Diary of a madman...

Ozzy Osbourne, real name John Osbourne, is an English singer-songwriter best known for being the oh-so-charismatic leader of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Period during which he will like to call himself The Prince of Darkness !

An artist who can still boast of having sold no less than 100 million records to date across the world between the Black Sabbath period and his solo career, just that !

Before entering an artistic career, the teenage years of young John will be quite hectic with a break from school at the age of 15. This forces him to accept any odd job afterwards, such as a worker on construction sites, apprentice plumber, apprentice toolmaker, or even a worker in slaughterhouses. To this is added a few petty thefts and various thefts which will end up sending him to prison for 6 weeks !

It was at the age of 19 that things started to pick up speed when he was recruited in 1967 by a certain Geezer Butler to become the frontman of the group Rare Breed, a group that the latter had just formed. An ephemeral group to say the least which will quickly disappear in favor of a new one called Polka Tulk Blues. Which will quickly give way to another named this time Earth. Which will finally give way in 1968 to an ultimate group called…Black Sabbath !

Osbourne leases the group for 10 years before attempting a first solo experience between 1978 and 1979. Experience which results in the recording of an album called "Blizzard of Ozz". An experience that other members of Black Sabbath don't really like, and adds to their recurring alcohol and drug addiction problems. With the result of an outright ousting from the group in mid-1979.

The previously produced solo album was finally released a year later in 1980, an album that went on to become a hit and produced the flagship Single "Crazy Train".

New album "Diary of a Madman" in 1981, album with less success than its predecessor and which will struggle to produce a Single of planetary class apart from the title "Flying high again".

The following year will be much less favorable with an empty year 1982 on the album side and above all a drama that will affect him deeply since he loses at the same time his guitarist and his costume-makeup artist in a plane crash. Plane following the bus he was in and going to Florida on a tour.

In 1983, the album "Bark at the moon" was released, again a medium-successful album which still produced the high-caliber Single of the same name. He will also experience another major success thanks to his exceptional participation as singer on the track "Shake your head (Let’s go tobed)" of the group Was (Not Was).

A debut of solo consecration arrives 3 years later with the album "The ultimate sin", the flagship album of his discography which will make a real worldwide hit in 1986 and produce the top hit "Shot in the dark".

The bellows fell somewhat in 1988 when the album "No rest for the wicked" was released, an album of lesser success which was unable to produce any large-caliber Single.

One would have thought that the transition to the 90s would be fatal for him, but quite the opposite will happen. The album "No more tears" which came out in 1991 brought him one of his biggest hits on the album side thanks to 2 huge Singles which are "No more tears" and "Mama, I'm coming home".

New notorious success 4 years later in 1995 with the release of the album “Ozzmosis”, an album which will do almost as much as its predecessor in terms of success but which, paradoxically, will not produce any hit worthy of the name except the title "Perry Mason" who will be the only one to pull out pretty well.

A relative underperformance that will not prevent this extraordinary singer from continuing the adventure as if nothing had happened and from releasing other albums, especially during the 2000s. Albums which once again will be a hit. But that's another story.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Crazy train 1980
Mr. Crowley 1980
Tonight 1981
Flying high again 1981
Bark at the moon 1983
So tired 1983
Shot in the dark 1986
The ultimate sin 1986
Miracle man 1988
Close my eyes forever 1989

90s Decade :

No more tears 1991
Mama, I’m coming home 1991
Time after time 1992
Shake your head (Let’s go to bed) 1992
Road to nowhere 1992
Perry Mason 1995
See you on the other side 1996
I just want you 1996
Walk on water 1996

2000s Decade :

Gets me through 2001
Dreamer 2001
Changes 2003
In my life 2005
I don't wanna stop 2007

2010s Decade :

Let me hear your scream 2010
Life won't wait 2010
Let it die 2011
Under the graveyard 2019

2020s Decade :

Ordinary man 2020
Patient number 9 2022
Degradation rules 2023
Evil shuffle 2023
Mr Darkness 2023
Parasite 2023
Nothing feels right 2023
No escape from now 2023
God only knows 2023

Adventure Black Sabbath :

https://www.bestmusic80.com/post/the-3-faces-of-fear

Tracks :

1980 ... a solo career which starts with this title and which starts off rather well given the success achieved by the latter. Nothing fancy, just a good job !

1980 ... what is clear is that he is alone or with others, it has to beat up ! We suspected that he was not going to suddenly change his style to please the general public ...

1981 ... and yet, when he wants, he can calm things down. The proof with this title with a much smoother tempo and more than certain quality !

1981 ... chase the natural, it comes back at a gallop. Back in beating mode but it was obvious that the softness parenthesis would only last for a moment ...

1983 ... after a year 1982 when not much will happen, return in a certain form in this year 1983. And we feel like a slight evolution of style ...

1983 ... paradoxically, all the Intimist titles he released met only a modest level of success. While frankly, they hold the road !

1986 ... then nothing for 3 years. Back in this year 1986 with a style that sticks much more to the latest trends of the moment. All good !

1986 ... he finds his fundamentals on this title with the consequence of a level of success in free fall in the Charts. Beating in order no longer pays, that's clear !

1988 ... after an empty year 1987, here he is again in high-voltage mode. A hard-line that he will still pay dearly in terms of success...or especially lack of success ...

1989 ... Beauty and the Beast, there is no other word. An association at the very least improbable and which nevertheless works perfectly. Like what...

1991 ... new 3 years air hole. An air hole to say the least beneficial since the singer will obtain the 2 biggest successes of his career during this year 1991. It will have taken him 10 years to win the Grail solo but better late than never !

1991 ... it is THIS title which will consecrate him definitively. Here he obtains the biggest success of his entire solo career on the Singles side. And paradoxically on a very high class Ultimate Slow. Who would've believed that !

1992 ... in a totally incomprehensible way, this title will surprisingly pass under the radar when it has everything to please. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...

1992 ... given the style, we suspected that he was not likely to be at the origin of this title. Astonishing that he was called upon to appear on an ultra dance track. And my faith, why not ...

1992 ... a title which very subtly mixes strength and finesse. He will have done some of them like that and each time the result will have been largely up to the mark !

1995 ... nothing to eat in 1994 and a comeback in 1995, and yet the word is weak. We could speak in this case of ultra force. The 2 extremes between the previous title and this title ...

1996 ... it is much more effective when he plays it force-finesse, it is clear. And yet, this title will meet with less success than its predecessor ...

1996 ... what is clear is that we will never see him in the Dance register ! All his career, whether alone or with others, he will have kept the same style ...

1996 ... his biggest success of the year in the USA. It must be said that the title will only be classified there. Anyway, in the end, a year 1996 which will have seen him at his best !

2001 ... one would have thought that the adventure would end during the 90s, but it was bad to know him. Because here he is again and he certainly does not intend to stop there !

2001 ... an exceptional start to the 2000s which saw him align top hit with top hit. The years that end in 1 are particularly successful for him, it is clear ...

2003 ... when dad and girl decide to push the song by taking up a song from Black Sabbath dating from 1972. A title which literally floats in the air and which allows the duo to give the best of themselves. MA-GIC !

2005 ... when the wolf becomes a lamb. A metamorphosis to say the least incredible and which sees above all an Ozzy Osbourne calm down in an impressive way ...

2007 ... but it was bad to know him to think that he had calmed down for good. Hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop !

2010 ... we will not remake him again, until the end he will keep its crazy side. This is also what made his legend so why change ...

2010 ... an exceptional longevity to say the least. Always there and always trendy. Admittedly, the production of titles slows down and the level of success is all in all limited but he does better than resist, it is clear !

2011 ... the decades go by but the style hardly changes. A constant that he will have kept throughout his career and which will forever remain his trademark ...

2019 ... big 8 years air hole and comeback at the end of the decade. A desire to exist at the highest level which commands respect and which is only found among the greatest !

2020 .... when 2 legends decide to sing the song together. All on a first-rate Intimist track as they know how to do it so well. While waiting for the continuation of course ...