Ozzy Osbourne’s Favorite Beatles Song Is One We Wish He Would Cover, Honestly

Ozzy Osbourne and the Beatles might not exist in the same subgenres of rock ‘n’ roll, but the latter band had a profound impact on the former. Before Osbourne was the frontman of Black Sabbath and bona fide, bat-biting Prince of Darkness, he was a young Brummie listening to the Beatles’ “She Loves You” on a blue transistor radio. Osbourne has repeatedly cited hearing that track through his radio as being one of the most defining moments in his life, instantly solidifying his dream of becoming a rockstar himself.

Videos by American Songwriter

But Osbourne wasn’t just a fan of the Beatles’ early teeny bopper music. And after hearing another one of his all-time favorite Fab Four tracks, we can’t help but wish the Prince of Darkness would cover the song himself.

Like Going From Black and White To Vivid Technicolor

Like so many other Brits in the early 1960s, Ozzy Osbourne was a massive fan of the Beatles. In a 2019 interview published to Blabbermouth, the Prince of Darkness described his son asking him why he was such a big fan of the Beatles. “The only way I can describe it is like this,” Osbourne explained. “Imagine you go to bed today, and the world is black and white. Then, you wake up, and everything’s in color. That’s what it was like!”

Osbourne’s father picked up on his son’s love of the Beatles and gifted him his first PA and microphone. The Black Sabbath founder later said it was one of the best presents he had ever received. Osbourne put out an ad in the paper hawking his vocalist services, and Toni Iommi and Geezer Butler were the first to answer. The trio, along with Bill Ward, would form Black Sabbath.

The Prince of Darkness’ admiration of the Fab Four didn’t wane when he became famous himself. On a 2024 episode of The Osbournes podcast, Osbourne said, “When I first met Paul McCartney, it was like meeting Jesus Christ. He was a very nice man. And when I got a Grammy, he followed up with my producer to congratulate me. That was very, very special.”

Ozzy Osbourne’s Favorite Beatles Song Is A Worthy Cover Contender

All that being said, Ozzy Osbourne has no small shortage of favorite Beatles tracks. Although “She Loves You” was the first track to pull him in, Osbourne became a huge fan of their later, more eccentric work. That includes their 1966 track “Eleanor Rigby,” which Osbourne described as “f***ing phenomenal” in a Rolling Stone feature. “I don’t know why. I just know that every time I heard something from the Beatles, it made me feel better.”

Upon learning that one of Osbourne’s favorite Beatles song is the melancholy, string-forward “Eleanor Rigby,” we only had one question: why has Ozzy not covered this song yet?! Imagine it: “Eleanor Rigby” done á la “Mr. Crowley.” Fat, beefy electric guitars instead of violins and cellos. Can you not hear Ozzy Osbourne’s voice, wide open, singing the refrain, Ah, look at all the lonely people? Ozzy’s team, if you’re reading this, we don’t even want the credit. We just want to hear what would undoubtedly be a phenomenal take on a Beatles classic done by the one and only Prince of Darkness.

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage