Rock legend
Ozzy Osbourne
died in his hometown of Birmingham, England, on Tuesday morning, July 22, leaving behind a legacy that includes several timeless hits.
Throughout his decadeslong career, the Prince of Darkness left an undeniable contribution to the rock and heavy metal genre from his distinguishable scream to his staggering antics.
Since his reign as the original
Black Sabbath
member, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has left behind a plethora of hefty tunes that will rock on for eternity.
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From the “All Aboard!” opening of his hit “Crazy Train” to his Grammy-winning track “Iron Man,” Osbourne consistently pushed boundaries, whether he was on stage or in the studio.
Here are some of the most legendary songs that the heavy metal pioneer will be remembered for.
Crazy Train (1980)
It hurts to recall the partnership between Osbourne and guitarist Randy Rhoades and what could have been before the axman died tragically in a plane crash in 1982.
But for Osbourne’s debut solo single, Rhoades presented one of the most electrifying riffs in rock history, and Osbourne took it for a ride through a melodic chorus that belied the origins of heavy metal.
Iron Man (1970)
The stomping bass drum and serrated guitar that opens the Black Sabbath classic are iconic on their own. Then Ozzy blasts in, his staccato vocals establishing the reedy-yet-potent tone he would apply to dozens of hard rock classics for decades.
It can be successfully argued that Tony Iommi’s fiery guitar solo is the standout in the song, but without Ozzy’s emphatic delivery, would it be as memorable?
‘No More Tears’ (1991)
Along with “Blizzard of Ozz,” the album that bore this title track is Osbourne’s best seller. The single, meanwhile, is ushered in with a gripping bass line and an undercurrent of keyboards until Osbourne makes his grand vocal entrance, all sneers and snarls.
But most striking about the song is its bridge, a glorious chorus of synths that dovetails into piano and strings before thumping back into head-nodding bliss.
‘Paranoid’ (1970)
As the summer of 1970 came to close, Black Sabbath gave heavy metal fans the instant classic of “Paranoid.” Initially just the lead single for the group’s second LP, the song quickly charted globally and became a staple track for nearly any Osbourne show, including his final concert earlier this month.
‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’ (1991)
The softer side of Osbourne wouldn’t be witnessed publicly until a decade later with the hit MTV reality series “The Osbournes.” But this muscular ballad – with lyrics from Motorhead’s Lemmy – offers a gorgeous melody that doesn’t prevent the song from building into enough of a brawny rocker to appease his longtime fans.
‘Mr. Crowley’ (1981)
The opening song on side two of Osbourne’s “Blizzard of Ozz” tracked with his emerging persona as the Prince of Darkness.
Written about British occultist Aleister Crowley and released in the United States a year after Osbourne’s album debuted, the song projected creepy organ sounds straight from Dracula’s coffin before monster guitar playing from Rhoades drove a stake through any sympathy for the devil.
‘Bark at the Moon’ (1983)
The title track of Osbourne’s third album electrifies with the heavy riffing from new guitarist Jake E. Lee, but is most significant for its use of synthesizers.
Osbourne had already gained a reputation as rock’s reigning madman after his bat-biting stunt the year prior and fully embraced the persona. But adding a sheen of keyboards to an otherwise heavy rock song enticed even those who feared him to sing along.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:
Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic songs: See top tracks from the Prince of Darkness
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