The Prince of Darkness Rises Again: Ozzy Osbourne’s Unlikely Comeback

 

Did you know about Ozzy Osborne? Honestly, I didn’t either -until my brother introduced me to the game Guitar Hero. That game was like a crash course in old-school rock music. I got hooked on the whole wave of classic rock that I probably would’ve missed otherwise.

Anyway, enough about me... Let’s talk about Ozzy Osbourne also known as the prince of darkness, Ozzy’s music journey didn’t exactly start in a straight line. After getting out of prison, He linked up with Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward in 1968 to form a band called the Polka Tulk Blues Band (Very out of character for someone that defines heavy rock, huh?). They started making waves locally by experimenting with a raw, heavy sound they called “hard driving” — which later became the blueprint for heavy metal. Before long, they rebranded with a way darker, catchier name: Black Sabbath

Picture of members of black sabbath 

(https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/black-sabbath-vol-4-interview-1125911/)

By the time 1975’s Sabotage dropped, things weren’t looking so great for Black Sabbath. The album didn’t hit as hard as their earlier stuff, and meanwhile, Ozzy’s drinking and drug habits were spiralling out of control. On top of that, punk rock was exploding onto the scene, stealing a lot of Sabbath’s spotlight.

They pushed out two more albums, but Ozzy’s erratic behavior became too much. In 1979, his bandmates finally had enough and made the tough call to kick the Prince of Darkness out of the band he helped create.

Unlike some artist, who fade into obscurity after leaving the groups that made them famous, massive comeback in the 1980s. how? Enter Sharon Arden — daughter of Black Sabbath’s manager (and Ozzy’s future wife, Sharon Osbourne). She pushed him to clean up, refocus, and basically get his life back on track. And it worked. Ozzy came back swinging with his solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz. The album gave us absolute bangers like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley” (both personal faves of mine). It smashed the charts — hitting the Top 10 in the UK and #21 in the US, eventually going multi-platinum. The Prince of Darkness was officially back.

 

Blizzard of ozz cover (https://open.spotify.com/album/5FxbYXWhCbyQkUaVzj6hlo)

 

Talk about a comeback, right? After Blizzard of Ozz, Ozzy kept the momentum rolling through the ’80s with albums like The Ultimate Sin (1986) and No Rest for the Wicked (1988) — both going multi-platinum in the US. Not too shabby for someone who almost lost it all.

Then came the ’90s, and Ozzy dropped his sixth solo album, No More Tears (1991). The record peaked at #7 on the charts and delivered four Top 10 rock singles — proving the Prince of Darkness was nowhere near done. Fast forward to 2005, and Ozzy even reunited with Black Sabbath for a massive tour, sending fans into full-on nostalgia mode.

 

Ozzy Osbourne, center, won five Grammy Awards, including two as part of Black Sabbath.

(https://www.biography.com/musicians/ozzy-osbourne)

But not everything in Ozzy’s story was rock anthems and sold-out tours. In 2003, he had a brutal quad-bike crash that left him with a broken neck vertebra, collarbone, and six ribs. Doctors had to put metal rods in his back, and even years later he was still dealing with the pain. By 2019, he was going through multiple spinal surgeries just to keep moving.

Then came the toughest reveal — in 2020, Ozzy told the world he’d been living with Parkinson’s disease since 2003. He kept it private for a long time but eventually opened about the struggle.

And on July 22, 2025, the Osbourne family confirmed the news nobody wanted to hear: the Prince of Darkness had passed away at 76.  Even though he’s gone, his legacy lives on — from Black Sabbath to “Crazy Train,” Ozzy’s influence is basically coded into the DNA of rock and metal.

At the end of the day, Ozzy Osbourne wasn’t just a musician — he was a whole era, a vibe, and an icon. From creating heavy metal with Black Sabbath to screaming “All aboard!” on Crazy Train, he shaped the sound that countless artists still pull inspiration from today.

For us, maybe we didn’t grow up waiting in line for his records, but we’ve felt his impact through games like guitar hero, TikTok edits, and the way modern rock/metal still carries his DNA. The prince of darkness might be gone but his music forever blasting through playlist and influencing newer generation, and reminding us that legends never really die.

Written by Galang Afdala Harsa 

References

https://classicrockreview.wordpress.com/category/ozzy-osbourne-blizzard-of-ozz/

https://www.biography.com/musicians/ozzy-osbourne