50. The Ultimate Sin (The Ultimate Sin, 1986)
Ozzy's own personal choice for least favourite solo record, The Ultimate Sin caught the singer amidst interpersonal conflicts within his band, much of them due to songwriting credits - or lack thereof. With guitarist Jake E. Lee refusing to submit material without a contract guaranteeing him credit and bassist Bob Daisley falling out with Ozzy partway through the writing process and departing the band, things looked bleak in the Osbourne camp. Nonetheless, The Ultimate Sin became one of Ozzy's best selling records, buoyed by the popularity of metal in the mid-80s and the fact fans were happy to follow the adage 'if it ain't broke...'.
49. Gets Me Through (Down To Earth, 2001)
Despite its all-star line-up (Zakk Wylde on guitar, Faith No More's Mike Bordin on drums, a soon-to-be Metallica's Rob Trujillo on bass), 2001's Down To Earth remains an almost entirely ignorable entry in Ozzy's canon. Though it performed reasonably well commercially, the record proved to be without staying power, its songs seldom being played beyond its album cycle. Though Zakk Wylde re-joined the Ozzy band after a six-year departure, his contributions were little more than as a session player, arriving too late to have any impact on the writing process. As a result songs like Get Me Through are admirable efforts on the part of Ozzy himself, whose vocals bristle with defiance reflected in the lyrics, but otherwise lacks the magic touch Wylde usually brings to the band.
48. Straight To Hell (Ordinary Man, 2020)
When he puts his mind to it, Ozzy can be a menacing bastard. The line 'I'll make you scream/I'll make you defecate' is delivered with more glee than perhaps was necessary, but the accompanying cackle afterwards seals Straight To Hell as one of the more brilliantly maniacal songs in Ozzy's contemporary catalogue.
47. Demon Alcohol (No Rest For The Wicked, 1988)
By 1988 Ozzy knew exactly what his downfall looked like. Demon Alcohol reflects the singer's realisation that he had gone from the PMRC hellraising madman of the early days to a rapidly degenerating drunk who couldn't control his bowel movements, but alas the realisation alone was not enough to stop his path to self-destruction. Within 12 months of releasing Demon Alcohol Ozzy would be in prison for attempting to strangle wife Sharon, the final straw that pushed him into rehab and to (mostly) abandon the heavy excesses he had imbibed so much throughout the 80s.
46. Iron Man (This Means War) (Nativity In Black II, 2000)
Arriving at peak nu metal era, the second Nativity In Black - an all-star tribute to Black Sabbath first released in 1994 - featured more than a few rap-metal takes on Sabbath classics thanks to covers from the likes of Godsmack, Soulfly and Hed PE. But the biggest curio - and arguably the most unique song on the record - has to be Busta Rhymes cover of Iron Man, an almost total reinvention that saw Rhymes take the iconic original riff and throw some furious verses over the top, while Ozzy contributes all-new verses, proving that even one of heavy metal's original architects wasn't immune to the changing tides of music at the turn of the millennium.
45. Nothing Feels Right (Patient Number 9, 2022)
With Zakk Wylde again tackling guitar duties, Nothing Feels Right tonally feels like a natural successor to the melancholic, strident tones of No More Tears as though the 30 years between releases hadn't happened. If that sounds like it might be a tad too nostalgic, rest assured; the song still has a sense of gravitas and growth that has crept in on Ozzy's recent material.
44. Time After Time (No More Tears, 1991)
When it comes to Ozzy Osbourne ballads, the No More Tears era takes some serious beating. Although not as universally acclaimed as Mama I'm Coming Home, Time After Time nonetheless captures a similar sense of wistfulness and regret that communicates a sense of reflectiveness that made the record so fascinating, dialling back the hedonism and wild-eyed mania of the 80s so Ozzy could endure for another decade.
43. One Of Those Days (Patient Number 9, 2022)
With a bluesy guitar courtesy of guest Eric Clapton, One Of Those Days is one of Patient Number 9's strongest singles with a powerful vocal hook and evocative imagery. Exploring the idea of faith - or a lack thereof - in the face of adversity, the track proved to be one of the more lyrically relevant tracks in Ozzy's canon, taking a look at wider global events and questioning everything.
42. It's A Raid (Ordinary Man, 2020)
After collaborating with Post Malone on 2019's Take What You Want, Ozzy returned the favour by bringing the rapper in for the energetic rocker It's A Raid. The pair's vocals work incredibly well together and although decidedly more on the daft side of Ozzy's canon, the final track is a fun, wild ride from start to finish.
41. Crucify The Dead (Slash - Slash, 2010)
Slash's debut solo album came with more than its fair share of fantastic guest pieces, but amidst the rock'n'roll bangers - Doctor Alibi, We're All Gonna Die - Ozzy injects a power ballad sensibility. Asked at the time about the lyrics, Ozzy said he saw them as what Slash should have said to Axl Rose during the pair's decades-long feud. There's no word on if this helped thaw relationships at all, but Crucify The Dead remains a banger nonetheless.
