“Diary of a Madman” by Ozzy Osbourne

"Diary of a Madman" is the title track of Ozzy Osbourne's second studio album, released in 1981, and it's his band sounding ready to come apart at the seams in the best way. The song is credited to Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, with Rhoads on electric guitar, Daisley on bass, Kerslake on drums and percussion, and Johnny Cook adding keyboards. Max Norman engineered it and co-produced with Osbourne and Rhoads.

It also stands as a farewell. This was the last Osbourne studio album with Rhoads and Kerslake, and in March 1982, on the North American leg of the tour behind it, Rhoads was killed in a plane crash in Leesburg, Florida. A 2002 edition swapped out the original bass and drum parts for new recordings; the 2011 deluxe edition put them back.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.