Ozzy Osbourne’s Sons Reveal He Preferred Melodic Rock Like AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses

Ozzy Osbourne’s sons recently shed new light on their father’s surprising musical tastes, revealing that the Prince of Darkness rarely listened to the genre he helped define. In a conversation shared on Jack Osbourne’s YouTube channel, Louis and Jack Osbourne explained that their father’s private listening habits were far more eclectic—and far less heavy—than fans might expect.

Louis Osbourne noted that Ozzy’s day-to-day soundtrack bore little resemblance to the world of heavy metal. “He didn’t really listen to rock at all,” Louis said. “Shortly before he passed away, I was spending time with him and he had his little—was it a Bose or a JBL—little sound [system] attached to his phone. He’d just play it all the time when he was doodling with his art or working out. I mean, it was like he listened to things like Tears for Fears and quite a lot of 80s music.”

A Love for Powerful Voices

According to his sons, Ozzy was deeply moved by contemporary vocalists with exceptional range and emotional intensity. “I’ll tell you who really did blow him away when she first came out. Adele,” Louis continued. “He was massively in awe of her vocal range, her voice, and her singing. And Amy Winehouse as well. He rated Amy Winehouse a lot. Of course, in the last 20 years, they’re probably two of the greatest voices to have come out of the UK. So he listened to all kinds of stuff.”

Jack Osbourne added that when Ozzy did lean toward rock, he preferred melody-driven acts over heavier bands. “He still leaned more towards like the melodic stuff,” Jack said. “He would listen to AC/DC. He would listen to some really—actually probably only AC/DC. [He wouldn’t listen to Iron Maiden]. No. Hell no. Never a Maiden fan. Never. He would listen—I would hear him listen to Metallica occasionally. And Guns N’ Roses.”

This private side of Ozzy stands in stark contrast to his public persona as the frontman of Black Sabbath and one of heavy metal’s foundational voices. His listening habits suggest that vocal expression, emotional delivery, and melody held far greater importance to him than sheer heaviness.

Influences, Contradictions, and a Broader Musical Legacy

Far Out Magazine once reported that when asked to name his favorite heavy metal artist, Ozzy jokingly responded, “Ozzy Osbourne.” When asked for a serious answer, he named Iron Maiden—an amusing contradiction when compared with his sons’ claim that he “never” listened to the band. The discrepancy highlights how Ozzy’s public statements didn’t always reflect his private preferences.

Ozzy’s foundational musical influences came from classic rock trailblazers. He often cited Led Zeppelin and The Who as formative inspirations. The Beatles, in particular, held an especially deep meaning for him; he named “A Day In The Life” and “Hey Jude” as two of the greatest songs ever written, praising their emotional impact and their connection to pivotal moments in his life.

In later years, Ozzy was openly critical of contemporary music. During a conversation with Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, he argued that modern music lacks originality, claiming it is “all f* rehashed” and insisting there is “no new music at all.” His critique seemed aimed at the broader landscape rather than at standout vocalists like Adele or Amy Winehouse, whose talent he respected immensely.

The insights from his sons reveal a lesser-known side of the metal icon: a listener who found inspiration not in distortion and aggression but in melody, artistry, and exceptional vocal performance. Their recollections suggest that behind Ozzy’s formidable legacy lay a far more nuanced and emotionally driven musical palate than the world ever knew.