Ozzy or Dio?

[Ramborambo]

Comparing both as being frontmen for Black Sabbath, and also their other ventures and solo careers, who would you choose? Who was the better vocalist? Better performer? Better fit for BS? Etc.

 

[Shig O'nella]

Ozzy's good, but I have to go Dio. Hell of a range, and was an absolute powerhouse on stage.

 

[Absolutego]

Comparing both as being frontmen for Black Sabbath, and also their other ventures and solo careers, who would you choose? Who was the better vocalist? Better performer? Better fit for BS? Etc.

Dio's the better singer, Ozzy better fits the dismal blues vibe that made early Black Sabbath.
The self-titled album would not have taken the world by storm had someone like Dio been singing it. You needed Ozzy's slightly flat crooning to make it work.
Really, Dio came in at the perfect point, when metal was mainstream enough that Iommi could branch out into new sounds without risking his career and the NWOBHM scene was making more technical singing more commercially accesible.

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

I love them both for different reasons. When I think of Sabbath I think of Ozzy so he's going to be my pick, but Dio was pretty goddamn badass and I love the power of his voice.

 

[The Wichita Lion]

Gonna get shit for this but Ozzy all the way, never really was a fan of Dio.

 

[User names must be unique]

Comparing both as being frontmen for Black Sabbath, and also their other ventures and solo careers, who would you choose? Who was the better vocalist? Better performer? Better fit for BS? Etc.

Ozzy as the frontman, Dio is probably the better vocalist but he doesn't suit my favourite sabbath stuff. War pigs and paranoid just feel and sound weird from Dio.

 

[Shig O'nella]

Ozzy as the frontman, Dio is probably the better vocalist but he doesn't suit my favourite sabbath stuff. War pigs and paranoid just feel and sound weird from Dio.

Agree on those, Paranoid especially. Just doesn't suit Dio's style of joyful rage.

 

[User names must be unique]

Agree on those, Paranoid especially. Just doesn't suit Dio's style of joyful rage.

"people think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time"

 

[The Cunting Death]

I like both tbh

 

[Autistsforuganda2]

The early albums of Black Sabbath with Ozzy where overall better, but Dio was by far the better singer and is probably overall one of the most recognizable voices in Rock/Metal. Even all the way back during his beginnings with Rainbow, you could tell how great he was.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

Both are cool undead vampires, but Dio can literally stop time.

 

[Ramborambo]

Both are cool undead vampires, but Dio can literally stop time.

 

[misterduckford]

Dio. He went out before becoming a complete fucking douchebag and that's gonna have to remain by basis for reference in this decision.

ETA I didn't really give it a fair shake I'm just shitposting ftr

 

[Ramborambo]

To put my two cents in: when I hear the words "Black Sabbath", I instantly think Ozzy and Ozzy era sabbath, but I much prefer Dio as an artist. Dio era sabbath doesn't tickle my fancy the way Ozzy era does, but I'd take Dio era Ronnie over Ozzy era sabbath any day. Man was an absolute force.

 

[RealtreeByGod]

Ozzy couldn't sing Dio songs but Dio could do the opposite. His range also allowed the rest of the band especially Iommi to come out of their shell more.

 

[Disapproving Bread]

Dio was by far the better singer and performer.
Ozzy had some talent, but the only thing that he could do that nobody else could was Sharon.

 

[David Brown]

Dio is obviously a more talented vocalist than Ozzy Osbourne but he didn't have the same manic energy that Ozzy contributed to the band. Black Sabbath's music transformed for dramatically with Dio was hired that I think it's pretty silly to say they were the same thing. Consider this: when discussing Black Sabbath, most people will tend to make the distinction between the two eras anyway. The musical direction was different enough that I think it warrants separation. I do like the music that Dio made with the rest of the Black Sabbath members, though I think their first four albums were more metal in a pure sense. In fact, I think the music they made with Ozzy was generally just better. That's my opinion. Imagine Dio singing a song like Supernaut. It just wouldn't be quite right. Ozzy had a more punkish vocal style that fits better.

 

[UncleFezziesPantsPuppet]

I was always more of a Ronnie James Dio fan.
Not knocking Ozzy, just always liked Dio more.

 

[ClownBrew]

Fun fact...the real reason Dio got thrown out of Sabbath and replaced with that manlet Tony Martin who sang and looked and and acted about as doom metal as an accountant, is because Cowzy Powell bitched about him to Iommi who was fool enough to listen and take him seriously.

Who lets the fucking drummer make band decisions about anything other than maybe where to order catering on some nights?

 

[Idiot Asshole]

Fun fact...the real reason Dio got thrown out of Sabbath and replaced with that manlet Tony Martin who sang and looked and and acted about as doom metal as an accountant, is because Cowzy Powell bitched about him to Iommi who was fool enough to listen and take him seriously.

Who lets the fucking drummer make band decisions about anything other than maybe where to order catering on some nights?

When was this? The first time Dio was kicked out was because he and Vinny were fighting with Tony and Geezer over the mixing of a shitty live album because the engineer was a drunk who kept telling both sides the others were remixing everything behind each others' backs and the second time he left because their tour was going to end with the indignity of having to open for Ozzy after the warbling chav spent the last ten years hanging shit on them and he (rightfully) suspected they were going to reunite the original lineup and throw him out anyway.

Anyway what I'm saying is that Cozy Powell Did Nothing Wrong.