10 Bands That Saved Their Career With One Album

For as much of a household name as he is now, it seems like an eternity since Ozzy Osbourne wasn't in the public eye. His cult of personality as the frontman of Black Sabbath and an impressive solo career has put him in the top tier for most metal singers. Then again, Osbourne was dangerously close to being viewed as a hard rock has-been at the start of the '80s.

Being booted from Sabbath for his drug abuse, Osbourne spent his early solo career getting strung out on drugs before his manager Sharon helped him to recover. Assembling a solo band behind him, Osbourne was floored by guitarist Randy Rhoads, whose leads were unlike anything the metal world had ever heard. Once the band ventured into the studio, Blizzard of Ozz marked Osbourne's second rise to the top.

With Rhoads' riffs as his anchor, Osbourne sounds like a new man on this record, with songs like "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" having a hopeful tone amid the morbid subject matter. The music definitely was brighter than the sounds of Tony Iommi, but Osbourne's trademark howl sounded stronger than ever. Sabbath may have been doing fine with Ronnie James Dio, but Osbourne's refusal to fade away quietly yielded one of the greatest metal albums of the decade.