Ozzy Osbourne knew his days were numbered when he performed his final concert.

Back to the Beginning, held July 5, 2025 in Birmingham, England, was a star-studded celebration of Black Sabbath and Ozzy. The event featured an incredible array of rock stars, including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, Tool, Slayer, Tom Morello and so many more. It proved to be an appropriate sendoff for Osbourne, who died less than three weeks later.

In a recent appearance on the Dumb Blonde podcast, Sharon Osbourne noted that her late husband had been told he didn’t have long to live prior to the performance.

READ MORE: See Photos of the Osbourne Family at the 2026 Grammy Awards

“Two weeks before the show, they said he could probably die and he did,” she admitted (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “But he wanted to do it so bad. He needed it. And it’s, like, ‘Whether I die in two weeks or I die in six months, I’m still dying. And I wanna go my way.’ And he did. He went like a rock star.”

‘Ozzy, This Could Kill You’

“It’s kind of bittersweet, because, again, we knew,” Sharon continued. “Ozzy had sepsis earlier on last year. And very few people ever walk away from that without losing a limb or their life… And as soon as he got sepsis, the kids and I, we knew it was time. And then when we went to England, he went into hospital for a week. And when he came out, they said, ‘You know, Ozzy, this could kill you.’ And he said, ‘I’m doing my show.’ And it was — I mean, he went out like a king.”

As Sharon explained, Ozzy ended his life the way he lived it — on his own terms.

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“He went the way he wanted to go,” she remarked. “It was so quick. And thank God. And I knew when they were trying to revive him, I knew. I’m, like, ‘Don’t. Don’t do it. Leave him.’ He was done. But again, he went out like a rock star.”

Below, see a ranking of every Ozzy solo album.

Ozzy Osbourne Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

See how Ozzy’s albums stack up!

Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita

Epic

12. ‘Black Rain’ (2007)

Black Rain stands as a black mark on the Ozzy Osbourne discography. Enduring another six year drought between albums, the Prince of Darkness came back with his weakest album to date in 2007. The record would be the last to feature Zakk Wylde on guitar, seemingly caught between aimless mid-tempo plodding and formulaic soft and quiet moments. Lead single “I Don’t Wanna Stop” is anchored by a steady, anthemic beat, but wound up being all too predictable and, unfortunately, the best song here.

Epic

11. ‘Scream’ (2010)

One year before reuniting again with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath, Ozzy released his 10th studio album, Scream in 2010. Though it was the first to feature Firewind guitarist Gus G., the axeman did not have a hand in crafting any of the songs here, as producer Kevin Churko teamed up with Osbourne to write the record.

“Let it Scream” brought frenetic guitar playing and a throwback sound that hadn’t been entertained in nearly 20 years.

The remainder is almost strictly rhythmically focused, but songs like “Let it Die” and “Diggin’ Me Down” took the sound in a new direction, which was refreshing despite its mixed results.

Epic

10. ‘Down to Earth’ (2001)

Between Ozzmosis and 2001’s Down to Earth, the original Black Sabbath lineup reunited, putting a freeze on Ozzy’s solo output. The frontman then regrouped his solo band, bringing Zakk Wylde back into the fold after enlisting Joe Holmes over the last six years.

Down to Earth starts off relatively promising with “Gets Me Through” and “Facing Hell,” both backed by sludgy rhythms and obvious studio effects laid over Osbourne’s voice. For the time, these two tracks fit the musical mold, but the album sort of falls apart afterward, struggling to vie for relevance when nu-metal had a stranglehold on the metal scene and offering little for fans still desperately clinging on to the ‘80s metal style.

Even so, there’s still some other great tracks here, such as a tender ballad “Dreamer,” one of Ozzy’s best, as well as the rolling groove of “Junkie.”

Sony

9. ‘Ordinary Man’ (2020)

If you’re looking for Ozzy to return to classic metal glory, you can safely forget about it. Teaming with Post Malone’s producer Andrew Watt (who also played guitar) to write the spur-of-the-moment Ordinary Man.

Ozzy came away with a varied album with a handful of undeniable songs. These are some of the strongest vocal melodies of his career and, most importantly, the Prince of Darkness sounded like he had fun recording this one.

Epic

8. ‘Ozzmosis’ (1995)

The mid-90s was an almost certain death sentence for any legacy act, now caught between grunge and groove popularized by Pantera.

Ozzmosis marked Ozzy’s return to the studio after a four year drought, though the time off did little to replenish the creative well, leaning on familiar sounds and styles, such as the touch-and-go tenderness of songs such as “Ghost Behind My Eyes” and “See You on the Other Side.”

Ozzmosis was not without its hits, however, bringing the “Mr. Crowley” Pt. II sounding “Perry Mason,” the lumbering “Thunder Underground” and the cleverly titled “My Jekyll Doesn’t Hide.”

Epic Records

7. ‘Patient Number 9’ (2022)

Improving on the best parts of Ordinary Man, producer Andrew Watt genuinely recaptured the magic of post-1980s Ozzy. The songwriting positively glistens and comes off as the most focused Ozzy record since No More Tears, which is quite a massive achievement.

With a star-studded guest contributor list that includes Tony Iommi, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Chaney, Josh Homme, Mike McCready and more, Patient Number 9 is surprisingly cohesive.

Lyrically, it’s classic Ozzy as the legend sings about negative emotions, sorrow and, perhaps a bit unorthodox, masturbation.

If this is indeed our Prince of Darkness’ swansong, Ozzy goes out on a high note.

Epic

6. ‘Bark at the Moon’ (1983)

Replacing the already iconic Randy Rhoads appeared to be an insurmountable task, but Ozzy struck gold once again when he landed supreme axeman Jake E. Lee. The guitarist immediately assuaged fans with the arresting jolt of the Bark at the Moon title track, lending credence to the opening line “Screams break the silence / Waking from the dead of night.”

Not lined with as many standouts as the previous two albums, “Centre of Eternity” and “Waiting for Darkness” are two of the criminally underrated tracks in the Ozzy Osbourne discography.

Epic

5. ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ (1988)

After sacking Jake E. Lee, Ozzy now had a streak of one guitarist per two albums. This would come to an end with the recruitment of 21-year-old Zakk Wylde, who would go on to be the longest tenured guitarist Osbourne ever had.

Another world class talent, Wylde brought a more aggressive edge on No Rest for the Wicked, aided by a thicker production. “Miracle Man,” “Crazy Babies” and “Breakin’ All the Rules” lead as the album’s singles, with “Bloodbath in Paradise” and “Fire in the Sky” also becoming fan favorites.

Epic

4. ‘The Ultimate Sin’ (1986)

The Ultimate Sin was one of the less popular Ozzy records around the time of its release, yielding just one powerhouse single in “Shot in the Dark,” which featured bassist Phil Soussan’s only writing credit. The record has held up surprisingly well, becoming a bit of a hidden gem in the Ozzy canon. Though they weren’t smash hits, the title track’s romping rhythm, the self-loathing of the delightfully catchy “Secret Loser” and the smirk-inducing “Thank God for the Bomb” make for an excellent Side A. The flip side dials back the intensity, anchored by the remarkable and epic anti-war song “Killer of Giants.”

Epic

3. ‘No More Tears’ (1991)

Right before metal was beginning to fall by the wayside as the grunge era took over, Ozzy kept the flag flying high and true on his sixth album, entering the third decade of his musical career.

Shaking off the ‘80s guitar playing a bit, “I Don’t Want to Change the World” and the ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home” had a decidedly radio-friendly commercial flair and lyrical contributions from Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister.

The instantly catchy bass line and signature descending guitar lead are the hallmarks of the lengthy title track, juxtaposing the concise and memorable “Desire” and “Hellraiser,” the latter two also featuring lyrics from Lemmy.

Jet

2. ‘Diary of a Madman’ (1981)

Diary of a Madman proved to be Randy Rhoads’ final contribution before tragically dying in a plane accident the following year. The bright production gives the fist-pumping opener “Over the Mountain” a significant boost, going seamlessly into “Flying High Again.” The back half of the record boasts a formidable one-two punch to close it out. “S.A.T.O.” is one of the most sinister Ozzy songs to date, taking the energy here and furthering the emotional weight with the melancholic title track.

Jet

1. ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ (1980)

Originally intending to form a new band called Blizzard of Ozz, Ozzy Osbourne’s first foray outside of Black Sabbath was released as a solo record, instead titled Blizzard of Ozz.

One of metal’s most famous and subsequently best debut records featured the electrifying playing of young guitarist Randy Rhoads. Helping to define heavy metal for the rest of the decade, the album brought the all-time anthem “Crazy Train” along with the controversial “Suicide Solution” and the haunting heft of “Mr. Crowley,” remaining Ozzy’s greatest album to this day.

Read More: 2 Weeks Before Final Show, Ozzy Was Told He Could ‘Probably Die’ | https://loudwire.com/ozzy-osbourne-probably-die-weeks-before-last-show/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQPLQdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDjJILOsqJbQ8KY0ODwmFLeF8XdUAJrwNVYoZoV0BThMSJLx4Kd4wbgU2hGk_aem_Of1KxBKyjtlKg-gSfcrHGA&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral