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Heavy metal is a rich and endlessly broad genre, with as many subgenres and distinct eras as bands themselves. To pin the entirety of that vital musical movement on one individual would be needlessly egregious; it was born from a tapestry of influences, going back to early rockabilly and spurred on by 1960s garage and counterculture rock. It is true, however, that the metal genre would be virtually unrecognisable without the pioneering influence of Black Sabbath and its anarchic frontman, Ozzy Osbourne.
When Black Sabbath first got together in 1968, against the backdrop of industrial Birmingham, they quickly crafted a sound that reflected their dark and aggressive surroundings. The hard rock style that those early Sabbath records popularised offered an infectious alternative to the complacency of ‘peace and love’ hippiedom, and the band quickly found a dedicated audience for that uniquely abrasive sound. As they continued, more and more groups began to take note of Sabbath’s sound, forming the early basis of the heavy metal scene.
By the time Osbourne was booted out of Black Sabbath in 1979, metal was a sprawling worldwide phenomenon populated by a wide range of diverse groups. From the early hair metal of California to the dark death metal of Scandinavia, the style that Osbourne – among others – pioneered morphed into multiple different entities. The 1980s was the decade that metal went mainstream, coming to define the American rock sound of the era. The decade also saw the emergence of Osbourne’s successful solo career, which proved to be just as influential as his earlier work.
During the 1980s, multiple different groups emerged with their own take on the metal sound, and Osbourne was viewed as something of a godfather to the genre – even if he despises the term ‘heavy metal’. To his credit, the Birmingham songwriter always seemed to keep his ear to the ground, supporting new and upcoming bands throughout his career. Not only did his support of these bands allow Osbourne to retain a sense of relevancy within the metal world, but it also provided new influences for his solo material.
In 2017, the former Black Sabbath frontman shared a selection of his all-time favourite metal albums to Rolling Stone. Providing an essential listening experience for any devotee of the genre, the singer’s picks reflect the intense quality present in the metal scene during the 1980s, with nearly half of his choices coming from that decade. For instance, Osbourne highlighted fellow Brummys Judas Priest and their 1980 album British Steel as a particular favourite.
“What can I say? The guys in Judas Priest are not only mates of mine from my hometown of Birmingham,” Osbourne said of the group, “But one of the best metal bands of all time.” Elsewhere, the godfather of metal heaped praise onto another harbinger of British metal, Motörhead. Citing their defining 1980 record Ace of Spades, he shared, The title track ‘Ace of Spades’ is Motörhead’s ‘Paranoid’. It’s one of the great metal anthems and, to me, a band hasn’t made it until they have their own anthem. This is theirs.”
Having spent much of his life living across the Atlantic Ocean, it should come as no surprise that Osbourne also showed an appreciation for American metal music, highlighting Metallica’s 1986 triumph Master of Puppets and the Guns ‘N Roses album Appetite for Destruction. In fact, the Sabbath singer went so far as to call the latter “One of the greatest debut albums of all time.”
Continuing, “There’s not a weak song in the bunch. I never get tired of hearing it.”
Although Osbourne’s picks aren’t exactly shocking, it makes sense that his most beloved metal records form the basis of mainstream 1980s metal. After all, Osbourne himself was instrumental in dragging the once-underground sound of metal into the mainstream musical consciousness. Truthfully, it is difficult to think of another singular character who has had such a profound effect on the genre than Ozzy Osbourne, and that fact is reflected in his continued interest in metal.
Ozzy Osbourne’s favourite metal albums:
- Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)
- Motörhead – Ace of Spades (1980)
- Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)
- Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
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