Ozzy Osbourne’s favourite heavy metal band
The parameters of heavy metal music can often feel needlessly abstract, with countless groups who sound vastly different from each other given equal footing under the heavy metal umbrella. In fact, many pioneers of the metal genre, groups like Led Zeppelin and even Black Sabbath, have been openly sceptical about adopting the heavy metal label. As he has aged, however, Sabbath’s iconic frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, has come to terms with the idea of being a heavy metal godfather.
Osbourne’s impact on the development of hard rock and heavy metal cannot be overstated. After forming Black Sabbath in 1968, the singer lent his voice and performance to some of the earliest and most iconic examples of metal music. If you look at those early Sabbath records, it is impossible to get away from the fact that they influenced virtually every hard rock and metal band that came after them.
Even when Osbourne parted ways with the group after being fired in 1979, his musical material continued to have an incredible impact on the wider rock music scene. In fact, his early solo material was instrumental in establishing the distinctive sounds of 1980s metal, which saw the previously underground scene take on a broader, more mainstream appeal.
As you might expect, Osbourne has come face to face with a variety of groups who list him as a major influence during the course of his long and illustrious career. Given the widespread need for metal bands to be shocking in some way, along with the substance abuse and heavy drinking which dominate representations of the genre, not all of these groups and artists have endeared themselves towards Osbourne. Nevertheless, the former Black Sabbath frontman has made a few notable friends within the music industry.
Given Osbourne’s position as a pioneer within the metal genre, he is regularly forced to field questions on his opinions of other notable heavy metal groups during interviews. If you have ever seen or heard an Ozzy Osbourne interview, particularly in recent years, you will be all too aware of the fact that the frontman rarely gives serious, or even coherent, answers to interviewers, but there always seems to be a shred of truth running through his thoughts on other metal groups.
During one interview, in which Osbourne was giving one-word answers to questions – admittedly, probably the best way to handle an Ozzy interview – he was asked for his favourite heavy metal artist. “Ozzy Osbourne,” the ever-modest Prince of Darkness quickly answered. However, after being pushed to give a more democratic answer by the interviewer, Osbourne pondered, “I dunno,” before landing on, “I guess I could say Iron Maiden.”
Formed in 1975, in the wake of Black Sabbath’s golden age, Iron Maiden came to define the British heavy metal sound of the 1980s and has enjoyed a colossal, lasting influence over the scene to this day. Inevitably, Maiden were indebted to the styling and music of Ozzy Osbourne, and the artists have crossed paths a few times over the years. Most notably, Iron Maiden performed at Ozzfest in California back in 2005.
Despite Osbourne’s apparent appreciation for Iron Maiden, their set at his annual music festival certainly did not go to plan. Reportedly, Sharon Osbourne took umbrage with Iron Maiden and repeatedly tried to cut the PA system during their set, going so far as to instruct people to pelt them with eggs. After this, Ozzy Osbourne said of the band, “If you’ve got something to talk to me about, be a man,” so it is unclear whether his appreciation of the band was impacted by the Ozzfest debacle.
