Ozzy Osbourne’s Legacy Lives On as ‘The Essential Ozzy’ Hits Billboard Top 10 Again
Just days after the world mourned the loss of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, fans helped push his music back into the spotlight. His 2003 compilation album, The Essential Ozzy Osbourne, has soared into the Billboard Top 10, debuting at No. 7 between July 18 and 24 — marking the 10th time Ozzy has landed in the chart’s upper tier as a solo artist.
‘The Essential Ozzy’ surges in streams and sales
According to data from Luminate and reported by Variety, the compilation — featuring classics like Crazy Train, Diary of a Madman, and more — racked up nearly 44,000 equivalent album units in a single week. It also landed at No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Streaming Albums after earning more than 48 million streams during the same period.
This resurgence comes just after the 76-year-old rocker’s death on July 22, and fans around the world are honoring his legacy by revisiting his groundbreaking catalog.
A decorated chart history
The Essential Ozzy Osbourne is far from his only success. Ozzy previously reached the Billboard 200 top 10 with albums like:
- Patient Number 9 (No. 3, 2022)
- Ordinary Man (No. 3, 2020)
- Scream (No. 4, 2010)
- Black Rain (No. 3, 2007)
- Down to Earth (No. 4, 2001)
- Ozzmosis (No. 4, 1995)
- No More Tears (No. 7, 1991)
- Tribute with Randy Rhoads (No. 6, 1987)
- The Ultimate Sin (No. 6, 1986)
And with Black Sabbath, he also scored top 10 albums, including the chart-topping 13 (No. 1 in 2013) and Master of Reality (No. 8 in 1971).
A farewell befitting a legend
In his final days, sources say Ozzy was reinvigorated by one last reunion with his Black Sabbath bandmates. His farewell concert — delivered from a black leather chair due to health limitations — was described as a “post-show high” that lit a fire in the legendary frontman during his remaining days.
“It energised him — it filled him with life,” a close friend shared. “He’d really been slowing down, and then after the show, he was really back to being himself. It’s a beautiful ending.”
Rock world pays tribute, from stage to screen
Tributes poured in from fellow artists. One of the most emotional came during Alice Cooper’s sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena, where Johnny Depp joined Cooper on stage to perform Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. Cooper wore an Ozzy T-shirt and raised his fist in tribute after the performance.
The surprise appearance was part of Cooper’s concert with Judas Priest and celebrated the release of The Revenge of Alice Cooper, marking the band’s first album in over 50 years.
Did Ozzy Osbourne’s music shape your love for rock or metal? Share your favorite song or memory in the comments on ChicagoMusicGuide.com!