By Order of the Prince of Darkness Himself
🎤 “ALL ABOARD!!!” screams through the speakers. The sky darkens. Bats take flight. A pint of something suspicious fizzes over your boots.
You know what time it is. 🕯️
Ozzy Osbourne didn’t just leave Black Sabbath and fade into the Brummie fog. He went solo, and for the next four decades, he unleashed a catalogue of albums filled with gothic flair, face-melting riffs, heartfelt ballads, and the occasional WTF moment. From Blizzard to Black Rain, we’ve ranked every solo effort so you don’t have to suffer through “Latimer’s Mercy” again. (Sorry, Ozzy. We still love you.)
💣 13. Black Rain (2007)
⛈️ The Storm That Never Quite Hit
Let’s start with the one that’s more “wet weekend in Wolverhampton” than “storm of the century.” Over-produced, under-written, and lacking the usual Ozzy snarl, Black Rain is what happens when you let label execs make too many suggestions. Zakk Wylde does his best, but even his squeals can’t save this one.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “I Don’t Wanna Stop” (ironic, innit?)
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 3/10 – “Bit of a damp squib, butt.”
🫨 12. Scream (2010)
🔊 More Auto-Tune Than Attitude
You’d expect something big from an album called Scream, but instead, we got a slightly confused Ozzy wrapped in layers of digital fluff. Gus G replaced Zakk Wylde on guitar, and while the lad’s talented, the chemistry just wasn’t there.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Let It Die”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 4/10 – “Sounds like Ozzy sang through a microwave.”
🧓 11. Ordinary Man (2020)
👴 The Soft One With Post Malone??
Look, we get it – the world was ending, Ozzy was dying (again), and he fancied a ballad or six. But teaming up with Elton John and Post Malone was… unexpected. Some powerful moments here, especially lyrically. It’s emotional, but not something you blast with the car windows down.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Under the Graveyard”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 5/10 – “A tidy farewell… until the next one.”
🧠 10. Down to Earth (2001)
🌍 The Millennium Middle Child
It’s not bad. It’s just… fine. Like a Greggs sausage roll without the brown sauce. The lead single “Gets Me Through” was solid, but the rest faded faster than a sunburnt goth at Download.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Gets Me Through”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 5.5/10 – “Should’ve called it Down to Meh.”
🧬 9. Patient Number 9 (2022)
🏥 The Comeback No One Expected
Somehow, Ozzy bounced back from surgeries, Parkinson’s, and bloody everything else to give us this chaotic, riff-filled record. The guest list is wild – Clapton, Iommi, even Chad Smith on drums – and somehow it mostly works. Gothic, surreal, and at times beautiful.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Immortal” ft. Mike McCready
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 6.5/10 – “We thought he was out. He said ‘nah mun, not yet.’”
🎯 8. The Ultimate Sin (1986)
🧼 The Hair Metal One With Eyeliner & Shoulder Pads
This is glam Ozzy at full power. The production’s so shiny it could blind a bat, but there’s no denying those hooks. “Shot in the Dark” still slaps. You might need to comb your fringe just listening to it.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Shot in the Dark”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 7/10 – “Should’ve come with a can of hairspray.”
🧨 7. Ozzmosis (1995)
🌀 The Weird Grungey, Proggy One
A slow-burn classic. At first, it feels muddy and moody. But give it time and you’ll fall for “Perry Mason” and “See You on the Other Side.” Not every track lands, but there’s something mysterious in its swampy depths.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Perry Mason”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 7.2/10 – “Grunge Ozzy is a vibe, who knew?”
🐺 6. Bark at the Moon (1983)
🌕 The Full-Moon Howler
Jake E. Lee steps up post-Rhoads and brings a sense of drama and danger. The title track is iconic, the synths are spooky, and Ozzy’s voice is razor sharp. Could’ve done with more Jake and fewer keyboards, mind.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Bark at the Moon”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 7.5/10 – “Hairy, howly, heavenly.”
⚔️ 5. No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
🧌 The Birth of Zakk Wylde’s Pinch Harmonics
Zakk enters stage left with more attitude than your nan at bingo night. Raw, riff-driven, and nasty in the best way. “Miracle Man” goes straight for the jugular, and the whole album feels like a biker bar brawl.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Miracle Man”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 8/10 – “Proper job, Zakk. Proper job.”
🪦 4. Diary of a Madman (1981)
🧛 Dark, Dramatic, and Downright Haunting
Randy Rhoads went full wizard mode. This is Ozzy’s gothic masterpiece – lush arrangements, eerie melodies, and lyrics that drip with madness. “Over the Mountain” is worth the price of admission alone.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Flying High Again”
(Also: “Diary of a Madman” for full spine-tingle)
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 9/10 – “A madman’s masterpiece.”
🕯️ 3. No More Tears (1991)
😢 The Epic One With All the Feels
Anthemic. Melancholic. Iconic. This is Ozzy embracing the 90s with open arms and a bucket of eyeliner. Every song could’ve been a single. It’s heavy, it’s heartfelt, and it’s home to one of his best ever riffs.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “No More Tears”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 9.2/10 – “Massive vibes, butt.”
❄️ 2. Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
🌪️ The Legendary Debut
Just months after being kicked from Sabbath, Ozzy links up with Randy Rhoads and drops one of the greatest debut albums in metal history. “Crazy Train” alone changed everything. “Mr. Crowley” summoned something dark. And “Suicide Solution” gave Tipper Gore a nosebleed.
🎧 Must-Hear Track: “Mr. Crowley”
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 9.5/10 – “ICONIC. The bat bit back.”
👑 1. The Diary + Blizzard Combo: Untouchable Ozzy Era (1980–1981)
🎸 Randy Rhoads + Ozzy = Immortality
Alright, butt – we’re cheating. We can’t split these two. Diary is darker. Blizzard is bigger. Together? They’re untouchable. Randy’s playing was next-level. Ozzy’s voice had that golden wail. Sharon was managing. And the 80s were about to become a nightmare dressed in studs.
🔥 Riff Report Rating: 10/10 – “The peak. The legend. The madness.”
🕯️ Honourable Mentions:
- 💥 Live & Loud (1993) – As close as you’ll get to seeing Ozzy in full flow, pre-reality TV.
- 🧛 Speak of the Devil (1982) – Sabbath classics done solo. Shambolic in places, but loads of fun.
- 🧟♂️ Ozzfest Compilations – Nostalgia fuel for every 2000s metalhead.
🎤 Final Words from the Prince
Ozzy’s solo catalogue is as chaotic, fascinating, and occasionally unhinged as the man himself. He gave us guitar gods, metal anthems, mushy ballads, and enough eyeliner to flood a Boots.
Whether you love the glam, the grunge, or the gothic, there’s a version of Ozzy for you.
🦇 LONG LIVE THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS. 🦇
Now go spin Crazy Train on loop and howl at the moon with your nan.
Need a playlist version? Want us to rank the best Ozzy B-sides, TV moments, or Sharon Osbourne freakouts?
Let us know in the comments or shout at us on socials:
👉 @theriffreportuk
Diolch for reading, legends! 🖤
The Riff Report – Because rock never dies. It just gets louder.
