Ozzy Osbourne is no stranger to lists of the top metal albums of all time, having recently taken out the #1 spot on Rolling Stone’s own top 100 countdown with his seminal Black Sabbath release Paranoid.
Now, the publication has grabbed the metal icon for a moment to hear his own thoughts on the top ten spots, and while he’s given them a list of ten incredible records, it does veer a little bit more towards an earlier definition of metal than Rolling Stone’s list, veering more into the ‘hard rock’ domain of Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC.
It did give him a chance to shout out the late Bon Scott in his discussion of AC/DC though, describing the original singer as “the best singer AC/DC ever had” and the album as “an addiction” – a word Ozzie doesn’t throw around lightly.
Check the full article out on Rolling Stone, and give Ozzie’s picks a read below.
AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’ (1979)
“I love Brian Johnson but to me my good friend, the late Bon Scott, was the best singer AC/DC ever had. This album was like an addiction to me.”
Alice in Chains – ‘Facelift’ (1990)
“Another amazing debut. ‘Man in the Box’ is a classic. Layne Staley was a lovely guy. It’s such a shame that he couldn’t overcome his demons.
Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite for Destruction’ (1987)
“One of the greatest debut albums of all time. There’s not a weak song in the bunch. I never get tired of hearing it.
Judas Priest – ‘British Steel’ (1980)
“What can I say, the guys in Judas Priest are not only mates of mine from my hometown of Birmingham, but one of the best metal bands of all time. This album had ‘Living After Midnight,’ ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Metal Gods.’ ‘British Steel’ is a classic that will definitely stand the test of time.”
Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (1971)
“I’ve always been a huge Led Zeppelin fan. All of their studio albums are classics but this is one of my all-time favorites.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqeKikpLQ5o
Megadeth, ‘Rust in Peace’ (1990)
“I never realized how good this band was until I heard this album.”
Metallica, ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
“I took Metallica on tour with me after the release of ‘Master of Puppets.’ The album was a milestone for the band and for heavy metal.”
Motorhead – ‘Ace of Spades’ (1980)
“The album that put Motorhead over the top. The title track ‘Ace of Spades’ is Motorhead’s ‘Paranoid.’ It’s one of the great metal anthems and, to me, a band hasn’t made it until they have their own anthem. This is theirs.”
Pantera, ‘Cowboys From Hell’ (1990)
“These guys were some of the biggest party animals I ever toured with. Dimebag’s guitar playing shines on this album. This one should be in every metal fan’s collection.”
Rob Zombie, ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ (1999)
“Rob Zombie is also someone I’ve toured with quite a bit. He’s a true artist in every sense and ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ is Rob’s best in my opinion.”
