10 Hard Rock Musicians Who Outshined The Lead Singer

Ozzy Osbourne has forever been known as hard rock's token psychotic ever since his days in Black Sabbath. As soon as he left the hallowed halls he forged with Tony Iommi, Osbourne launched one of the greatest solo careers in metal history, as he continued to cultivate his sinister image. Though it's hard to outshine a solo artist, Randy Rhoads managed to do it in just two records.

As the 80's were dawning, Rhoads was one of the few musicians who helped bring Osbourne back from the edge. Though Ozzy was strung out on booze and pills at the time, Rhoads' otherworldly playing managed to break through Osbourne's drunken haze. Going into the studio, Rhoads' help cowrite some of the greatest songs of Ozzy's career, from the immortal "Crazy Train" to less known masterstrokes like "Mr. Crowley."

Coming from a classically tinged background, Rhoads' leads not only brought a bright edge to Ozzy's voice, but also managed to distance himself from the dark sounds of Tony Iommi's riff crafting. Rhoads' time with Ozzy came to a tragic end after he died in a plane crash while on tour, but there's no way Ozzy would be in the position he is now without this initial partnership.