When Black Sabbath emerged in 1968, there was no guidebook, no metal scene, and no roadmap for what they were about to become. It was still the age of peace and love, of flower power and psychedelic optimism. So where exactly did Ozzy Osbourne—the soon-to-be ‘Prince of Darkness’—fit into all that?
Rising out of Birmingham’s industrial heart, Black Sabbath were never just another rock band. While the world was still swaying to the sounds of The Beatles and Hendrix, something heavier was brewing in England’s grey skies. Their arrival didn’t come out of nowhere—music was already starting to get louder, rougher. The blues were distorted, and even legends like Bob Dylan were turning up the volume. But Black Sabbath weren’t just turning knobs; they were inventing a new language of sound.
When their self-titled debut album landed in 1970, it struck a nerve. But it was the release of Paranoid that changed everything. Suddenly, their crushing riffs and ominous tones weren’t just noise—they were the birth of a genre. With the title track becoming a chart hit, reaching number four in the UK, it was clear: the sunny era of rock was dimming. A darker, heavier movement had begun.
Still, it would be wrong to say Sabbath built their empire in isolation. Like every musician, the members brought their own musical DNA into the band. Ozzy, for all his grim aesthetic, grew up loving The Beatles—proof that his musical heart had room for melody and light, too.
As the 1970s progressed and Sabbath gained legendary status, a wave of new bands followed in their shadow. Instead of reacting with disdain, Osbourne welcomed the flood. Rather than accusing others of copying Sabbath’s blueprint, he embraced the evolution, cheering on the expanding soundscape of heavy music.
Some of his favorite albums might surprise genre purists. For instance, Ozzy considers Led Zeppelin IV one of the best metal albums ever made—a controversial take for some metalheads who argue Zeppelin doesn’t quite qualify. But to Ozzy, it’s simple: “I’ve always been a huge Led Zeppelin fan. All of their studio albums are classics, but this is one of my all-time favourites.” With songs like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Black Dog,” Ozzy felt it was more than heavy enough.
Another favorite was far less debatable: Highway to Hell by AC/DC. Ozzy not only loved the music, but he also formed a deep friendship with the band. “I love Brian Johnson, but to me, my good friend, the late Bon Scott, was the best singer AC/DC ever had,” he once said. “This album was like an addiction to me.”
As metal began to take shape, its godfather was never possessive of the genre. He didn’t gatekeep. Instead, he celebrated it—from Birmingham to Sydney, from Zeppelin to AC/DC. Ozzy Osbourne may have helped invent metal, but he also knew it was always meant to grow louder with every new riff.
