
Ozzy Osbourne: From factory worker to music's Prince of Darkness
As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene – a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock.
His theatrical stage presence – including once biting off the head of a bat – and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness marked him out as a controversial figure.
Band break-ups fuelled by disputes with fellow members and drug abuse and a well-documented battle with alcoholism cemented that reputation.
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He was also among the vanguard of now-ubiquitous modern reality TV stars, appearing with his family in the hit MTV show The Osbournes.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
The pair then linked up with the other founder members of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, to form what was then called Earth Blues Company – later shortened to Earth – in 1968.
Initially a Mod who loved soul music, according to his biography on the band's official website, Osbourne crafted his darker image after writing lyrics for a song entitled Black Sabbath after the 1963 Boris Karloff film of the same name.
The name stuck – after they were forced to change it from Earth – and the band went on to sell millions of records over the next decade on the back of sound-defining tracks including Paranoid and War Pigs.
A product of their working-class roots and the post-Vietnam War era, the band tackled themes of war, social chaos and the supernatural.
But drug use began to take its toll on Osbourne and his relationship with his fellow band members, and he was eventually fired in 1979.
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He launched a solo career, enjoying success during the 1980s, before reforming with Sabbath several times – including in 2016 for a final world tour.
As a group, Black Sabbath are widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal.
As a solo artist, Osbourne released 11 albums, with his debut Blizzard Of Ozz issued in 1980, which featured two of his most revered songs, Crazy Train and Mr Crowley.
The Birmingham-born singer sold more than 100 million records worldwide with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.
In 2014, he was presented with a global icon award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
'It's taken us 57 years to get to the Villa, we made it. Back to the Beginning.' – Ozzy Osbourne pic.twitter.com/yuvZhOHSaO — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 4, 2025
Osbourne married his first wife Thelma Riley in 1971 and became a stepfather to her son.
The couple also had two children but split in 1982 after, he admitted, his rock 'n roll lifestyle meant he put her 'through hell'.
He married Sharon, the daughter of his former Black Sabbath manager Don Arden, in July of that year.
The pair had met in the 1970s via her father and she took over managing Osbourne after he was booted from the heavy metal group.
Ozzy and Sharon had three children together: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.
The couple became an unlikely hit after starring between 2002 and 2005 in The Osbournes, which also launched the careers of Jack and Kelly, but the pair temporarily split in 2016.
Former X Factor judge Sharon later revealed they had tried marriage counselling to get their relationship back on track – but gave up because it made him angry.
In 2017, during an interview with music magazine Rolling Stone, he joked that the secret to his marriage was 'don't get caught with your mistress'.
He is quoted as telling Rolling Stone: 'When I was a crazy f, I'm lucky she didn't walk out. Now I'm coming on five years clean and sober, and I've realised what a f* idiot I was. I mean, I'm still nuts, but in control of it a bit more.'
Osbourne added: 'When I said, 'Don't get caught by your missus,' I'm not proud of all that s. I upset my wife and I upset my family and I made a lot of shock and shame. I love my wife, and it made me realise what a f*** idiot I've been.'
He also told the magazine he had taken up painting to relax and that he was 'obsessed with Game Of Thrones', the TV series based on George RR Martin's books.
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In 2016, he revealed he was undergoing 'intense therapy' for a 'sex addiction' that nearly resulted in the disintegration of his marriage but he later told The Times he was not a sex addict, saying: 'I'm in a f rock band, aren't I?'
In 2017, he and Sharon renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.
Osbourne has also been a firm supporter of the health service, having been treated by NHS staff in 2003 after a near-fatal accident at his Buckinghamshire home left him with a fractured neck vertebra, fractured ribs and a broken collarbone.
The singer often hit the headlines for his off-the-wall comments, like his quip about Brexit to the Big Issue magazine in 2018.
'People keep going on at me about that – is it a big deal over there?' he asked in an interview with the publication.
He added: 'I don't read the newspapers and I don't really talk politics because I don't really know. I don't really understand Brexit.'
In his later years Osbourne attempted to press on with his rock career, but was hampered several times by illness and injury.
In early February 2019, Sharon revealed he had been admitted to hospital after suffering from flu.
She said her husband had experienced 'complications' from the illness and doctors advised him to go to hospital.
Sharon tweeted: 'As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu.
'His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love.'
The illness led to him cancelling a string of tour dates while he recovered, including postponing the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2.
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A tweet from his official account said planned performances in Australia, New Zealand and Japan had also been axed.
In October 2018, he insisted he was not retiring, telling Rolling Stone: 'In essence, what I'm trying to do is slow my lifestyle down to a more comfortable way of living.'
But within months he was forced to postpone another string of tour dates – including a show at the famous Hollywood Bowl – after suffering a fall at his Los Angeles home in April 2019.
In November 2019, he returned to the stage for a one-song performance at the American Music Awards alongside rappers Post Malone and Travis Scott.
The trio performed the song Take What You Want, from Malone's album Hollywood's Bleeding, although Osbourne spent most of the performance sat immobile in a gothic-style throne towards the back of the stage.
Another blow came in January 2020 when the singer revealed on US television that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which was discovered by doctors after a fall.
Sharon, who was at his side during the Good Morning America interview, said the diagnosis was 'not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination'.
She added: 'But it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it's like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day.'
The musician was revealed to have a rare form of the disease called Parkin 2, which he had since birth.
In May 2022 Sharon shared the news that Ozzy had tested positive for Covid, and just days later she too tested positive.
In August that year he made a surprise appearance onstage in his home city of Birmingham to close out the 2022 Commonwealth Games, backed by Black Sabbath as fireworks lit up the sky.
But early in 2023 he announced via a lengthy statement on social media that following extensive spinal surgery he was not 'physically capable' of doing his tour dates in Europe and the UK.
He said his singing voice was fine but that, following three operations, stem cell treatments, physical therapy sessions and more, his body was 'still weak'.
Osbourne was scheduled to return to the stage in October 2023 at the Power Trip music festival in Indio, California, alongside other rock powerhouses including Metallica, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Guns N' Roses.
However in July he once again was forced to bow out, saying he had been 'optimistic' about a summer return but did not want the show to be 'half-assed'.
Sharon & my sister Jean unveiling Ozzy the Bull in Birmingham New Street Station this week 🐂 pic.twitter.com/bE3hlJPFKV — Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 29, 2023
Meanwhile, an unusual tribute to Osbourne was installed at New Street Station in his home city.
Ozzy the bull, the 10-metre (32ft) creation which featured in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was moved to the railway station after a public vote to name it after the Black Sabbath rocker.
His wife, and sister Jean, were on hand to witness the unveiling, with Sharon saying: 'For Ozzy, to be born and bred here and having spent so much time in this station because he didn't have a car so he was everywhere from New Street. He never, ever, ever would have thought that at this time in his life this would happen.'
Osbourne did not return to touring in 2024, but was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for a second time, one of the few to be given the honour.
He also took aim at US rapper Kanye West that same year, for sampling a Black Sabbath song after being refused permission, and Osbourne referred to his remarks about Jewish people.
Osbourne said on social media he did not want to be associated with West as he has brought 'untold heartache to many'.
He bid farewell to fans with a Black Sabbath reunion in his final live performance earlier this month.
The legendary rocker told thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5 that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne.
Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Iommi, Butler and Ward – were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.
Among the bands performing were Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N'Roses, and there were messages of thanks from other celebrities, including Jack Black, Ricky Gervais and Dolly Parton.
In an emotional moment, Osbourne said: 'I don't know what to say, man, I've been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.'
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Daily Mirror
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne fans demand state funeral for rock legend as petition builds momentum
Petitions have been launched calling for the 'Prince of Darkness' to be given the formal send-off. Some fans are also proposing that Birmingham, his birthplace, should rename its airport Ozzy Osbourne International Devotees of Ozzy Osbourne are petitioning for a state funeral and a national day of mourning to honour the rock legend. Campaigns have sprung up demanding that the "Prince of Darkness" be accorded an official farewell in recognition of his immense impact on music and culture. Some advocates are also proposing that Birmingham, his birthplace, should pay tribute by renaming its airport Ozzy Osbourne International. Additional petitions suggest erecting a statue near Birmingham Children's Hospital as a testament to the Black Sabbath star's philanthropic endeavours. His recent charity work includes amassing £140 million for Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorns Children's Hospice during his final performance less than three weeks ago. A petition on Change starts here reads: "Ozzy Osbourne, the founder and pioneer of metal music, has touched the hearts of many." The appeal continues: "It is fitting that our nation honours not just his musical contributions, but the deep cultural impact he has had", reports the Daily Star. Advocates argue: "Granting a state funeral and a national day of mourning would not just celebrate his life and achievements but would also acknowledge his role in shaping the music industry and in fostering a sense of community among fans." The petitioners assert: "State funerals are reserved for distinguished individuals who have served the nation with great merit. Ozzy Osbourne's illustrious career and international influence certainly meet this criterion. Moreover, a national day of mourning would give citizens the time and space to remember and honour the legacy of a true legend." Ozzy passed away on Tuesday aged 76 after his fight with Parkinson's Disease. An Ozzy impersonator reckons the rocker will be knocking back a pint and having a smoke in heaven alongside his best mate Lemmy. Dave Allen-Cooper, frontman of Black Sabbath tribute act Darkmoor, insisted Ozzy had secured his status as a musical icon. And he reckoned he knew exactly how the Prince of Darkness would be spending eternity. "I'm devastated," Dave revealed. "He is a rock legend – easily up there with the likes of Freddie Mercury. "He's probably in heaven now having a drink and cigarette with Lemmy of Motörhead. Ozzy lives on in people's hearts." The Lord Mayor of Birmingham declared that Ozzy had thrust the city "on the world map". Zafar Iqbal declared: "He was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed. I think he put Birmingham, and especially Aston, on the world map. "He's done so much for the city and we honoured him with the freedom of the never forgot his roots." A museum showcasing an exhibition devoted to Ozzy has established a book of condolence. Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero, at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, honours the accomplishments of the rock icon and the album artwork of the original Black Sabbath lineup. Senior officials revealed they "want to continue to celebrate Ozzy, his legacy and what he means to the city and beyond".


BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
How Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath found their sound - and invented heavy metal
If you saw Black Sabbath's first ever gig, you wouldn't have recognised in 1968, they had the decidedly less sinister name of The Polka Tulk Blues Band, and came complete with a saxophonist and bottleneck guitar player.A year later, they'd slimmed down, found a new name and invented heavy metal. Few bands are so inextricably linked with a musical genre, but Sabbath set the template for everyone from Motörhead and AC/DC to Metallica and Guns 'n' the way, singer Ozzy Osbourne, who has died at the age of 76, became one of rock's most influential figures, with an electrifying and unpredictable stage presence and an almost mythological intake of drugs."If anyone has lived the debauched rock 'n' roll lifestyle," he once admitted, "I suppose it's me."So how did these four working class musicians from Aston, Birmingham rewrite the rules of rock? According to Osbourne, it was a visceral reaction to the "hippy-dippy" songs like San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) that saturated the airwaves after 1967's Summer Of Love."Flowers in your hair? Do me a favour," he seethed in his 2010 autobiography. "The only flowers anyone saw in Aston were the ones you threw in the hole after you when you croaked it at the age of 53 'cos you'd worked yourself to death."Teaming up with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, Osbourne's initial idea was to put a Brummie spin on the bluesy sound of Fleetwood band's first name, Polka Tulk, was inspired by a brand of talcum powder his mum ditching the saxophone, they rebranded as Earth, taking as many gigs as they could manage, and even blagging a few extras."Whenever a big name band was coming to town, we'd load up the van with all our stuff and then just wait outside the venue on the off-chance they might not show up," Osbourne later worked... but only once, when the band were asked to stand in for an absent Jethro Tull. "And after that, all the bookers knew our name," Ozzy said. That opportunistic streak also steered them towards their signature just so happened that the band's rehearsal space was directly opposite a cinema that showed all-night horror audiences flock to these shows, the band conjured a plan."Tony said, "Don't you think it's strange how people pay money to get frightened? Why don't we start writing horror music?" Osbourne told music journalist Pete Paphides in 2005. "And that's what happened."The musicians metamorphosed into their final form: Adopting the name Black Sabbath, after a low-budget Boris Karloff film of the same name, they started writing lyrics that dabbled in death, black magic and mental suit the material, the music needed to get heavier, too. Ward slowed down the tempo. Iommi turned up the volume. Osbourne developed an aggressive vocal wail that always seemed to be teetering on the precipice of it was Iommi's guitar playing that really set Sabbath apart. His riffs leapt from the amplifier and hit the audience square in the chest with taurine was a sound he developed by necessity. When he was 17, Iommi was working in a sheet metal factory when he lost the tips of his two middle fingers in an industrial accident. Although surgeons tried to reattach them, they had gone black by the time he reached hospital. It looked like the end of his guitar career. Obituary: Wild life of rock's 'prince of darkness'Did Osbourne really bite the head off a live bat?'There will never be another Ozzy': Rock royalty pays tribute "The doctors said: 'The best thing for you to do is to pack up, really. Get another job, do something else'," Iommi wrote in his autobiography, Iron to prove them wrong, he melted down a fairy liquid bottle to make protective thimbles for his fingers, and slackened his guitar strings so he wouldn't have to apply too much pressure on the fretboard to create a months of painful practice, he learned a new style of playing – using his two good fingers to lay down chords, and adding vibrato to thicken the sound. That stripped-back, detuned growl became the basis of heavy metal."I had never heard that style of playing," said Tom Allan, who engineered Sabbath's self-titled debut album in 1969."I couldn't really fathom it. I didn't really get it. You never heard anything like that on the radio." The record was grim and sludgy – partly because the band had recorded it in just two days, with limited weren't sure what to make of it. Writing in Rolling Stone, Lester Bangs said the album had been "hyped as a rockin' ritual celebration of the Satanic mass or some such claptrap... They're not that bad, but that's about all the credit you can give them."The supposedly satanic imagery sparked a moral panic in the mainstream press, which intensified when it was discovered that the album's title track contained a chord progression known as the Devil's Interval, which had been banned by the church in the Middle the press didn't realise was that Black Sabbath, the song, had been written as a warning of the dangers of satanism, after Ward had fallen asleep reading books on the occult and woken up to see a ghostly, hooded figure standing at the end of his bed."It frightened the pissing life out of me," he later the truth, the controversy sold records and attracted legions of the band returned to their hotel to find 20 black-clad satanists holding candles and chanting outside their room. To get rid of them, Osbourne blew out the flames and sang Happy Birthday. Still, Sabbath leaned into their reputation, writing darker material and gaining a reputation as hellraisers as the 70s wore the music was never as basic or one-note as their image second album, Paranoid, marked a seismic leap in songcraft, from the visceral anti-war anthem War Pigs, to the creeping intensity of the title track, via the sci-fi horror of Iron Man, and the ghostly balladry of Planet kept up the pace on 1971's Master of Reality, with Osbourne describing Children Of The Grave as "the most kick-ass song we'd ever recorded".Vol 4, released in 1972, is sometimes overlooked because of its lack of a big radio single, but it also contains some of the band's best and most varied documents their descent into drug abuse with a depth-charge guitar riff; while St Vitus' Dance is a surprisingly tender piece of advice to a heartbroken friend, and Laguna Sunrise is a bucolic instrumental. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, meanwhile, was written as a furious critique of a music industry that had written them off."The people who have crippled you / You want to see them burn."After 55 years, and hundreds of imitators, the revelatory shock of Sabbath's sound has dimmed. How else do you explain Osbourne and Iommi performing Paranoid at Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002?But the power of those songs, from Iommi's brainsplitting riffs to Osbourne's insistent vocal wail, is he inducted Black Sabbath to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lars Ulrich of Metallica said, "if there was no Black Sabbath, hard rock and heavy metal would be shaped very differently"."When it comes to defining a genre within the world of heavy music," he said, "Sabbath stand alone."Writing after the band's penultimate farewell show in 2017, Osbourne said he was humbled by the acclaim."I never dreamed we would be here 49 years later," he said."But when I think about all of it, the best thing about being in Black Sabbath after all these years is that the music has held up." Five essential Ozzy Osbourne songs 1) ParanoidWritten as a last-minute "filler" for Black Sabbath's second album, the group accidentally created their biggest hit: The story of a man battling his inner voices, set to one of rock's most powerful riffs."Every now and then you get a song from nowhere," said Osbourne. "It's a gift." 2) Crazy TrainThe song that launched Osbourne's solo career, it's almost atypically upbeat - shrugging off Cold War paranoia and declaring: "Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love." It's only the maniacal laughter in the fading bars that suggests this outlook is the purview of a madman. 3) Sabbath Bloody SabbathSabbath's reputation for darkness means their melodic capabilities were often overlooked. But Osbourne was a passionate admirer of the Beatles, and you can hear their influence on the pastoral chorus of this song, before Tony Iommi powers in with a growling guitar line. John Lennon would undoubtedly have approved of Osbourne's seething critique of the music industry, summed up in the line: "Bog blast all of you." 4) ChangesSabbath revealed their soft underbelly on this 1972 piano ballad, written about a break-up that drummer Bill Ward was experiencing. "I thought the song was brilliant from the moment we first recorded it," said Osbourne, who later reworked it as a duet with his daughter, Kelly, and scored a UK number one the week before Christmas 2003. 5) Mr CrowleyInspired by notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, this track from 1980's Blizzard of Ozz allowed Osbourne to play up to his mock-satanic image. But is also helped him escape from the shadow of Black Sabbath, with a swirling, heavy-psychedelic sound, capped off by a blistering solo from his new foil, guitar virtuoso Randy listening: War Pigs and Iron Man are all-time classics; while Diary of a Madman and Suicide Solution are crucial chapters in Osbourne's solo songbook. Also check out Patient Number 9, the title track of his final album, which ended his career on a high.


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sabbath, Satanism and solo stunners: Ozzy Osbourne's 10 best recordings
Ozzy Osbourne's voice was probably at its strongest and most distinctive during the great run of Black Sabbath albums of the early 1970s, before years of drugs and alcohol took their effect. In those days, his desolate wail had reach and range, and a deep melancholy. That tone was perfect for the subject of this bleak and blasted reflection on cocaine (Vol 4 was dedicated to 'the great COKE-Cola company of Los Angeles'). Osbourne sounds like a man who has been wiped clean, both terrified of and in thrall to the drug: 'The sun no longer sets me free / I feel the snowflakes freezing me.' At a time when cocaine was still considered a party drug, the fervour in Osbourne's voice as he celebrates enslavement to it is deeply unsettling – it's every bit as amoral and devout in its drug worship as Lou Reed's Heroin. It's pointless trying to extricate the sound of Osbourne himself from Sabbath as a band: at their peak, they were a single being with four heads, but a single musical will – they were perhaps the first truly monolithic-sounding band. So, inevitably, the better the band sound, the better Ozzy sounds. And, dear God, did the four of them ever combine better than on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, especially in the 'dreams turn to nightmares' section, where Osbourne is singing at the absolute top of his range, while Tony Iommi goes to the very bottom of his to play a riff that even 52 years later sounds as though it has been dredged from some primordial sludge, rather than played on a guitar. And on the acoustic passages, Ozzy makes the perfect transition from rage to gentleness. Blinding stuff all round. Sabotage was probably the best Sabbath album, both profoundly heavy and strange and experimental. Hole in the Sky, though, was Sabbath at their most traditional and basic: a huge rolling boogie, powered by Bill Ward's swinging drums, and topped by Iommi's brutal riff. Near the top of his register, Osbourne – as on Snowblind – sounds possessed by an ecstatic emptiness, like a cult leader. Or, more accurately, a cult follower: he sounds delighted as he sings: 'I'm looking through a hole in the sky / I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie.' The contrast between Osbourne's shriek and Iommi's roil was a key component of the Sabbath sound – when Iommi was not soloing, his voice was often the only treble in the mix. Though you're never going to Osbourne looking for vocal pyrotechnics, he had a vital role in the musicality of Black Sabbath. Listen to any doom band with a growling vocalist to hear the difference his voice makes. One of the greatest of all heavy metal tracks – you can hear lightbulbs going off in the minds of a generation young musicians as it plays – has a reputation that rests largely on its riff, and its heaviness, but Osbourne brings it to life. Here, he is vicious, bordering on unhinged, his cries of 'yeah' stretching out and getting ragged as his voice fades. Symptom of the Universe depends on its power for Osbourne's commitment, because Geezer Butler's lyric is – to be honest – a bit of a dog's dinner. Osbourne makes it sound credible through sheer force of will. And in the outro – all acoustic guitars and shakers, and Latin rhythms – the desperation turns to grit, and Ozzy is suddenly a kind of soul singer. Told you this was a strange record. When it opens with that bubbling bassline, you might think you're listening to an unheard Cure song. Then the guitars and vocals come in. But where The Writ goes is entirely unexpected. Over the course of nine minutes it manages to encompass not just proto-goth, but Zep-esque storming, with bluesy flourishes from Iommi: anthemic arena rock, grinding and faintly psychedelic passages that preface a large amount of US noise rock a decade later and harpsichord ballad sections. And wherever you throw him, Ozzy sounds completely at home. Sometimes his voice was a monotone, but that meant small gradations and changes in tone really registered. The measure of how central he was to the Sabbath sound was that the band had to overhaul it to incorporate his successor, Ronnie James Dio. Banished from Sabbath, seemingly out of control and hardly likely to top anyone's list of reliable people to ask for a household favour, Ozzy needed to begin his solo career with a bang, and find a way to be something other than Sabbath Part 2, but not as good. He found it in a young, blond California guitarist named Randy Rhoads, who had been playing around Los Angeles with Quiet Riot. Rhoads, who died in 1982, helped reinvent Ozzy – something his employer has always acknowledged. His tone was bright and shiny, a polar opposite to Iommi, and he played with flash and flair – this was the sound of rock guitar to come, and a clean break for Osbourne. For their first single together, Rhoads brought a killer riff, and Bob Daisley gave Ozzy a perfectly self-aware lyric to acknowledge his public perception: 'I'm going off the rails on a crazy train.' Sign up to Sleeve Notes Get music news, bold reviews and unexpected extras. Every genre, every era, every week after newsletter promotion The other signature song from the first Ozzy record, Blizzard of Ozz, gave him a lyrical subject on-the-nose enough to reassure the old Sabs fans that their hero had not strayed too far. You don't release a single about Britain's most famous satanist if you want to let people know you've changed from your old, evil ways. The version on the album was clunky, which was perhaps why a live cut was selected for the single. Ozzy is fine, but no one is really pretending the hero of this recording is anyone other than Rhoads. After Don Airey's portentous keyboard intro, it is Rhoads who provides the crashing riff – just evil enough, but no Sabbath parody – and he who provides the two guitar solos that helped cement his international reputation. Rhoads shredded, but played with melody – he didn't just cram notes in, but made them do things other hard rock guitarists were not contemplating. Arguably the standout moment of Rhoads' career, it's also a song that illustrates that long before experimental metal was a thing, the genre was far from being unimaginative. Diary of a Madman – and yes, the title is once again on the nose – was an extraordinary song of shifting moods, and Osbourne singing a lyric that is not in the least cartoonish but a darkly empathetic account of mental illness, of someone utterly trapped in their own despair. A technically better singer might have been tempted to overemote, but Ozzy keeps the mood, allowing the music – by the end there's an operatic choir – to provide the drama, while he offers the feeling. Ozzy achieved huge commercial success through the 80s without touching the heights of the two albums with Rhoads. There were high points, but there was a fair amount of hair-metal awfulness, too. Ozzy himself long described 1986's The Ultimate Sin as the worst record of his career, no matter it going double-platinum in the US. No More Tears, though, was the toughest and best album in a decade, guitarist Zakk Wylde and producers Duane Baron and John Purdell giving him a completely sympathetic backing. The album opener reconfigured Osbourne in villainy and horror, but of a much darker and less fantastical hue than in the devilish days: Mr Tinkertrain is written from the perspective of a predatory paedophile, a creepy lyric with a perfectly judged backing, that manages not to overstep the mark from horror into prurience. The seven-minute title track of No More Tears was commercial metal par excellence: epic and grand and stirring without becoming overbearing. And, because it was Ozzy, this one was sung from the perspective of a serial killer. This was another case of a band performance bringing out the best in Ozzy: he sounded stronger than he had in years, actually weird and dangerous rather than acting out a pantomime of weirdness and danger. His singing behind the beat in the pre-chorus, dragging out the syllables, is genuinely creepy. Even in the year of Nirvana's Nevermind, an on-form Ozzy was still a metallic force to be reckoned with: No More Tears ended up going quadruple-platinum, his second most successful after his first solo record. It deserved its success; it was also his best record since that debut.