this homage to his wife and manager
Sharon, who had stood by him through a lifetime's worth of crazy by then.
Ironically, the acoustic-based ballad was co-written by Lemmy from Motorhead —
a man scarcely notable for his contributions to balladry.
Hear 'Mama,
I'm Coming Home'
4
'No More
Tears'
From: 'No
More Tears' (1991)
Only Ozzy
Osbourne could record a hit song about a serial killer. 'No More Tears' brought
Ozzy back to musical life, featuring a head-crushing guitar riff and blazing
solos from Wylde, as well as one of Ozzy's best recorded vocal performances.
But it is the song's seamless segue in and out of a bizarre,
what-if-the-Beatles-dropped-acid-and-played-metal bridge that qualifies it as
one of the Top 10 Ozzy Osbourne Songs.
Hear 'No
More Tears'
3
'Suicide
Solution'
From:
'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980)
One of the
most controversial tracks from Ozzy's career, 'Suicide Solution' addresses the
rocker's lifelong struggle with alcoholism. He wound up getting dragged into
court after a teenage fan took his life after listening to the song, but the
lyrics don't advocate suicide; instead, the song is a cautionary tale about a
liquid “solution” — alcohol — that leads to a slow death: “Wine is fine but
whiskey's quicker / Suicide is slow with liquor.”
Hear
'Suicide Solution'
2
'Flying
High Again'
From:
'Diary of a Madman' (1981)
Another in
a long list of Ozzy Osbourne songs about drugs, 'Flying High Again' is anything
but a cautionary tale. The track — which contains a superb Rhoads solo and a
strong vocal line from Ozzy — is an unabashed, unapologetic celebration of drug
intoxication. “No use saying sorry / It's something that I enjoy / Flying high
again.” Ozzy used to openly encourage his audience to fly along with him in
concert, introducing the song by screaming, “Keep on smoking those joints!”
Hear 'Flying
High Again'
1
'Crazy
Train'
From:
'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980)
You've got
to love a guy who can make insanity mainstream — which may be the secret to
Osbourne's seemingly unlikely success. 'Crazy Train' was his first solo hit,
and has become his signature song. The track features a heavy rock riff that
supports a genuine sense of songcraft, like much of Ozzy's best work. 'Crazy
Train' has appeared in films, on TV and even in mainstream commercials, and
it's such a classic that it not only heads up the Top 10 Ozzy Osbourne songs,
it also came in at No. 17 in our list of the Top 100 Classic Rock Songs.
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