Mr. Crowley

Ozzy Osbourne, 1980. Solo by Randy Rhoads.

Two solos, the outro a neoclassical tour de force. The #1 on both metal-focused lists we tracked.

Randy Rhoads plays two solos here, and he singled out the first as his most memorable, saying it took take after take to get right. It opens with lyrical, major-scale phrases before moving into classical-sounding voicings, rapid picked sequences and dramatic bends. The outro solo stacks multiple layered lead lines over the fade, the result of the album's habit of double and even triple-tracking solos. Together they are a clear statement of Rhoads' blend of classical structure and metal attack, and many metal guitarists place them at the top of their lists. Listen for the move from the lyrical opening of the first solo into its rapid picked sequences; it feels like a piece of chamber music suddenly catching fire.

Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne is ranked #22 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Randy Rhoads and the song was released in 1980. It appears on 24 lists, placing as high as #1 (DigitalDreamDoor).

The story of Mr. Crowley

Mr. Crowley is Ozzy Osbourne's portrait of Aleister Crowley, the notorious English occultist. Osbourne had been reading Crowley's The Diary of a Drug Fiend, and during the album sessions he came across a tarot deck in the studio, which nudged him further toward the subject. The lyric questions Crowley's motives and methods rather than celebrating him, fitting the dark, theatrical atmosphere Osbourne wanted for his first record after leaving Black Sabbath.

The music came from Osbourne's new band, with guitarist Randy Rhoads composing alongside him and bassist Bob Daisley, who also contributed to the lyrics. Drummer Lee Kerslake completed the rhythm section. When the band wanted a dramatic introduction, keyboardist Don Airey asked everyone to leave the studio for half an hour and came up with the churchlike organ prelude; Osbourne returned, heard it, and told him it was as if he had plugged straight into his head.

Blizzard of Ozz was recorded between late March and mid-April 1980 at Ridge Farm in the English countryside, with Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley and Kerslake all credited as producers. Max Norman, who oversaw the recording, encouraged Rhoads to experiment in the studio, including layering his solos several times over. The finished song runs just under five minutes and moves from Airey's gothic keyboards into a galloping minor-key riff before Rhoads' two solos.

The album appeared in the UK in September 1980. Jet then released a live version of Mr. Crowley as a single in November 1980, taken from an October show in Southampton, and the studio track followed as a North American single in 1981, making it the album's second single after Crazy Train. It later earned a Gold certification in the United States.

The solo

Randy Rhoads plays two solos on Mr. Crowley, and Rhoads himself singled out the first as his most memorable, saying it took take after take to get right. It opens with lyrical, major-scale phrases before moving into classical-sounding voicings, rapid picked sequences and dramatic bends, while the outro solo stacks multiple layered lead lines over the fade. Vintage Guitar notes that on the Blizzard of Ozz sessions Rhoads relied on a Gibson Les Paul Custom and his Karl Sandoval polka-dot V, plugged into 100-watt Marshall Super Lead heads, with an MXR Distortion+ among his pedals. Max Norman recalled that they even triple-tracked solos on the album. Tom Morello calls the song home to two of the greatest solos in rock.

Legacy

Mr. Crowley helped establish Osbourne's solo career beyond Black Sabbath and made Rhoads a guitar icon before his death in 1982. Guitar World readers voted its first solo No. 28 among the greatest ever in 2011, and in a separate reader poll it easily topped Rhoads' own catalog with 37 percent of the vote. Gibson readers named it the 23rd greatest heavy metal song, and it has appeared in Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band 3 and Brutal Legend. Guitarists such as Richie Faulkner cite it as a favorite.

Top 10 facts about Mr. Crowley

Osbourne was inspired by Crowley's book The Diary of a Drug Fiend and a tarot deck he found in the studio.
Wikipedia
Don Airey cleared the band out of the studio for half an hour to create the keyboard intro.
Wikipedia
Rhoads named the first Mr. Crowley solo as his most memorable and said it took many takes to nail.
Songfacts
Guitar World readers ranked the first solo the 28th greatest guitar solo in 2011.
Wikipedia
In a Guitar World readers' poll of Rhoads' best solos, Mr. Crowley took 37 percent of the vote, far ahead of Crazy Train at 12 percent.
Guitar World
Max Norman said they triple-tracked some solos on Blizzard of Ozz at Ridge Farm.
Vintage Guitar
The first single release of the song was a live version recorded in Southampton on October 2, 1980.
Songfacts
A live version from Cleveland on May 11, 1981 appears on the 1987 album Tribute, a memorial to Rhoads.
Wikipedia
Tom Morello has called Rhoads the Robert Johnson of metal, citing how influential his small catalog has been.
Far Out Magazine
Jack Black's 2025 cover featured Tom Morello's son Roman on guitar and was shown at Ozzy's Back to the Beginning farewell show.
Louder

Live versions

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (live single) (1980) October 2, 1980 performance released as the song's first single during Ozzy's first solo UK tour.
Tribute (Cleveland) (1981) May 11, 1981 recording released in 1987 as a memorial to Randy Rhoads.
1981 live music video (1981) Features Rhoads with Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge in the rhythm section.

Notable covers

Ion Vein (1999) Recorded for the tribute album Land of the Wizard: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.
Jack Black (2025) Video tribute with Roman Morello and Revel Ian, released for Ozzy's farewell concert.

In our lists

Sources

What guitar was used on the Mr. Crowley solo?

A gibson les paul custom through a Marshall amp, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Mr. Crowley rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#22 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 24 of them.

Who played the guitar solo on Mr. Crowley?

Randy Rhoads played both solos on the 1980 studio recording.

Who is Mr. Crowley about?

It is about Aleister Crowley, the English occultist whose writings Ozzy had been reading.

Who played the keyboard intro on Mr. Crowley?

Don Airey, who worked it out alone in the studio in about half an hour.

What guitar did Randy Rhoads use on Blizzard of Ozz?

Mainly a Gibson Les Paul Custom and his Karl Sandoval polka-dot V, through Marshall amps.

What album is Mr. Crowley on?

Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz.