Ozzy Osbourne shared his all-time favorite songs, and while it’s not surprising that The Beatles frequently appear, fans might not be surprised by his number one choice.
Ozzy Osbourne and his pioneering metal band Black Sabbath inspired hundreds of big-name musicians over decades of rock excellence.
Fans might expect a man with such talents and reputation to have impeccable music taste, but the one song Ozzy labelled his favourite song of all time might surprise you. Long before his death on Tuesday (July 22), Ozzy revealed the one song he favours above all others – and it’s not a Black Sabbath tune.
It’s not one of his many excellent solo tracks, in fact. Even though I’m a self-proclaimed Beatles fan, it’s likely even a surprisingly surprising fact that the Fab Four doesn’t even write music.
Ozzy chose Procol Harum’s spine-tingling 1967 masterpiece A Whiter Shade of Pale as his top choice, Ozzy claimed. Osbourne explained why this song resonated with him in a 2009 composition for NME’s publication Inspired By Music, which features celebrities choosing their favorite songs.
He said, “I immediately become enthralled when I hear that haunting melody on the Hammond organ.” A Whiter Shade of Pale, which was released in 1967, quickly dominated the UK charts for six weeks.
It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and is still one of the few recordings that has sold more than 10 million copies. The track’s eerie atmosphere is unique for Ozzy, which arguably echoes the eerie elements in his own compositions.
Procol Harum holds the top spot, but Ozzy’s last two songs show the depth of his musical influences. He revealed his favorite songs from that era in a conversation with Rolling Stone in 2004 and gave an insight into the tracks that had shaped his life and career.
The Beatles’ A Day in the Life is the star of the selection. Ozzy remarked, “It transports me to a magical period in my life.”
Beyond this single track, his admiration for The Beatles extends. Additionally, he chose Yesterday and Hey Jude as two of his top picks, with “Hands down, one of the greatest songs ever written.”
He remarked, “I would have loved to have heard the working-title version of Scrambled Eggs,” applauding the simplicity of the latter’s original title. John Lennon’s song “Imagine” comes in second place behind Ozzy’s list due to how deep and consistent the song is. He declared, “This song will never get old for me.”
Third place goes to another McCartney hit, “Live and Let Die,” which the singer describes as “a f*ing great song. I love it”!. Money, a classic Pink Floyd song, brings back vivid memories of Ozzy’s wilder years. “Reminds me of my LSD days. He recalled how happy he was that he had survived.
Ozzy is also deeply moved by Mountain’s Mississippi Queen, which recalls Black Sabbath’s first US tour. He shared that this one reminds him of my first encounter with Black Sabbath on their first U.S. tour.
Unsurprisingly, Ozzy recalls the profound impact Dazed and Confused had on him and Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused made it onto his list.
He said: “My world stood still the first time I heard this.” The Animals’ hit Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood has long been a favourite for Ozzy, who considers it to have “always [been] a favourite”.
The rock legend also praised Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which he added to his collection.
Source: Mirror
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