{"id":48001,"date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/the-prince-of-darkness\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:20:14","slug":"the-prince-of-darkness","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/the-prince-of-darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Prince Of Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Had he never recorded another note after his departure from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s position in the world of hard rock\/heavy metal would have been assured. Yet he was able to rise from the ashes of despair and addiction (though he would struggle with the latter for most of the rest of his life) to forge a successful solo career leading his own band.<\/p>\n

With his recent passing in 2025, it seemed like the right time to take a look at his solo discography to see\u2014at least in this reviewer\u2019s eyes\u2014how his albums ranked from worst to best. It doesn\u2019t matter how many times I\u2019ve listened to these albums over the course of, in some cases, 40-plus years; each one got a fresh listen before I passed judgment.<\/p>\n

There will almost certainly be significant disagreements\u2014in fact, I know there are statements that will flat out piss people off. But, hey, if you like a certain album that I didn\u2019t, that\u2019s fine. This is just one reviewer\u2019s opinion.<\/p>\n

Unlike many of these compilations, I\u2019m electing to include most of the live albums\u2014mostly because one of them, Tribute<\/i>, plays an important part in Osbourne\u2019s history as it is the only one to capture the late Randy Rhoads on stage. Given Osbourne\u2019s penchant for changing out band members, one has to wonder how long Rhoads would have stayed with the band had he not perished in a tragic accident in 1982, or how his playing style would have matured over time. (There are, however, exceptions to what is being included; other than Just Say Ozzy<\/i>, any of the extended play releases are not being considered, nor is the Record Store Day release Ozzy Live<\/i>. C\u2019est la vie.)<\/p>\n

I am<\/i>, however, electing to not include Prince Of Darkness<\/i>, the box set chronicling his career to that point. It\u2019s not that I wasn\u2019t keen on listening to Ozzy\u2019s duet with Miss Piggy on \u201cBorn To Be Wild\u201d (spoiler alert: I actually wasn\u2019t), but it\u2019s more due to the fact that the fourth disc was later released as Under Cover<\/i>, which is being included.<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_speak\"<\/a> 18. Speak Of The Devil<\/i> (1982)<\/b><\/p>\n

In a sense, one almost wants to forgive Osbourne for this release. He had just lost Rhoads in a tragic plane crash, and this disc served both as a way to reclaim his stake on music from his past and issue a middle finger to the remaining members of Black Sabbath. The problem with the concept, though, is the plan to record an album of Sabbath covers had been in the works all along, so one can\u2019t simply write it off as a placeholder disc. Under the circumstances, Osbourne and his backing band take on a Herculean task, but one has to wonder if it might have been a better idea to allow Osbourne proper time to let the wounds heal before rushing anything out to market. It\u2019s not a terrible<\/i> release, but it\u2019s also not a good<\/i> one.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cSymptom Of The Universe,\u201d \u201cThe Wizard\u201d<\/p>\n

17. Scream<\/i> (2010)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_scream_150\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Industrial Ozzy seems to be in fuller force with the sound on this album, and\u2026 no. Just, no. Every time it seems like Osbourne\u2019s rock side wants to kick back in, it\u2019s slammed into submission by the overall sound. Honestly, that\u2019s a shame, because the good tracks on this one (and there are<\/i> good songs) get buried by the sonic crap\u2014especially when Osbourne was tackling difficult subjects like religion and mortality (\u201cDiggin\u2019 Me Down,\u201d \u201cLatimer\u2019s Mercy\u201d). Gus G.\u2019s only appearance as lead guitarist shows he has decent chops, but was faced with the tall challenge of replacing Wylde (and I\u2019m not certain it was a successful changeover). Had this been the final studio effort from Osbourne, it would have been a disappointing finale; the closing snippet \u201cI Love You All\u201d almost suggested that this possibly was<\/i> the end of the road. (Spoiler alert: It wasn\u2019t.)
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cLife Won\u2019t Wait,\u201d \u201cTime,\u201d \u201cI Love You All\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_norest\"<\/a> 16. No Rest For The Wicked<\/i> (1988)<\/b><\/p>\n

It seemed like every time Osbourne made a significant change in his band, the music went through an adjustment period as well. This time, out was guitarist Jake E. Lee, in was Zakk Wylde\u2014and while Wylde\u2019s string work is good, this time the songwriting and overall sound nose-dives. Coming off of what had been (to me, at least) a strong studio record, I\u2019m left scratching my head on this one, wondering just what the hell happened. The few bright moments on the album, unfortunately, are outweighed by what can only be called sub-par offerings. Even songs about Charles Manson (\u201cBloodbath In Paradise\u201d) and mocking televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart (\u201cMiracle Man\u201d) don\u2019t have the punch one would have hoped for. There\u2019s a reason this one nearly caused me to completely lose interest in Osbourne\u2019s solo career\u2026 all more amazing when I admit that \u201cFire In The Sky\u201d remains one of Osbourne\u2019s best songs of his career, proving even a rose can grow in shit.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cFire In The Sky,\u201d \u201cBreaking All The Rules\u201d<\/p>\n

15. Ozzmosis<\/i> (1995)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_ozzmosis_150\"<\/p>\n

Well, retirement didn\u2019t last long for the Prince of Darkness\u2026 but the sound he returned with was nothing like anything he had created prior to this album. At times, it seems to work, but for the most part, Osbourne sounds far too polished, almost as if he was taking aim at the top of the pop charts. (I\u2019m sorry, but when I first heard \u201cPerry Mason,\u201d I had an idea this whole album was going to be in trouble.) Thing is, Osbourne was (and always will be) a rock and roller; over-relying on sappy ballads that were light on hard rock muscle and Zakk Wylde\u2019s cutting leads proves to be this album\u2019s downfall (even if a few of these turned out to be some of the best work on the disc). It\u2019s not terrible, but definitely not one I find myself going back to often\u2014even with the presence of Geezer Butler on bass.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cI Just Want You,\u201d \u201cGhost Behind My Eyes\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_black_150\"<\/a> 14. Black Rain<\/i> (2007)<\/b><\/p>\n

This one is a difficult album to pin down, as it begins a shift in Osbourne\u2019s sound to industrial Ozzy\u2014and I\u2019m not entirely sure I like this move. Wylde\u2019s guitar work is almost a second thought to the overall sound, which seems to go against everything Osbourne had done in his career to that point. I know the argument: music needs to change and adapt. I get it. But, some formulas just shouldn\u2019t be tampered with, and Osbourne\u2019s hard rock history is one such thing. There are still some notable songs on this one, but it\u2019s not the strongest effort he had ever put out, and should be approached with some caution.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cBlack Rain,\u201d \u201cLay Your World On Me\u201d<\/p>\n

13. Ordinary Man<\/i> (2020)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_ordinaryman_150\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Ten years after his last studio effort, Osbourne returned to a hard rock sound, but took some time to find his footing with this one. Even with the help of established artists like Chad Smith, Duff McKagan and (on one track) Elton John, there were times that Osbourne sounded like he was floundering (\u201cI\u2019ll make you scream \/ I\u2019ll make you defecate\u201d? Really?!?)\u2026 and his collaborations with Post Malone, while not terrible, make one question if Osbourne felt he was no longer relevant in today\u2019s musical world. While this disc does have some strong moments that save it from obscurity, one has to question whether it was too little, too late at this stage in Osbourne\u2019s career.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cGoodbye,\u201d \u201cUnder The Graveyard\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_bark\"<\/a> 12. Bark At The Moon<\/i> (1983)<\/b><\/p>\n

Jake E. Lee\u2019s first outing as lead guitarist features Osbourne still drifting a bit aimlessly musically. While the album definitely has some enjoyable moments, it lacks the overall punch that Osbourne and his band had with their previous studio effort, and ends up being a bit of a disappointment. Was Osbourne still mourning the loss of Rhoads? Entirely possible, though Lee proves to be a suitable player. Still, there are a few jewels hidden within its eight tracks.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cBark At The Moon,\u201d \u201cRock And Roll Rebel,\u201d \u201cSo Tired\u201d<\/p>\n

11. Under Cover<\/i> (2005)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_undercover_150\"<\/p>\n

Admittedly a throw-away album that, save for one song, comprises the fourth disc from the Prince Of Darkness<\/i> box set (with a few new covers thrown in), this actually turns out to be a surprisingly enjoyable album. Osbourne doesn\u2019t necessarily stay completely faithful to the original songs, but he does show them a lot of respect\u2026 and actually had me interested in a few songs I can\u2019t honestly stand from the original artists, like \u201cAll The Young Dudes.\u201d Essential listening? No\u2026 but not a terrible album to \u201cclean out the pipes\u201d.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cWorking Class Hero,\u201d \u201cIn My Life,\u201d \u201cFire\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_down_150\"<\/a> 10. Down To Earth<\/i> (2001)<\/b><\/p>\n

Musically, this was a return to form for Osbourne, though it would be Wylde\u2019s last studio appearance for a few years. The new rhythm section of bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin seemed like a good fit. The only thing wrong<\/i> with the album is that the songwriting, while good, just isn\u2019t memorable. It\u2019s more of a rock album than Ozzmosis<\/i> was, and sometimes felt like old ground was being retread\u2014 \u201cDreamer\u201d sounds a lot like \u201cGoodbye To Romance,\u201d but is still enjoyable. Not an album I\u2019d find myself going back to often, but still respectable.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cDreamer,\u201d \u201cJunkie,\u201d \u201cFacing Hell\u201d<\/p>\n

9. Live And Loud<\/i> (1993)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_liveandloud_150\"<\/p>\n

On paper, this should have been a far superior release than the Just Say Ozzy<\/i> EP, featuring the equivalent of a full-length show chronicling what was allegedly Osbourne\u2019s retirement. (Spoiler alert: he didn\u2019t retire.) And, to be sure, there are some great performances on this set. But, more often than not, it just doesn\u2019t have the same level of excitement one would have expected from a live set from the Prince of Darkness (though it has more than its fair share of obscenities screamed by Osbourne). Maybe if a few hidden nuggets from his catalog had been featured instead of relying on the then-recent album No More Tears<\/i>, it would have been a more interesting picture of Osbourne\u2019s career at that stage.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cRoad To Nowhere,\u201d \u201cMiracle Man,\u201d \u201cBlack Sabbath\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_justsay_250\"<\/a> 8. Just Say Ozzy<\/i> (1990)<\/b><\/p>\n

Why we needed a live EP just a few years after Tribute<\/i> was released, I don\u2019t quite know, but this one is surprisingly enjoyable, even if it leaves you wishing it had been more than six songs (and that \u201cSweet Leaf\u201d hadn\u2019t been a snippet leading into \u201cWar Pigs\u201d). If anything, this release showcased Osbourne\u2019s reunion with former Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler, while showing how well Wylde had established his role as the axe-slinger. I\u2019m aware that Live & Loud<\/i> would be released in a few short years, but I still wish this one had been a full live show. Then again, seeing the positions on this list, perhaps less was actually more in this instance.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cShot In The Dark,\u201d \u201cBloodbath In Paradise\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Blizzard Of Ozz<\/i> (1980)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_blizzard\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Unpopular take: Had it not been for the catchiness and success of \u201cCrazy Train,\u201d Osbourne\u2019s first dipping of the digits into the solo world might have been his last. That doesn\u2019t mean the album is bad, but\u2014if we\u2019re really honest with ourselves\u2014there\u2019s really not a lot on this one that would have made someone jump to attention like a lot of the work he had done with Black Sabbath did. Strip away the nostalgic view of it being only one of two studio albums with Rhoads, and you\u2019re left with a tentative first step that hinted at greater things ahead, but not enough to send this disc into the stratosphere.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cCrazy Train,\u201d \u201cI Don\u2019t Know,\u201d \u201cSuicide Solution\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_patient_150\"6. Patient Number 9<\/i> (2022)<\/b><\/p>\n

Coming off an uneven album and a 10-year hiatus from the studio, Osbourne assembled a crack team of musician friends to quickly follow it up with a surprisingly strong album\u2014certainly not something expected from someone over 40 years into his own solo career. The thing is, appearances from such legends as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Tony Iommi don\u2019t distract from the overall product; if anything, they complement the material surprisingly well. Wylde\u2019s return as a lead guitarist also feels right at this time. This proved to be Osbourne\u2019s final release\u2026 but was definitely not a bad way to bow out.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cOne Of Those Days,\u201d \u201cPatient Number 9,\u201d \u201cNothing Feels Right\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Tribute<\/i> (1987)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_tribute\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Osbourne might not have been in the best state emotionally to have released this in 1982 instead of Speak Of The Devil<\/i>, but\u2014removing the fact that this is the only legal live release featuring the guitar work of Rhoads\u2014it is the far superior live release of the two. Even the Black Sabbath covers shine brighter. As for Osbourne, he sounds better vocally on this one\u2014though it could be understood why he essentially phoned it in for Speak Of The Devil<\/i>.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cCrazy Train,\u201d \u201cSuicide Solution,\u201d \u201cChildren Of The Grave\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_livetabudokan_150\"4. Live At Budokan<\/i> (2002)<\/b>

This<\/i><\/b> pick might surprise some people\u2026 but for an album that probably had no reason to exist (especially since it had only been a few years since Live & Loud<\/i> came out), this proves to be the best live recording from Osbourne in his career. He balances his attention well between his recent releases and classic songs, only dipping once into the Black Sabbath well, but he remains strong in voice (even if I was thrown a little bit by lowering a few songs\u2019 chord ranges). Wylde provides solid backing vocals to complement the boss\u2019s work, too.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cBeliever,\u201d \u201cRoad To Nowhere,\u201d \u201cBark At The Moon\u201d<\/p>\n

3. The Ultimate Sin<\/i> (1986)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_ultimate\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s my sentimentality about what was the first compact disc I ever bought, but I just prefer this\u2014the album that proved to be Jake E. Lee\u2019s swansong with Osbourne\u2019s band\u2014over Blizzard Of Ozz<\/i>. I\u2019m sorry, but this just feels overall like a more complete album, even if it\u2019s occasionally dated. Songwriting, performances and overall energy nudge this one ahead for me. I get that the production might be a bit dated\u2026 then again, it was the first time since Diary Of A Madman<\/i> that Osbourne was properly showcased as a singer. Let the flame wars begin; just know I\u2019m willing to die on this hill.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cSecret Loser,\u201d \u201cNever Know Why,\u201d \u201cLightning Strikes,\u201d \u201cShot In The Dark\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ozzyosbourne_nomoretears_200\"<\/a> 2. No More Tears<\/i> (1991)<\/b><\/p>\n

The first album that found Osbourne shifting towards using outside writers in addition to bandmates, this is quite possibly his most approachable disc. And, let there be no doubt, it contains some of his best material\u2014some of which came thanks to Lemmy Kilmister\u2019s contributions. There are, however, still a few weaker moments that dare to upset the applecart; \u201cMr. Tinkertrain\u201d is not the way I\u2019d have opened such a powerful album. But the strong tracks easily outweigh the few near-misses.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cDesire,\u201d \u201cMama, I\u2019m Coming Home,\u201d \u201cRoad To Nowhere,\u201d \u201cNo More Tears\u201d<\/p>\n

1. Diary Of A Madman<\/i> (1981)<\/b>\"ozzyosbourne_diary\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Recorded shortly after Blizzard Of Ozz <\/i>was released, this was the disc that showed just how powerful Osbourne and his solo band could be. Sonically, it was a major improvement; in terms of songwriting and playing, this one is simply in a league all its own. There\u2019s a reason that \u201cFlying High Again\u201d gets a lot of attention on classic rock airwaves, but nearly every song on this one could have easily been a huge hit. Unfortunately, this captures Rhoads\u2019s final studio performances, leaving everyone to wonder what could have been.
WORTH CHECKING OUT: \u201cYou Can\u2019t Kill Rock And Roll,\u201d \u201cLittle Dolls,\u201d \u201cFlying High Again\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ozzy Osbourne Albums Ranked Worst To Best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48047,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"feature_type":[32],"class_list":["post-48001","feature","type-feature","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","feature_type-feature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/48001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/feature"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"feature_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature_type?post=48001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}