The history of rock and roll is filled with so many incredible songs from fantastic artists from all over the world. It is nearly an impossible task to pick just one that is the epitome of the genre. Of course, the choice is an objective one. No two fans have exactly the same tastes, but there are so many viable choices that it is almost mind-boggling.
You could go for something classic, like "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, something more modern like "Sweet Child O’ Mine" by Guns N’ Roses, or any number of songs by the Beatles, The Who, the Doors, or Led Zeppelin. You could blindfold yourself and throw a dart wallpapered with AC/DC songs and have a good chance of hitting a fantastic rock and roll tune.
For me, there is one song that stands out as the perfect rock and roll song - "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne.
What makes "Crazy Train" by Ozzie Osbourne the perfect rock and roll song?
There are so many things that go into a great song, and so much of it is just luck or coincidence. It has to come out at just the right time to be appreciated. It has to have stamina; people can’t possibly tire of listening to it.
For a good old rock and roll anthem, certain things are necessary to qualify. ‘Crazy Train’ certainly checks all of the boxes.
- Iconic opening riff - check! No insult to ‘"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, but "Crazy Train" is the best intro of all time.
- Iconic vocals - check! Ozzy was at his absolute best on this song.
- Iconic guitar solo - check! If the intro wasn’t incredible enough, the late, great Randy Rhoads’ mid-song guitar solo is spot on, and then he drives back into that fantastic opening riff.
- Timeless lyrics - check! The lyrics to "Crazy Train" as as relevant today as they were 45 years ago.
- Instantly recognizable - check! No one will ever confuse this song with another.
It takes a lot of happenstance to make history. If Rhoads was happy in Quiet Riot, and they were having more success in the late 1970s than they were, Rhoads probably wouldn’t audition for Ozzy. If Rhoads got along better with Kevin Dubrow, he might not have auditioned for Ozzy. If Ozzy wasn’t open to something new and cutting edge, maybe the riff for "Crazy Train" never comes into being. But, everything fell into place and you have a perfect rock and roll song.
The song has endured more than four decades since its release in 1980. It is instantly recognizable due to that unbelievable opening. It sets the mood immediately, and then Ozzy comes in with some of the best pure vocals of his illustrious career. Even if you catch the song in the middle, there is no doubt about the song and singer.
Unfortunately, whatever else Rhoads’ genius might have produced will forever be unknown as he died in a plane crash at the age of 25. The brief two-album collaboration with Ozzy might have been the only work they did together. According to friend and bandmate Rudy Sarzo, in an interview with Guitar World, Rhoads was planning to leave Ozzy to go back to school to get his master’s degree in music.
With all of the elements needed to make a perfect rock and roll song, "Crazy Train" will always be an example of what could have been with Rhoads. However brief, the collaboration between the two icons, where Ozzy allowed Rhoads the freedom to explore what might be possible, produced maybe the most perfect rock and roll song ever produced.