Ozzy spent his final years determined to squeeze every last drop out of life. Now that we’ve lost the Godfather of Metal, let’s look back at the insane ride that made him a legend: the game-changing music, the unforgettable antics, and why nobody will ever be like Ozzy…

Words by Felix Bartlett | July 25, 2025

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This week, the world lost a legend, and metalheads across the globe are mourning the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath, who died at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025. From inventing heavy metal to biting the head off a bat, Ozzy’s career was as insane as it was influential. His grip extended far beyond just the metal world; it reached the entirety of modern music. Today, we’re here to celebrate his life and bring you the five biggest moments that cemented his legacy as rock’s ultimate madman and a true musical pioneer.

Forming Black Sabbath & Inventing Heavy Metal (1968–1970)

Joining forces with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, Ozzy co-founded Black Sabbath in Birmingham by 1968. Their debut album, released on 13 November 1970, introduced a sludgy, thunderous sound full of occult themes and weighty riffs. Widely considered the birth of heavy metal, the album reshaped rock music forever and placed Osbourne’s theatrical, eerie vocals at the center of the emerging genre.

Black Sabbath on Top Of The Pops (1970)

When Black Sabbath played ‘Paranoid’ on Top of the Pops in 1970, it was like a bomb going off on family TV. While other acts were all smiles and polish, Ozzy stumbled around like a sleepwalking warlock, screaming lyrics about madness over Tony Iommi’s monstrous riff. The song became a hit, reaching #4 in the UK. This was the moment the world met the real Ozzy.

Getting Fired from Black Sabbath & Launching Solo Project (1979–1980)

By 1979, Ozzy’s escalating drug and alcohol abuse led Black Sabbath to dismiss him. But instead of disappearing, he launched a solo career, teaming up with Randy Rhoads in 1980 and releasing Blizzard of Ozz. That album marked a dramatic comeback, blending virtuosic guitar work with Ozzy’s raw charisma. He turned adversity into a second act that was even more influential than his Sabbath days.

Infamous Bat Incident (January 1982)

During a concert in Des Moines, a fan threw a bat onstage. Ozzy, thinking it was a rubber toy, bit its head off, only later realising it was real. He required rabies shots, certainly, but the spectacle blew up around the world.

Ozzy On ‘Night Flight’ (1982)

 In a beautifully odd 1982 interview for Night Flight, Osbourne sat down with short preppy hair to give the audience a new insight into his career, where in true wacky Ozzy fashion talking about the infamous bat incident, doves and his two personalities.

Founding Ozzfest (1996)

Disappointed by being left off Lollapalooza’s lineup, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne created Ozzfest in 1996, a traveling festival showcasing a new generation of heavy bands. It became a dominant force for over two decades, launching careers of acts like Slipknot and Korn and earning Ozzy a reputation not just as a performer, but also as a tastemaker and festival icon.

Ozzy Vs. The TV Remote

In the early 2000s, MTV’s The Osbournes gave us a look inside the chaotic yet endearing life of Ozzy Osbourne and his family. With so many moment to choose from it was Ozzy’s ongoing battle with the television remote control that took the biscuit for us. 

‘Crazy Train’ with Yuto Miyazawa (2009)

In 2009, a nine-year-old boy named Yuto Miyazawa got to play guitar with Ozzy Osbourne live on stage at BlizzCon. Yuto had been shredding the guitar since he was just three years old, and at the time, he was actually the youngest professional guitarist in the world. Together, they performed ‘Crazy Train’.

Collaborating with Yungblud on ‘The Funeral’ (2022)

In 2022, Ozzy Osbourne popped up in Yungblud’s music video for ‘The Funeral’, and the result was as weird and hilarious as you’d expect. He stands over Yungblud’s coffin and remarks, “Is this a f**king funeral? Where the f**k is everybody?” Later, Sharon Osbourne runs Yungblud over with a car, and Ozzy just shrugs and says, “Run him over again then.” It was a short cameo, but one that solodified the friendship between the two artists and felt like Ozzy giving a cheeky nod to the next generation,.

“Back to the Beginning” Concert (5 July 2025)

On 5 July 2025, Black Sabbath played their final show, Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park in Birmingham. The concert brought together one hell of a lineup consisting of Ghost, Sleep Token, Guns and Roses and more and raised an incredible £140 million for children’s and Parkinson’s charities.