According to popular sources, when Ozzy Osbourne left Black Sabbath in 1978 to record his debut solo album, “Blizzard of Ozz,” it sewed some discontent within the band, and when they got back together to record their next album, Ozzy was fired from the band in April of 1979.
This was a massive blow to the hordes of fans the band had created for themselves over the preceding decade.
But if we take a look at the fallout of Ozzy’s departure with perfect 20/20 vision and 45 years of reflection time, it is possible to see the move as one of the best things for rock and roll, as a whole.
In this article, we will trace the ripple effects of the Black Sabbath breakup and determine if it was a great moment for rock and roll or a tragedy.
The last album Ozzy recorded vocals for prior to the break with Black Sabbath was “Never Say Die,” which did not receive the critical or commercial success of their previous work.
It does remain a cult favorite for a small sect of Black Sabbath fans, but the album is generally thought to be overwhelmingly underwhelming.
So, one could make the case that the classic lineup of Black Sabbath was starting to show signs of stagnation, being overtaken by a new crop of bands such as Van Halen, who opened for them on the tour for the album.
As Ozzy stated in an interview with SPIN Magazine, “With ‘Never Say Die!,’ we were down on our luck. We were just a fucking bunch of guys drowning in the fucking ocean.
We weren’t getting along with each other, and we were all fucked-up with drugs and alcohol. And I got fired.
It was just a bad thing. You try to lift your head up above water, but eventually, the tide sucks you under.”
That quote puts the split into perspective. As we’ll discover later in this article, both Ozzy and Sabbath found themselves rejuvenated after Ozzy’s departure.
The fallout of the Black Sabbath breakup seemed to generate great albums on both sides. Black Sabbath recruited Ronnie James Dio for their next two albums, which remain classic rock and roll albums.
Ronnie James Dio came over from the band Rainbow, which opened the door for Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner to get their start.
Those two went on to have successful careers, not to mention the fact that without Black Sabbath, we may have never seen Dio move on to his own solo career.
We can only speculate, but it’s possible that the breakup of Black Sabbath made all of that possible.
As for Ozzy, his solo career took off and rivaled the success of Black Sabbath – some may even say that it surpassed it.
His solo career was responsible for the launching of Randy Rhoads into the upper echelons of rock history – and giving him a spotlight that he may have never experienced with his former band, Quiet Riot.
Even Quiet Riot benefitted from Rhoads moving on to Ozzy’s band (although not initially) when they resurrected themselves in 1982 and released “Mental Health” in 1983; it became their most successful album by far – again, a classic that may not have been the same with Randy Rhoads in the band.
Later on, after the passing of Rhoads, the role of guitarist in Ozzy’s band helped artists like Jake E. Lee, Joe Holmes, Gus G, Brad Gillis, and Zakk Wylde enter the worldwide spotlight.
Not that those guys weren’t destined for great things anyway, but somehow, stepping into the shoes of Randy Rhoads held its own distinct honor.
By proxy, it stands to reason that the various bands and projects those guitarists enjoyed after the Ozzy gig may have also never been possible without an Ozzy solo career.
That is not to say they wouldn’t have become famous on their own or gone on to be in successful bands, but the role of Ozzy’s guitarist gave an artist instant credibility and record companies were much more willing to give a deal to someone who already has that notoriety.
For bands and artists like Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, they are more than a collection of their musical works.
They are a cultural force. Many current hard rock bands partially owe their start to appearances on Ozzfest.
We can safely speculate that Ozzfest would not have occurred had Ozzy not been successful as a solo artist, nor would he have gotten a television show.
Ozzy’s solo success didn’t diminish the accomplishments of Black Sabbath either. If anything, Ozzy’s success helped to keep Sabbath relevant during certain eras when the band was struggling to produce successful albums.
When Ozzy returned to Sabbath for the 2013 release “13,” it reached #1 on the Billboard Charts – their only album ever to do so. It also earned the band their first Grammy in 14 years.
The Black Sabbath – Ozzy split initially angered a lot of fans who obviously wanted to see their favorite band stay together and continue making music, but like any breakup, it can be seen as a negative thing or a chance for new opportunities.
The Sabbath breakup has had lasting ripple effects throughout the world of rock and roll, and I think it is easy to make the case that it created more opportunities for rock and roll artists than any other breakup in history.
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