Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train' Ranked 17th in Rolling Stone's Greatest Guitar Solos

A 1980 song from one of the most beloved and respected rock music icons has just been celebrated for featuring one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" has been named as part of a prestigious list decades after the guitarist who helped make the song legendary, Randy Rhoads, tragically passed away.

Who Ranked Ozzy Osbourne's ‘Crazy Train' Among the 'Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time?'

On May 4, 2026, Rolling Stone published its list of the "100 greatest guitar solos of all time." Given that it has long been known as the most famous and respected music outlet, Rolling Stone's lists of the best in music history always garner a lot of attention. That is why it is noteworthy that it named Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" as the 17th "greatest guitar solo of all time."

The outlet described what made the solo so special. "Rhoads' solo on "Crazy Train" blends the minor-key drama of Beethoven with fingertapping and blues whines, and there's a quality to his tone that feels like it's cutting a hole in your speakers. Steve Vai once called it the first solo he ever heard that made him feel scared."

First released on August 29, 1980, "Crazy Train" became an international hit that peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in 2025. The fact that the track reached those chart heights in 2025 proves that it still hits hard decades after its release. That is why "Crazy Train" has become a major part of Randy Rhoads' legacy.

Even though "Crazy Train" was released as a solo Ozzy Osbourne song, it is also closely associated with Rhoads. The guitarist who performed and wrote the track's iconic solo, Rhoads, played a massive role in the song becoming iconic. Tragically, he passed away shortly after the song was released.

The Top 20: Rolling Stone's "Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time"

• 20. Jeff Beck – "Freeway Jam" (1975)
• 19. Lynyrd Skynyrd – "Free Bird" (1973)
• 18. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – "Little Wing" (1968)
• 17. Ozzy Osbourne – "Crazy Train" (1980)
• 16. Grateful Dead – "Morning Dew" (1977)
• 15. Prince – "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (2004)
• 14. Queen – "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975)
• 13. Allman Brothers Band – "Statesboro Blues" (1970)
• 12. Michael Jackson – "Beat It" (1982)
• 11. Jimi Hendrix – "All Along the Watchtower" (1968)
• 10. The Beatles – "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (1968)
• 9. Funkadelic – "Maggot Brain" (1971)
• 8. Steely Dan – "Kid Charlemagne" (1976)
• 7. Led Zeppelin – "Stairway to Heaven" (1971)
• 6. Chuck Berry – "Johnny B. Goode" (1958)
• 5. Van Halen – "Eruption" (1978)
• 4. Pink Floyd – "Comfortably Numb" (1979)
• 3. The Eagles – "Hotel California" (1976)
• 2. Jimi Hendrix – "Machine Gun" (1970)
• 1. Prince – "Purple Rain" (1984)

The Tragedy That Changed Rock Music Forever

In July 2025, Biography published an article on Randy Rhoads's death. It quoted Ozzy Osbourne describing the instant bond he shared with the guitarist. "I knew instinctively that he was something extra special. He was like a gift from God-we worked so well together. Randy and I were like a team."

The rock music world tragically missed out on what the pairing could have accomplished if they had more time together because Rhoads died on March 19, 1982. On that date, Rhoads was a passenger on a small single-engine Beechcraft F35 plane that crashed into a house, causing him to die at only 25 years old.

In the decades that followed the tragic accident, the profound effect it had on Ozzy Osbourne became clear. Biography's article quoted Sharon Osbourne, who noted in 2020 that her husband still felt guilty about Rhoads' passing. The outlet also included a telling quote from Ozzy Osbourne that reveals how deeply he felt the loss. "The day that Randy Rhoads died was the day a part of me died."

Next: 1994 Hit Became the Longest-Lasting Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Song Ever - 31 Years Later

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 10:39 AM.