Why Ozzy Osbourne Was ‘Obsessed’ With Peter Gabriel’s ’80s Album ‘So’

Ozzy Osbourne and Eddie Van Halen shared an unexpected admiration for Peter Gabriel’s 1986 album So, a record far removed from their usual heavy rock roots. The album, which includes hits like “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time,” “In Your Eyes,” and the duet with Kate Bush, “Don’t Give Up,” came up during an episode of Jack Osbourne’s Trying Not to Die podcast, in which Ozzy’s son Louis Osbourne appeared as a guest.

Ozzy Osbourne’s Appreciation for ‘So’

Louis revealed that his father was deeply engrossed with So during the 1980s. “Dad was obsessed at the time, and with the musical production thing, [with] Peter Gabriel’s So album. God, we listened to that album… Dad was mad into it. Most of our lives it was Beatles, Beatles, Beatles that we listened to all the time, but that was one of the albums that he [loved],” he recalled. Louis also admitted that Ozzy had a crush on Kate Bush, who contributed vocals to the album’s poignant duet “Don’t Give Up.”

Interestingly, So also ranked as Eddie Van Halen’s favorite album, according to Wolfgang Van Halen. “His favorite album of all-time, along with one of my favorite albums, was So by Peter Gabriel. He had a very eclectic taste,” Wolfgang shared, adding that he had chosen “In Your Eyes” as his wedding song in honor of his late father. Released in 1986, So reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, while “Sledgehammer” became Gabriel’s first U.S. No. 1 hit. The album has since been certified five times platinum by the RIAA.

Ozzy’s Eclectic Musical Taste

During the podcast, Jack and Louis Osbourne provided further insight into Ozzy’s personal musical preferences, revealing that he was far more varied than many assumed. “Everyone assumed that he was all into [rock] but he didn’t really listen to rock. He would appreciate it. He could understand it. He was more intrigued with music with really amazing production and melody,” Jack said.

Louis added that Ozzy frequently listened to ’80s acts like Tears for Fears and other pop-oriented music. Jack noted that venturing beyond heavy metal was typical for Ozzy, who enjoyed music with strong production and melodic craftsmanship. “He loved music from the ’80s. He went through a heavy Michael Jackson phase over the last couple of years,” Jack shared.

Ozzy also admired contemporary vocalists. Louis noted, “I’ll tell you who really, really, really did blow him away was Adele. He was massive. He was massively in awe of her vocal range and her singing. He was really quite blown away… and Amy Winehouse as well. He played Amy Winehouse a lot. But in the last 20 years, they are probably two of the greatest voices to come out of the U.K.” Jack further highlighted Ozzy’s appreciation for Annie Lennox and mentioned that Sharon Osbourne had encouraged him to record duets with some of his favorite female singers in later years.

Rock Preferences Were Selective

When it came to rock, Ozzy’s tastes were more selective. “He would listen to AC/DC. He would listen to some… but really only actually probably AC/DC,” Jack explained, later adding that he occasionally heard Ozzy listening to Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.

This revelation paints a portrait of Ozzy Osbourne not just as a metal icon, but as a listener with wide-ranging musical curiosity, spanning everything from ’80s pop and art rock to modern vocalists and select rock staples.