But as Ozzy would humbly say, not even he is perfect. There are a few misses in his discography, and 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of what is his least favorite project: The Ultimate Sin.
"If there was ever an album I'd like to remix and do better, it would be The Ultimate Sin," he added.
Ozzy Was Falling Out With His Band On 'The Ultimate Sin'
In 1985, Osbourne underwent treatment for substance abuse at the Betty Ford Center. He came back to a disgruntled band: guitarist Jake E. Lee was still unhappy over how little he was paid for his contributions on Ozzy's prior album, Bark at the Moon.
Lee realized that Ozzy could easily "find another guitar player," so quitting wouldn't help him. Instead, Lee insisted on a more detailed contract for the next record. And while Ozzy was in rehab, Lee got a drum machine, a bass and "more or less wrote entire songs," he said, per Destroyer of Harmony.
Lee wasn't the only one unhappy with Osbourne. Bassist Bob Daisley began working with Ozzy in 1979 and helped put together the band (Randy Rhoads, Lee Kerslake) that would play on Ozzy's debut. Daisley also wrote nearly all the lyrics on Ozzy's first albums, including hits like "Crazy Train," "Mr. Crowley," and "Flying High Again."
But clashes between Ozzy and his wife/manager, Sharon Osbourne, over credit and financial matters led to his dismissal after Bark at the Moon. But Ozzy and Sharon reached out to Daisley about writing lyrics for The Ultimate Sin. "I'd already written a lot of the music with Jake, so they knew they had to credit me on the songs anyway," he told Ultimate Classic Rock. "I guess [Osbourne] thought he may as well get his money's worth and asked me to come back and write the lyrics also. I did that as sort of a paid job."
Ozzy Osbourne, aka "The Prince of Darkness," poses for a portrait before his performance at the Joe Louis Arena, on April 4, 1986Photo by Icon and Image on Getty Images
"I'm glad I didn't play on that one; I think it's Ozzy's worst album," Daisley said years after its release. "Even he didn't like it and referred to it as The Ultimate Din."
Producer Nevison also clashed with the band. "He told Sharon [Osbourne] that he wanted to start no later than noon," Lee told Guitar World. "I said, 'Noon? I'm not even thinking about waking up then. I won't start any earlier than 6 p.m.' So right off the bat, we had problems, and Nevison told Sharon, 'I know a lot of guitar players… we don't have to use him. We can use other people to come in and play the parts. I have all the demos.'"
Sharon, to her credit, told Nevison he was "out of his f—king mind" and defended Lee (she'd later admit to being a "mean bitch” to those who she dislikes, like replacing Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake's bass tracks replaced on the 2002 reissues of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman to "teach [them] a lesson"; she'd restore their performances on ensuing reissues).
'The Ultimate Sin' Was Still A Smash Success
If it had been released in any other year but 1986, it might have been a bomb. But, at the time, heavy metal was the sound of the day, and even Ozzy's most mediocre output could be a best-seller. The Ultimate Sin reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was certified Platinum nearly two months after its release. The lead single, "Shot In The Dark," went to No. 68 on the Hot 100 and was a Top 10 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart.
'The Ultimate Sin's Legacy: 'Liberace Takes Acid'
Though Ozzy's disposition on The Ultimate Sin remained sour, the album did have a presence at Back to the Beginning, the final Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne show. Lzzy Hale sang "Ultimate Sin" as part of Tom Morello's All Stars, while David Draiman covered "Shot in the Dark."
"It's fair to say you can possibly find the worst song I've written on the Ultimate Sin album," Ozzy told Guitar Center, per Ultimate Classic Rock. "I don't think anyone goes into the studio with the intention of making a bad record, but it was like 'Liberace takes acid' at that point."
Related: Iconic ’80 Band Released an Album 35 Years Ago So ‘Horrible,’ They Broke Up
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