Ozzy Osbourne’s First Charting Single as a Solo Artist Came From His Least Favorite Album and a 1960s ‘Pink Panther’ Film

By early 1985, Ozzy Osbourne had wrapped up nearly two years of touring around Bark at the Moon when he began working on his fourth solo album, The Ultimate Sin, with producer Ron Nevison (Led Zeppelin, Kiss). Released January 25, 1986, The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne’s highest-charting album as a solo artist at this point, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, yet it remained his least favorite album.

“Producer Ron Nevison didn’t really do a great production job,” said Osbourne in 2019. “The songs weren’t bad, they were just put down weird. Everything felt and sounded the f– king same. There was no imagination. If there was ever an album I’d like to remix and do better, it would be The Ultimate Sin.”

Also credited to Osbourne, the song was originally written by then-new bassist Phil Soussan, who wrote in 1983 for his former band Wildlife. Though the band recorded a demo of “Shot in the Dark,” they never officially released it.

The song was later deleted from reissues and compilations due to songwriting credit disputes by former members of Wildlife, including Steve and Chris Overland, keyboardist Mark Booty, and Bad Company’s Simon Kirke.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 3 Songs by The Beatles That Ozzy Osbourne Considered His Favorites]

‘The Pink Panther’

A longtime fan of the Pink Panther films starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau from the 1960s and ’70s, Soussan pulled the title “A Shot in the Dark” directly from the second installment in the series from 1964.

Originally, Soussan’s lyrics were influenced more by the Pink Panther film, before Osbourne added a more nefarious storyline around a stalker seeking his prey.

Out on the streets, I’m stalking the night
I can hear my heavy breathing
Paid for the kill, but it doesn’t seem right
Something there I can believe in

Voices are calling from inside my head
I can hear them, I can hear them
Vanishing memories of things that were said
They can’t try to hurt me now

But a shot in the dark
One step away from you
Just a shot in the dark
Always creeping up on you, all right

Taught by the powers that preach over me
I can hear their empty reason
I wouldn’t listen, I learnt how to fight
I opened up my mind to treason

In the music video for “Shot in the Dark,” directed by Andy Morahan (Paul McCartney, George Michael, Guns N’ Roses), Osbourne tries to possess a girl during his concert. In the audience, Dweezil Zappa has a cameo as a concertgoer.

[RELATED: The Serial Killer Meaning Behind Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears”]

On the Charts

Despite Osbourne’s disdain for the production of the album, “Shot in the Dark” was his first single to make it onto the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 68; it also reached No. 10 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Following Osbourne’s death on July 22, 2025, at age 76, Soussan called working on The Ultimate Sin and finally releasing “Shot in the Dark” a career breakthrough.

“As one whose career was ignited by him, I was so proud to be able to have been involved in pivotal moments when perhaps the future might not have been so clear,” said Soussan.

“When Ozzy paid me the honor of co-writing and recording the song, ‘Shot in the Dark,’” Soussan added, “he helped me on the way to realizing my dreams.”

Photo: Ross Marino/Getty Images