Ozzy Patient 9

Against all odds, Ozzy Osbourne's 2020s output has been as strong if not stronger than the vast majority of his multi-decade discography. His 12th studio solo album, 2020's Ordinary Man, sounded rejuvenated and inspired, with its moments of hard-hitting, Sabbath-echoing greatness far outnumbering its few by-the-numbers clunkers. Ozzy hadn't turned in a studio LP for ten years before Ordinary Man, but his 13th album, Patient Number 9, arrives just two relatively short years after its predecessor and carries a similar crackle of reactivated excitement. Part of what keeps things lively is the all-star cast of guest guitarists that show up on almost every track. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready all contribute lead parts and solos to various songs, but some of the record's best moments come when Ozzy reunites with guitar heroes from his past.