Although Ozzy Osbourne, the former leader of Black Sabbath, is considered the king of heavy metal, his taste in music is wide and transcends the boundaries of the genre. He has long respected Elton John’s work and previously said which song is his all-time favorite from the renowned performer.
Osbourne’s life was changed and he was given a blueprint by The Beatles, who also made him fall in love with music. His mind was opened when he heard about the Fab Four for the first time, and that realization led him to pursue Black Sabbath. Even though Osbourne’s subsequent musical endeavors were vastly different, Ozzy has a profound appreciation for art in all its forms.
Osbourne was already well-known in his own way once Elton John became a major star in the 1970s. It took until 2020 for the two most recognizable names in British music to eventually merge their distinct abilities on Ozzy’s solo tune “Ordinary Man.” This was despite the fact that they had been together for several decades.
The all-star cast of the ballad may be heard on Osbourne’s eponymous album. In addition to John’s contribution, the song included performances by Slash, Duff McKagan, and drummer Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Osbourne said, “It all just came together. When I was writing ‘Ordinary Man,’ it reminded me of an old Elton song, and I said to Sharon, ‘I wonder if he would sing on it?’ We asked, and lo and behold, he agreed and sings and plays piano on the song.”
When Osbourne featured “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” on his list of his ten all-time favorite songs for Rolling Stone in 2004, he was revealing his affection for John, as he had done years before. His assessment of the song was succinct and to the point, pointing out: “Great melody, lyrics. Great song. I love Elton John!”
The song in question is the first single from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, John’s most well-known album. By this point in his career, Elton had developed a hit machine with longstanding partner Bernie Taupin, taking their tunes from small clubs to Madison Square Garden. The record sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making John an unforeseen sensation.
Examining the song’s intimate lyrical meaning, Taupin stated in 2014: “The lyrics to the title track do say that I want to leave Oz and get back to the farm. I think that’s still my M.O. these days. I don’t mind getting out there and doing what everybody else was doing, but I always had to have an escape hatch.”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” perfectly depicts Taupin and John at the height of their abilities and conveys the grandeur of their collaboration. Moreover, Osbourne will always hold a particular place in his heart for the pop masterpiece, which continues to touch millions of people, until the day he passes away.