One of the more interesting debates to have about metal music is about where Ozzy Osbourne stands in its history. Should he be remembered as a legend, a overrated hack or a sellout? I think cases can be made for all three points that make honest scents. Ozzy was a member of one of the very first metal bands in Black Sabbath, and made some of the greatest metal albums of all time. He also was not the greatest singer in the world and it appeared at times that he was more famous of doing things such as biting the heads off of doves and bats. He also took part in a reality show that pealed away the image he had for so many years.
1. Legend
The easiest case to make is how Ozzy Osbourne is an innovator & legend. Black Sabbath knocked down walls that had only started to have cracks in them thanks to bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, & Cream.They influenced decades of bands from the music they made and image they carried. While Ozzy was not really a writer in Sabbath, his attitude as the singer and the way he carried himself on & offstage, helped turn Sabbath in to the band it is remembered as today. His first few solo records such as Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman or Bark at the Moon are classic metal albums remembered to this day.
Ozzy also helped keep Metal in the spotlight during the mid 1990's with the Ozzfest summer tour. Many bands that did not have a platform to perform their music on where given one with this tour. Before it went on a break two years ago, Ozzfest turned in to one of the biggest tours in the music industry to go out every summer.
2. Overrated
While everyone can explain how big of a legend Ozzy is, not many publicly talk about the other side of the coin. While Ozzy always gets the fame & attention when he puts out a record or performs the people writing the music get forgotten about. Ozzy did have some luck surrounding himself with great musicians like Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Randy Rhodes, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wydle & Robert Trujillo. One can wonder if Ozzy would of been what he is today without all of those people. Also Ozzy image at times even came before the music, walk down the street & ask someone of they know Ozzy more for Crazy Tran or No More Tears, then biting a head of a bat & dove, or pissing on the Alamo in a dress.
3. Sellout
Some might think this point kind of goes with the second one but it really needs to stand alone. Ozzy had this successful image working for him from 1970-2001 but then The Osbourne reality show debuted on MTV in 2002. That show allowed fans to see Ozzy in a light that few had ever seen him in. It kind of took away from the mystique he had built over the years, and at times made him look like a fool. It also looks at times Ozzy's wife Sharon has more control over his career then he does which could be a reason why Ozzy did the TV show as well as ads for cell phones & World of Warcraft. It is very possible that Sharon not Ozzy was behind the lawsuit against Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. Ozzy claims that the ownership of the name "Black Sabbath" should be split four ways but wants 50 % of it.
No matter what you think of Ozzy he did leave a mark in the history of heavy metal, and will never be forgotten which might be the most important thing he did overall.
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