NEW YORK (AP) — There are pioneering music figures, and then there is Ozzy Osbourne, the larger-than-life frontman of Black Sabbath, whose personal mythology is eclipsed only by the strength and immortality of his songs.
A godfather and force of heavy metal, Osbourne died Tuesday at 76, just weeks after his last performance.
The English icon’s idiosyncratic, throaty voice launched generations of metalheads, both through his work at the reins of Black Sabbath and in his solo career. Across his repertoire, there are songs with total global ubiquity and lesser-known innovations with his unique, spooky aesthetic quality.
To celebrate Osbourne’s life and legacy, we’ve selected just a few songs that made the man, from timeless tunes to a few left-of-center selections.
Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.
1970: “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath
It would be a challenge to name a more immediately recognizable guitar riff than the one that launches Black Sabbath’s 1970 megahit “Iron Man.” It transcends the metal genre — an all-timer heard around the world and in guitar stores everywhere.
1970: “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
One of the great Vietnam War protest songs, Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” is a rare moment where hippies and metalheads can agree: “Politicians hide themselves away / They only started the war / Why should they go out to fight?” Osbourne sings in the bridge.
1971: “Children of the Grave,” Black Sabbath
Osbourne’s heaviest performances are at least partially indebted to Black Sabbath’s bassist and lyricist Terry “Geezer” Butler, and there is perhaps no better example than “Children of the Grave,” the single from the band’s 1971 album, “Master of Reality.” “Must the world live in the shadow of atomic fear?” Osbourne embodies Butler’s words, a sonic fist lifted in the air. “Can they win the fight for peace or will they disappear?”
1973: “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were in a creative rut in the time period leading up to “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” the opening track from their 1973 album of the same name. It’s almost hard to believe now — the song features one of their best-known riffs, and its chorus features some truly ascendant vocals.
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1980: “Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
Would the world know what a vibraslap sounds like without the immediately recognizable introduction to Osbourne’s first solo single, “Crazy Train?” To call it a classic is almost a disservice — it is an addicting tune, complete with chugging guitars and Cold War-era fears.
Another classic cut from Osbourne’s debut solo album, “Blizzard Of Ozz” — released one year after Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for his legendary excesses, — the arena rock anthem “Mr. Crowley” pays tribute to the famed English occultist Aleister Crowley and features Deep Purple’s Don Airey on keyboard.
1981: “Diary of a Madman,” Ozzy Osbourne
The title track and coda of Osbourne’s second solo studio album, “Diary of a Madman,” runs over six minutes long, features big strings and a choir so theatrical it sounds like they’re scoring a medieval war film. He wanted big, he wanted dramatic, and he nailed it.
1991: “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” Ozzy Osbourne
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to call “Mama, I’m Coming Home” a beautiful-sounding song. It’s unlike anything on this list, a power ballad featuring lyrics written by the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy and a welcomed deviation.
1992: “I,” Black Sabbath
When Black Sabbath comes to mind, most fans jump to an unimpeachable run of albums released in the ‘70s and early ’80s. But “I,” a cut from Black Sabbath’s too often overlooked 16th studio album, “Dehumanizer,” is worth your ear. And not only because it is the first Sabbath album to feature singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice since 1981’s “Mob Rules,” though that’s an obvious plus.
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