Crazy Train
{{Short description|1980 single by Ozzy Osbourne}}
{{for |The Cleveland Show episode|The Cleveland Show (season 4)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Crazy Train
| cover = Crazy Train 45.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Ozzy Osbourne
| album = Blizzard of Ozz
| B-side = You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You
| released = 29 August 1980 (UK)
| recorded = 22 March 1980
| studio = Ridge Farm Studio, Rusper, West Sussex
| venue =
| genre = * Heavy metal{{cite web|title=The Best Heavy Metal Songs: 16 Undeniable Classics|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-heavy-metal-songs/|website=www.udiscovermusic.com|date=10 February 2022 |access-date=2 March 2022}}{{cite web|title=VH1 - 40 Greatest Metal Songs|url=https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/~dtompkin/music/list/Best16.html|website=cs.uwaterloo.ca|author=Dave Tompkins|access-date=2 March 2022}}
| length = 4:52
| composer = {{hlist|Bob Daisley|Ozzy Osbourne|Randy Rhoads}}
| lyricist = Bob Daisley
| producer = {{hlist|Bob Daisley|Lee Kerslake|Randy Rhoads}}
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Mr Crowley
| next_year = 1980
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|FVovq9TGBw0|"Crazy Train"}}}}
{{External music video|header=Animated music video|
{{YouTube|tMDFv5m18Pw|"Crazy Train"}}}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Crazy Train (Live)
| cover = OzzyOsbourne CrazyTrainLive Single 1987.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Ozzy Osbourne
| album = Tribute
| B-side = {{ubl|"Crazy Train"|"I Don't Know"}}
| released = 1987
| recorded = 1981
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Heavy metal
| length = 5:19
| label = Epic
| composer = {{hlist|Bob Daisley|Ozzy Osbourne|Randy Rhoads}}
| lyricist = Bob Daisley
| producer = Max Norman
| prev_title = The Ultimate Sin
| prev_year = 1986
| next_title = Miracle Man
| next_year = 1988
}}
"Crazy Train" is the debut solo single by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, released in 1980 from his debut album as a solo artist, Blizzard of Ozz (1980). The song was written by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley. The lyrics deal with the subject of the Cold War and the fear of annihilation that existed during that period.{{cite book|author1=Kajzer, Jackie|title=Full Metal Jackie Certified: The 50 Most Influential Metal Songs of the '80s|author2=Lotring, Roger|date=2010|publisher=Course Technology|isbn=978-1-4354-5441-5|page=43}}{{cite web |last1=Mills |first1=Matt |title=Lawsuits, warfare and “bone movies”: The stories behind every song on Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard Of Ozz |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/ozzy-osbourne-blizzard-of-ozz-track-by-track-guide |website=Metal Hammer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=21 March 2025 |date=8 February 2024}}
Production
Guitarist Greg Leon, who initially took Randy Rhoads's place in Quiet Riot, has claimed that he helped Rhoads write what would become the iconic "Crazy Train" riff. "We were hanging out, and I showed him the riff to Steve Miller's 'Swingtown'. I said: 'Look what happens when you speed this riff up.' We messed around, and the next thing I know he took it to a whole other level and end up writing the 'Crazy Train' riff."{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/randy-rhoads-the-guitarist-who-changed-the-world
|title=Randy Rhoads: The Guitarist Who Changed The World|first=Mick|last=Wall|publisher=Classic Rock|date=1 February 2012}} Guitarist William Weaver has also claimed to have written the signature riff and then presented the music to Rhoads in a studio session.{{cn|date=September 2023}} Bassist Bob Daisley, however, has insisted that it is solely created by Rhoads.
Reception
AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey described the main guitar riff as "a classic, making use of the full minor scale in a way not seen since Ritchie Blackmore's heyday with Deep Purple."{{cite web|last=Huey |first=Steve |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/crazy-train-mt0011964175 |title=Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=16 April 2010}}
The song is one of Osbourne's best known and recognizable as a solo performer.{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1302 |title=Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne Songfacts |publisher=Songfacts.com |access-date=16 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615010816/http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1302 |archive-date=15 June 2012 }} It was rated 9th-greatest guitar solo ever by readers of Guitar World magazine.{{cite web |url=http://guitar.about.com/library/bl100greatest.htm |title=100 Greatest Guitar Solos - Tablature for the greatest guitar solos of all time |publisher=Guitar.about.com |date=2 November 2009 |access-date=16 April 2010 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160305022334/http://guitar.about.com/od/guitaristsatoz/tp/100-Greatest-Guitar-Solos.htm |url-status=dead }} The song was also ranked ninth by VH1 on the list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913132117/http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2006 |title=Original TV Shows, Reality TV Shows |publisher=VH1 |date=30 September 2016 |access-date=16 October 2016}} and in 2009 it was named the 23rd-greatest hard rock song of all time also by VH1,{{cite web|title=Vh1 Top 100 Hard Rock Songs |publisher=spreadit.org music |url=http://music.spreadit.org/vh1-top-100-hard-rock-songs/ |access-date=7 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212180319/http://music.spreadit.org/vh1-top-100-hard-rock-songs/ |archive-date=12 February 2009 }} the highest placement by a solo artist on the list. In 2021, it topped Metal Hammer{{'}}s readers' poll of the Top 50 Ozzy Osbourne songs, with the magazine informing that it is Osbourne's most played song, with over 1150 live performances, over 18 million plays on YouTube, and more than 500 million on Spotify (as of March 2023).{{cite web |last1=Hobson |first1=Rich |title=The 50 best Ozzy Osbourne songs of all time |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-best-ozzy-osbourne-songs-of-all-time/5 |website=Metal Hammer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=December 26, 2021 |date=December 18, 2021}} In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song number six on their list of the 100 greatest heavy metal songs.{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=2023-03-13 |title=The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-heavy-metal-songs-1234688425/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}
Crazy Train has recently been used as the walk-out song for Premier League football club Aston Villa, who are Osbourne’s hometown and favourite club.{{Cite news |last=Tanswell |first=Jacob |date=2024-07-30 |title=How Aston Villa’s viral kit video came together: Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, transfer trickery |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5665310/2024/07/30/aston-villa-ozzy-osbourne-geezer-butler-new-kit/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Chart performance
The single reached No. 49 on the United Kingdom singles chart in 1980.{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19970/ozzy-osbourne/ |title=Ozzy Osbourne |author= |website=www.officialcharts.com |publisher=The Official UK Charts Company |access-date=8 September 2017 }} In the United States, the song reached No. 9 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart in 1981.{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=2002 |title=Rock Tracks |location=Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |page=103 |isbn=0-89820-153-5}} The master ringtone was certified double platinum and had by September 2010 sold 1,750,000 downloads.{{cite web|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/66353/chart-watch-extra-songs-from-the-last-century/|title=Chart Watch Extra: Songs From The Last Century|website=new.music.yahoo.com|access-date=5 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005090926/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/66353/chart-watch-extra-songs-from-the-last-century/|archive-date=5 October 2010}} The Tribute re-release was accompanied by a music video.
Personnel
1980 studio version
- Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals, harmony vocals
- Randy Rhoads – guitars
- Bob Daisley – bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake – drums, vibraslap
1987 version (originally recorded live in 1981)
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Randy Rhoads – guitar
- Rudy Sarzo – bass
- Tommy Aldridge – drums
- Don Airey – keyboards
2002 re-issue
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Randy Rhoads – guitar
- Robert Trujillo – bass
- Mike Bordin – drums
- Don Airey – keyboards
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1980–1981 weekly chart performance for "Crazy Train" ! scope="col"| Chart (1980–81) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|UK|49|date=19800914|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 November 2024}} |
| scope="row"| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard){{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1998 |title=Bubbling Under Singles & Albums |location=Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |page=152 |isbn=0-89820-128-4}}
| 6 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|9|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|song=Crazy Train|accessdate=17 November 2024|rowheader=true}} |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "Crazy Train (Live)" ! scope="col"| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|UK|99|date=19870628|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 November 2024|refname="UK 1987"}} |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2009 weekly chart performance for "Crazy Train" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2009)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard){{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/DIGITAL.html|title=Canada Digital Top 50: Week of January 11, 2009|website=Canoe.com|publisher=Jam!|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20090122020611/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/DIGITAL.html|archivedate=January 22, 2009|access-date=January 2, 2025}}
| 88 |
| {{single chart|UKrock|18|date=20090111|accessdate=17 November 2024|rowheader=true}} |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2011 weekly chart performance for "Crazy Train" ! scope="col"| Chart (2011) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| US Hard Rock Digital Song Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ozzy-osbourne/chart-history/hrd/|title=Ozzy Osbourne Chart History (Hard Rock Digital Song Sales)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=17 November 2024}}
| 1 |
|---|
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 weekly chart performance for "Crazy Train" ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| US Hard Rock Streaming Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ozzy-osbourne/chart-history/hrs/|title=Ozzy Osbourne Chart History (Hard Rock Streaming Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=17 November 2024}}
| 17 |
|---|
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=2024|id=12167|access-date=13 March 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Platinum|relyear=1980|access-date=23 December 2024|certyear=2021|source=radioscope}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Gold|relyear=1980|access-date=27 February 2025|certyear=2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2022|access-date=19 August 2022|id=15849-1252-1}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Platinum|number=4|relyear=1980|certyear=2020|access-date=2 September 2020|refname=RIAA}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Ozzy Osbourne|title=Crazy Train|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2003|certyear=2009|digital=true|note=Mastertone|access-date=20 July 2021|certref=}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t923194|pure_url=yes}} Song review] at Allmusic
- "[https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/ozzy-osbourne/crazy-train Crazy Train]" lyrics on Songfacts
{{Ozzy Osbourne}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Animated music videos
Category:Songs written by Ozzy Osbourne
Category:Songs written by Randy Rhoads
Category:Songs about mental health