RIP Ozzy: 11 Alternative Rock Bands Influenced by Ozzy Osborne and Black Sabbath. The late vocalist’s influence went far beyond metal, as ’90s alt-rock can attest to.
Ozzy Osbourne was a force of nature. He was the face and voice of heavy metal, the godfather of the genre, influencing thousands of other metal bands between his tenure in Black Sabbath and his solo career.
But as the recent Back to the Beginning benefit concert, held in Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham, England proved, he didn’t just influence metal acts: he also resonated with many alternative artists, who incorporated his sonic elements into their sound.
Sabbath’s doom-laden riffs and dark lyrical themes infiltrated alternative sub-genres, including grunge, industrial, noise rock and more. And Ozzy’s solo work offered new aural dimensions that were also deeply influential.
With that in mind, and to honor his legacy, here are eleven bands under the alternative umbrella, several of whom were featured on both 120 Minutes and Headbangers Ball in the ’90s: bands straddling the line between alt-rock and metal who wouldn’t be here today without the Prince of Darkness’s massive influence.
*Note: We realize “alternative” is a disputed term, and there are many metal bands that are perhaps alternative-adjacent (like SLIS faves Monster Magnet, and Kyuss for instance). To make this list unique, we’re focusing on bands where Ozzy and Sabbath’s influence might not be apparent on first listen, but is indisputably integrated into their sound.
There is no ranking system here, just a celebration of great bands influenced by the greatest metal frontman of all time, and his equally influential partners in crime.
1. Rage Against The Machine
Sabbath Influence: Grinding, groove-based riffs rooted in rebellion.
Tribute Connection: Tom Morello curated the Back to the Beginning lineup, and played on multiple songs throughout the set.
Morello has always worshiped at the altar of Ozzy. he has long cited Osborne’s guitarist Randy Rhoades as a primary influence, which he infused into Rage’s hip-hop fueled protest rock.
The propulsive riffs on songs like “Bulls on Parade”, “Bombtrack”, “Killing In the Name Of “and “Bullet In The Head” wouldn’t exist without Sabbath and Ozzy’s formative influence. Or as Morello stated himself: “Black Sabbath invented heavy metal, and everyone else just added their own twist.”
2. The Smashing Pumpkins
Tribute Connection: frontman Billy Corgan performed “Snowblind” at the tribute concert (with Morello).
Billy Corgan recently posted on Reddit, “RIP Ozzy. Without Sabbath, there would be no Pumpkins.” That influence comes through on tracks like “X.Y.U.”, “Silverfuck“, “Siva” and “Zero,” finding the sweet spot between Sabbath and My Bloody Valentine. And Corgan double-tracks his vocals, just like Ozzy did.
3. Ministry
Sabbath’s influence on Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen is apparent on slower tracks from albums The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste and Psalm 69, but in particular on the band’s unfairly maligned Filth Pig, which featured sullen, lumbering tempos and riffs on the title track, “Crumb” and “Dead Guy”.
But Jourgensen’s ultimate homage is his cover of “Supernaut“, originally recorded under the moniker 1000 Homo DJ’s, which features Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on vocals.
4. Alice in Chains
Sabbath Influence: Sludgy guitars, minor-key harmonies, and existential, introverted dread.
Tribute Connection: Performed “Faeries Wear Boots” at the Hollywood Bowl show.
Alice in Chains owe a massive debt to Sabbath’s eerie, oppressive sound. Their haunting harmonies and sinewy guitars are more in the doom metal vein of Master of Reality than Seattle grunge on classics like “Them Bones”, “Hate to Feel” and “Ain’t Like That”. And they even poached bassist Mike Inez from Ozzy’s band in 1993.
5. Queens of the Stone Age
Sabbath Influence: Riff-driven, hypnotic desert rock with stoner-metal DNA.
Josh Homme’s seismic detuned riffs show Sabbath’s influence, from his work with aforementioned 90’s stoner rock icons Kyuss to Queens. QOTSA tracks like “Song For The Dead“, “Millionaire” and “The Love Is Blood” channel Sabbath’s swing and swagger through a desert rock haze.
To further cement Ozzy’s influence on their work, the band performed “Paranoid” on VH-1’s 2007 Rock Honors.
6. Melvins
Sabbath Influence: Slow tempos, massive fuzz, and an irreverent sense of gloom.
The Melvins built an entire career on Sabbath’s blueprint, and might be the most prominent Sabbath devotees on this list, as evidenced on albums like Gluey Porch Treatments, Houdini, and Thunderball. Buzz Osborne named Master of Reality his favorite album and once said, “Without Sabbath, we’d just be a punk band with slower songs.”
**Given Nirvana were massive Melvins fans, Sabbath was a secondhand influence on the trio, especially on their debut album Bleach).
7. Soundgarden
Sabbath Influence: alternate tunings, abstract lyrics, and vocal acrobatics.
Soundgarden made grunge heavy, and along with the Melvins, Mother Love Bone and Green River, laid the framework for the entire sub-genre. Songs like “Slaves and Bulldozers” and “4th of July” fused Sabbath weight with post-punk elements, casting their metal shadow across the band’s discography.
8. Helmet
Sabbath Influence: Precision detuned, guttural riffs with Ozzy inspired vocals.
Helmet stripped Sabbath inspired riffery to its core elements, resulting in an Molotov cocktail of sound. Page Hamilton’s sharp-edged guitar tone and staccato grooves echo Sabbath’s tectonic power, minus the frills. Vocally, Ozzy’s influence on Hamilton also shines through, especially on the band’s MTV staple “Unsung”
9. TOOL
Tribute Connection: played “Hand of Doom” at the concert.
TOOL’s music takes the plodding Sabbath template, then infuses it with prog and goth. Their obsession with tempo shifts, mysticism, and ominous soundscapes all trace back to albums like Sabotage and Vol. 4. Those elements are infused in hits like “Forty-six and 2”, “Schism” and “Prison Sex”.
Frontman Maynard James Keenan is a true Ozzy disciple, as evidenced by his cover of “Crazy Train” at the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and his medley of “Diary of a Madman” and The Cure’s “Love Song” with A Perfect Circle.
10. White Zombie
Sabbath Influence: Horror-show theatrics and menacing grooves.
White Zombie took Sabbath’s horror fascination, but added pop culture references and a detached sense of irony. In addition to Sabbath inspired tunes like “Black Sunshine“, “Feed The Gods” and “Blood, Milk, & Sky” the band further proved their devotion with their 1994 cover of “Children of the Grave.”
11. Faith No More
Sabbath Influence: original guitarist Jim Martin and drummer Mike Puffy Bordin infused their love of Sabbath into the band’s unique, disparate musical stew.
Tribute Connection: Bordin performed on “Shot in the Dark” at Back to the Beginning.
Faith No More’s horror fueled track “Jizzlobber”, with its crushing, dissonant riffing, wouldn’t exist without Black Sabbath’s sonic imprint. And their 1989 cover of “War Pigs” (off breakthrough album The Real Thing) predated the avalanche of Sabbath covers by other acts in the ’90s, and featured an early showcase of vocalist Mike Patton’s multi-octave range.
And Bordin joined Ozzy’s band in 1996, giving his musical hero thunderous percussion that befitted his vocals before departing the group in 2010.
Final Thoughts
Ozzy and Sabbath didn’t just influence metal, they rewired alternative music as we know it. These eleven bands didn’t merely borrow from Sabbath, they reimagined the darkness and made it their own.
**Honorable Mentions: Monster Magnet, Mastodon, Danzig/Samhain/Misfits, Black Flag/Rollins Band, Billy Idol/Generation X, Corrosion of Conformity, Kyuss, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Fu Manchu, Type O Negative, The Obsessed, Godflesh
While not in the main list, due to their looser alternative connections, these left of center metal and punk bands each worship Sabbath in their own way, from the sludge-soaked riffs of Monster Magnet and Mastodon to Danzig’s nihilistic blues metal, to the Greg Ginn-era Sabbath flirtations in Black Flag. They deserve a shout, even if they’re outside the parameters of our ’90s-centric list (QOTSA made the cut since they formed in the late ’90s).
RIP Ozzy Osborne (1948-2025)
