Top 6 Musicians Who Absolutely Hated Ozzy Osbourne – When Metal’s Prince of Darkness Became Its Most Controversial Outcast!

In the shadowy corridors of heavy metal history, few figures evoke as much passion as Ozzy Osbourne.

Known as the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy helped define the genre with Black Sabbath’s pioneering sound.

Yet, his career was far from smooth sailing.

His unpredictable behavior and theatrical antics sparked intense controversy and earned him enemies among some of metal’s most respected artists.

Ozzy wasn’t just a rock star; he was a lightning rod for drama and disdain.

From backstage snubs to public insults, the Prince of Darkness faced disdain from some of the very legends who shaped metal alongside him.

These feuds weren’t just petty squabbles—they revealed deeper conflicts about authenticity, artistry, and what metal truly should be.

Let’s count down the six musicians who reportedly couldn’t stand Ozzy Osbourne.

Number six: Ronnie James Dio.

Dio, the legendary voice behind Rainbow and Heaven and Hell, harbored a deep-seated animosity toward Ozzy that went beyond professional rivalry.

The tension began when Dio replaced Ozzy in Black Sabbath in 1979.

Dio believed the band had lost its original vision and privately dismissed Ozzy as a clown who stumbled into greatness.

He criticized Ozzy’s theatrical shock value, accusing him of prioritizing spectacle over true metal artistry.

Dio’s disdain was clear when he labeled some performers as turning metal into a circus act—a pointed jab at Ozzy’s style.

Their rivalry peaked during the 1980s metal scene wars, with Dio snubbing Ozzy backstage and publicly drawing lines between “real metal” and what he called “cartoon metal.”

Number five: Phil Anselmo.

The volatile frontman of Pantera saw Ozzy as a relic of metal’s embarrassing past.

During the 1990s, as Pantera pushed metal into heavier, more aggressive territory, Anselmo viewed Ozzy’s continued popularity as clinging to outdated nostalgia.

He reportedly called Ozzy a “has-been” riding on decades-old glory and refused to shake his hand at a festival, labeling him someone who turned metal into a joke.

Despite Ozzy’s attempts to bridge the gap, Anselmo remained cold, dismissing Ozzy as a performer from a different era.

Number four: Bruce Dickinson.

Iron Maiden’s charismatic frontman reportedly resented Ozzy beyond the usual British metal rivalry.

Dickinson saw Ozzy’s success as proof that theatrics could triumph over talent.

He described Ozzy as more of a showman than a serious musician, suggesting that real metal should stand on musical merit, not on how many dead animals you can mutilate on stage.

Their rivalry culminated in Dickinson avoiding photos with Ozzy and publicly distancing himself from Ozzy’s style.

Number three: Dave Mustaine.

Megadeth’s fiery leader took Ozzy’s dismissal of thrash metal personally.

When Mustaine sought a collaboration or tour slot with Ozzy’s management, he was reportedly rejected without consideration.

Ozzy’s comment that thrash bands were “just angry kids making angry noise” infuriated Mustaine.

The feud intensified when Megadeth was excluded from Ozzy’s premier festival, Ozfest, which Mustaine blamed on industry politics favoring “dinosaurs” like Ozzy.

At a 1998 awards ceremony, Mustaine snubbed Ozzy, emphasizing that respect must be earned, not inherited.

Number two: Blackie Lawless.

W.A.S.P.’s theatrical mastermind saw Ozzy as a pale imitation of true shock rock.

Lawless considered Ozzy’s antics amateur hour compared to W.A.S.P.’s elaborate horror-themed spectacles.

He criticized Ozzy’s commercial success despite what he saw as sloppy shock value lacking artistic merit.

During the PMRC hearings, instead of uniting, their mutual disdain deepened.

Lawless refused to sit with Ozzy at an industry meeting, calling him “Amateur Hour.”

Even decades later, Lawless omitted Ozzy from discussions of influential shock rock performers.

And the number one musician who reportedly hated Ozzy Osbourne: Tony Iommi.

Ozzy’s own Black Sabbath guitarist and co-creator of the Prince of Darkness persona harbored the most intense animosity.

Their feud began in the late 1970s amid Ozzy’s escalating drug abuse and erratic behavior.

Iommi felt Ozzy had become a liability, turning their dark musical art into a traveling freak show.

Their multiple reunions were motivated by money, not reconciliation.

Witnesses noted barely any communication beyond musical directions, and during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, visible tension was palpable.

Iommi notably excluded Ozzy from his acceptance speech, focusing solely on the band’s musical legacy.

This ultimate betrayal underscored the bitter divides within metal’s royal family.

So there you have it: six explosive feuds revealing that even the Prince of Darkness couldn’t charm everyone.

From bandmates to rivals, Ozzy’s career was marked by clashes that shaped and shook the metal world.