Ozzy Osbourne, "The Prince of Darkness", passes away at the age of 76

"The Prince of Darkness", a psychotic madman on stage, Ozzy Osbourne. Whatever you choose to call him, you knew him by name and by reputation. He was the iconic vocalist for legendary British metal band Black Sabbath, a successful solo artist and a loving family man. He passed away yesterday morning at the age of 76, just weeks after his, now literally, final show

His family issued a statement that reads "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time." In 2020, it was revealed that he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease after having a fall. He was almost always wearing all black or he was bare chested on stage. He was often the primary target of concerned parents groups for the imagery in his music and on stage. He was most famous for the incident where he bit the head off of a bat. Later on, he would reveal another side to him. A loving family man with a comical side

Black Sabbath's 1969 debut album has been credited, by some, as the Big Bang of heavy metal. This also led to the band's other nickname, The Godfathers of British Heavy Metal. It was made during the height of the Vietnam War and added a bit of doom to the hippie culture. The music was doom-laden, ominous and signaled a change in the music industry

Rob Halford of Judas Priest: My Top Ten Favorite Metal Albums

Rob Halford, the iconic vocalist for British metal band Judas Priest, talks to Rolling Stone Magazine about his top ten favorite metal albums

The commentary under each album are Rob's own words

10. Ace of Spades, Motorhead (1980)

-This is a hardcore roar of wild bombastic f--- you!

9. Slipknot, Slipknot (1999)

-When this came out, it was nu-metal pent up rage searing a whole new era

8. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, Emperor (1997)

-I love this because it's sonic blasphemy from the dark side

7. Holy Diver, Dio (1983)

-This album has classic grooves, vibes and melodies supporting the king

6.Cowboys from Hell, Pantera (1990)

-The "Texas Massacre" started with this one

5. Reign in Blood, Slayer (1986)

-It's full frontal assault riffage and in your face lyrics

4. Iron Maiden, Iron Maiden (1980)

-This felt like fresh U.K. blood from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and it was top of the heap

3. Korn, Korn (1994)

-On their debut, Korn brought a new definition of metal that was a game changer

2. Kill 'Em All, Metallica (1983)

-This was full-on thrash energy that led the USA charge

1. Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath (1970)

-This is the blueprint that epitomizes everything metal

15 Metal Bands That Your Parents Did Not Want You Listening To

Some people consider metal music just loud noise. Some consider it a harbinger of bad activity to come. The strongly religious believers think metal is the music of the Devil. It all depends on how you look at it. Ella Brown, a writer for MSN.com page Back in Time Today, has compiled a list of metal bands parents wanted their kids not to listen to

1. Black Sabbath

-Just the name is eerie enough. Considered to be the godfathers of British heavy metal, these guys are also known as the founding fathers of heavy metal. They played into every parent's worst fear. Occult imagery, dark, ominous music with its tritone sound, often nicknamed "The Devil's Interval." Any parent who discovered their child was listening to Black Sabbath feared they were messing around with the dark arts

-Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, with his wild onstage personality, didn't help matters much. He looked like a madman released from an asylum to front a metal band. The band even took their name from a Boris Karloff film, suggesting even further connections to devil worship. Conservative parents worried about songs like "War Pigs" or N.I.B", which they thought meant Nativity in Black. Songs like this they thought corrupted innocent youth

2. Judas Priest

-Another Midlands, England metal band, Judas Priest created the studded leather look, twin lead guitar and devastating vocals from Rob Halford that helped define heavy metal. Parents were scared by Halford's seemingly intimidating stage persona and songs deemed rebellious, such as "Breaking the Law" or "Living After Midnight"

-This panic centering on morality reached an all time high in 1990. Two teens made a suicide pact after claims that the band inserted subliminal messages into their songs. The case was thrown out, but their reputation was already damaged. Conservative groups issued warnings about the band's supposedly devilish influences, despite the fact that the songs centered on fairly mild themes of rebellion and freedom

3. Iron Maiden

-Nothing frightens conservative parents more than Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie. He's a snarling, skeletal concoction created by artist Derek Riggs. Each of Iron Maiden's albums feature this snarling creature in some adventure. This legendary British metal band became the center point of all parents fears, despite the fact that their lyrics were often inspired by literature, history and mythology

-Their albums, like The Number of the Beast, were burned at the stake at church-related events. And all of this actually backfired because even their manager, Rod Smallwood, laughs as he says it was great for the band because that meant people actually bought the album. Parents thought it was about devil worship and it was really about a nightmare. The band's complex stage setup showed Eddie as a giant monster. This scared the living daylights out of parents who believed that imagery like that could corrupt their children. Elsewhere, teenagers could not get enough of the music by the band

4. Motley Crue

-Not surprisingly, these guys definitely were a cause for concern. They were known for raunchy lyrics about drug use, strippers and living the fast life. They had teased hair, wore makeup and wore revealing clothing. A parents worst nightmare. MTV embraced their music, with videos for their songs, such as "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Looks That Kill". Parents felt uncomfortable with their seemingly unburdened lifestyle and barely hidden drug references in their songs

-The band members were frequently arrested, overdosing or causing fatal car accidents. This only strengthened their already dangerous reputation. Teens found them appealing-the ultimate symbol of freedom

5. Venom

-Legendary British heavy metal band Venom took metal to nightmarish new heights. They had a raw, unpolished sound and straight, in your face, devilish imagery. Their albums often featured pentagrams and other demonic imagery that seemed almost designed to scare parents and religious communities

-Their song titles left little to the imagination. The band members openly embraced their reputation as the bogeyman of metal, despite the fact that the band members didn't actually worship the Unholy One. Parents were firmly convinced Venom were actually worshipping the devil and were corrupting the youth of the world with their music. The band was noisy, chaotic in their music, with low production only adding to their dark charm. They appealed to teens who were looking for the next thing to shock their parents

6. W.A.S.P.

-One of the great 80s metal bands, this band was fronted by a vocalist named Blackie Lawless. Their stage shows shocked all. Bits of raw meat were thrown, drinking blood from skulls, semi-naked models being tortured, this all came together to form the ultimate nightmare for parents. One of their songs was targeted by the Parents Music Resource Council (PMRC) for having dirty lyrics. It earned a spot on their "Filthy Fifteen" list. This council deemed that albums with explicit lyrics get the famous black and white "Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics" label. This made them even more famous

-The band created metal excess when vocalist Blackie Lawless had a codpiece with a chainsaw hanging from it. Their acts were purely theatrical, but many parents firmly believed that the band was a threat to the morality of the kids

7. Slayer

-The dark side and Slayer seem like a match made in metal heaven. They have lightning fast music with lyrics about serial killers, warfare and the occult. This made them the ultimate forbidden fruit to teens looking for a new sound. Their albums, such as Reign in Blood, or songs like "Angel of Death" (about Nazi doctor Josef Mengele) crossed lines that even other metal bands refused to cross. Their logo, which features a pentagram and eagle symbol, became the symbol of fear for some parents

-Parents and even religious groups became convinced that Slayer were members of a satanic cult. The band members never denied this. They knew their terrifying reputation was only part of the reason they appealed to fans who were looking for the most extreme metal music that was out there

8. Ozzy Osbourne

-Known as "The Prince of Darkness", Ozzy Osbourne embarked on a rather successful solo career after leaving Black Sabbath. His solo career turned out successful songs like "Mama, I'm Coming Home", "Desire", "Mr. Crowley" and more. Unfortunately, his solo career also attracted controversy. Urinating on the Alamo while drunk and accidentally biting the head off of a bat gave him a reputation as a madman of rock

-He came under fire for the song "Suicide Solution" because it ended in a lawsuit. Claims were that it encouraged a teenager to commit suicide. The case was dismissed when the courts discovered the song was not about urging people to commit suicide, but rather a warning against alcoholism. Unfortunately, the damage was complete. Parents were worried about the classical-inspired solos by guitarist Randy Rhoads. His solos partnered with Ozzy's lyrics made the music accessible to all audiences. This worried parents that the music could corrupt impressionable young minds. This resulted in widespread panic in parents all over North America

9. Mercyful Fate

-King Diamond is their iconic vocalist. With his insane vocal range and unique black and white face paint including black crosses or inverted crosses, became the symbol of the supposed devilish connections with metal music. The Danish metal band horrified parents with albums like Melissa and Don't Break the Oath. The reason being explicit occult themes and imagery. Their stage setups often featured inverted crosses and bones, creating a complex and theatrical experience that would also be deeply disturbing

-Many parents didn't understand the high level of sophistication the band's music involved. There were complex arrangements, King Diamond's beautiful but also devastating vocal range. Many teens saw Mercyful Fate as strongly appealing because of their forbidden nature

10. Megadeth

-One of the "Big 4", a series of thrash metal bands who came out around the same time as each other, Megadeth was created by former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine after he'd been fired from Metallica. He combined the technical precision he'd learned with Metallica with politically powered lyrics to make a music that scared parents. Their mascot is a skull with metal caps over the eyes, ears and mouth. Nicknamed Vic Rattlehead, he symbolizes "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" in the most visual way possible

-"Peace Sells" questions mainstream values and authority. The band's name is a deliberate misspelling of the term megadeath. This term means one million deaths by a nuclear explosion. It seemed almost tailor made to cause maximum fear. The aggressive sound and sneering vocalist represented every parent's worst fear about metal. Elsewhere, teenagers loved the highly technical sound and politically charged lyrics

11. Anthrax

-Just the name alone has parents worried. The band took their name from a bioweapon that was all over the news in the wake of 9/11. The New York-based thrash metal band set off alarms with parents who worried about the influence of metal on young minds. Some metal bands embraced darkness, while these New Yorkers included pop culture and humor into their music. Their songs reference Stephen King novels and comic books, making them easily accessible to younger listeners, worrying parents even more

-When they worked with hip hop group Public Enemy on "Bring the Noise", it caused even more concern amongst parents because metal and hip hop were considered problematic genres. The combination of urban East Coast attitude and the speed and aggression of Anthrax's music made a combination of music dangerous to parents all across North America

12. Twisted Sister

-This band is every parent's worst nightmare. Grown men in garish makeup and drag. Twisted Sister intimidated parents with wild vocalist Dee Snider and his mane of blonde hair and onstage presence. He became the villain in the eyes of many parents. Their best known song "We're Not Gonna Take It" became the soundtrack for rebellious teens. The video for the song came under fire, as it showed a rock music loving teen humiliating his father, seemingly making a direct assault on authority

-Dee Snider famously appeared before Congress to testify against music censorship. He stated thoughtful, intelligent arguments that surprised the Senate committee conducting the session. He was highly intelligent and defensive of metal, which only frustrated parents more. It undermined their argument that metal musicians were brainless degenerates who corrupted the young minds of the world with their songs and messages of defying authority

13. Celtic Frost

-The Swiss metal legends frightened parents with their music. The band is considered, by some, to be avant-garde, because of their experimental approach to music. Their albums, which include Morbid Tales and To Mega Therion, featured complex, but disturbing work by artist H.R. Giger, who is famous for creating the Alien movie monster. The band's heavy use of symphonic instruments made the dark themes their music centered around even more unsettling and dramatic. Vocalist Tom G. Warrior and his iconic "UGH!" grunt became the symbol of everything incomprehensible about extreme metal. The band is more than willing to incorporate female vocals, classic inspirations and experimental sounds. Combined, it makes for a truly original sound that parents could not place into a category, making them seemingly more dangerous

14. KISS

-Some of the more conservative parents thought the name stood for something else, most commonly Knights in Satan's Service. Despite being popular in the 1970s, they introduced controversy in the 1980s. Their makeup, mostly bassist Gene Simmons, who was known as the Demon, spit blood, breathed fire. This had parents convinced that Kiss was satanic, despite the lyrics mostly being party-based

-The rumor that their name stood for Knights in Satan's Service spread like wildfire through concerned parents groups and churches, despite the fact there is no information proving it. Their marketing genius extended to as many markets as possible, bringing their supposedly demonic influence to children. Parents were strongly worried about the open sexuality and Gene's constantly wagging tongue, seeing it as a way of corrupting young people

15. Metallica

-The speed and aggression Metallica put into their music scared the living daylights out of parents. Their early albums, like Kill 'Em All or Ride the Lightning, which featured an electric chair surrounded by lightning, depicted violent imagery that seemed almost tailor made to incite the maximum amount of parental concern. The band wrote songs about warfare, addiction and death, striking fear into parents. This nihilistic and dangerous attitude scared parents. The band wrote a song as a tribute to their fallen band member Cliff Burton. The song "To Live is To Die" struck a chord of fear because it was misinterpreted as being a promoter of suicide when it was really the band's way of mourning the loss of their friend and fellow band mate

-The band's fan base, known as the Metal Militia, had a cult-like devotion to the band that terrified parents. The strong intensity of the connection between the fans and the music suggested unhealthy obsessions to parents. Some of the parents couldn't comprehend the actually healthy, stress-reducing release valve that Metallica's aggressive, speedy sound provided for teens who were navigating those challenging years known as adolescence

Rock Legends The Ultimate Collection

This album is so good. Five CDs worth of hard rock, folk and even new music! Because of this album, I have several new artists I listen to. My stepdad bought this at a local used book store and after listening to it, I have several new musicians I listen to or are in the process of listening to

I've actually heard of more than half of the artists listed on here. I may know only one or two other songs by those artists or may not listen to them, but I've heard of them

CD 1 Tracks

Rainbow- I Surrender

Thin Lizzy-The Boys Are Back in Town

-There's a great cover of this song by the band Everclear. Check it out. It's great!

Kiss-Rock and Roll All Nite

Dio-Rainbow in the Dark

-On the album Ronnie James Dio This is Your Life, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stonesour does an impressive cover of this song. Check it out! It's great!

Free-Wishing Well

Iggy Pop- Real Wild Child (Real One)

The Velvet Underground-I'm Waiting for The Man

Rod Stewart-Maggie May

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Sweet Home Alabama

Cher-Just Like Jesse James

Gary Moore-Really Gonna Rock Tonight

Status Quo-Caroline

-I love this song. This song is what got me into this band. I'm now a fan of Status Quo. I'm in the process of going through their albums and listening to their other songs. So far, I'm happy to say I am now a fan!

Gene Simmons-Carnival of Souls

New York Dolls-Personality Crisis

Cinderella-Gypsy Road

-Great song. I already listened to Cinderella before I discovered this album. "Gypsy Road" is what got me into Cinderella

Motorhead-I Got Mine

-This song got me into Motorhead. I can definitely say I like their music. I'm in the process of listening to their albums

Billy Idol-Scream

-I never knew about this song. I like it

Nazareth-Bad Bad Boy

Fleetwood Mac-Man of the World

The Troggs-Wild Thing

CD 2 Tracks

Emerson, Lake & Palmer-Fanfare for the Common Man

-My stepdad is a big fan of this band. He has every album ever released

Nazareth-This Flight Tonight

Magnum-The Spirit

-I love this song

Uriah Heep-Easy Living

-I'm in the process of going through this band's albums and listening to them

Rush-Tom Sawyer

-I like listening to Rush, but hate this song only because the local classic rock station 92.5 The Fox OVERPLAYS this song quite frequently in between songs normally never heard before

Motorhead-Overkill

Tesla-Modern Day Cowboy

Angel Witch-Angel Witch

Girlschool-Race with the Devil

-Good song, great band

The Runaways-Cherry Bomb

Big Country-In a Big Country

Gary Moore-Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

-This cover of the classic Eric Burdon & The Animals hit is great. I never realized Gary Moore sang as well as he did. I only thought he played guitar. Now I know he is a great singer and great guitarist. I love this version of the song

Dokken-Breaking the Chains (Live)

-This song, despite being a live version, is still great and is the song that got me into Dokken. Check out Dokken's Heaven Comes Down album. It's great!

Anthrax-Indians

-I saw Anthrax live in 2015 at the 2015 Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio. I was mostly waiting for Linkin Park to take the stage. The band's vocalist, Joey Belladonna, kept asking the crowd to throw those metal horns up for Ronnie James Dio. Half of the audience looked like they were too young to even know who Ronnie James Dio was while the other half threw up those metal horns. Overall, Anthrax was not bad. I'll have to check out their other music

Helloween-Dr. Stein

-This song has that perfect Iron Maiden-like sound that got me into Helloween. Their singer sounds almost identical to Bruce Dickinson. This is a great song

Kreator-Pleasure to Kill

UFO-Doctor, Doctor

-I actually discovered UFO not because of this album, but because of seeing Iron Maiden in concert. "Doctor Doctor" by UFO is the song that Maiden plays over the loudspeakers of the venue they're at when their crew is setting up the amps, drums, guitars, microphones and more

Status Quo-Mean Girl

Joe Walsh-Rocky Mountain Way

-I'm not a fan of this song only because the local classic rock station 92.5 The Fox OVERPLAYS this song quite frequently in between songs normally not heard before

The Allman Brothers-Ramblin' Man

CD 3 Tracks

Asia-Heat of the Moment

Magnum-Just Like An Arrow

-The song that got me into Magnum. This band is great! I would love to see them in concert. I bet it would amazing!

Nazareth-Piece of My Heart

-This band is covering the classic Janis Joplin hit

Bachman Turner Overdrive-Roll On Down the Highway

Uriah Heep-Gypsy

Simple Minds-Don't You Forget About Me

-Love this song

Blondie-Call Me

-Love this song

The Cure-Just Like Heaven

Roxy Music-More Than This

The Damned-Life Goes On

Hawkwind-Night of the Hawks

-I never knew Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead fame was once in this band

Nazareth-May The Sunshine

The Damned-Lovely Money

Hanoi Rocks-I Want You

L.A. Guns-The Ballad of Jane

Bonnie Tyler-It's a Heartache

Uriah Heep-Lady in Black

-This song has a very folksy, almost Fleetwood Mac-type vibe. Or it has early Rainbow vibes, like from their debut album Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Overall, this song is great

Barclay James Harvest-Mocking Bird

Status Quo-Pictures of Matchstick Men

The Moody Blues-Your Wildest Dreams

CD 4 Tracks

The Scorpions-Wind of Change

Extreme-Hole Hearted

Magnum-On a Storyteller's Night

-Kind of folksy, reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac or, better yet, Blackmore's Night only because of the title of the song

Girlschool & Motorhead-Please Don't Touch

-Great song! I've heard that Motorhead and Girlschool toured together pretty often

Little Angels-Too Much Too Young

Hawkwind-Motorway City

Venom-To H--- and Back

-This song was a little unsettling for me. The lyrics were sort of ominous and creepy. But then again, this is the type of music this artist is known for. I have nothing against the band Venom; their music is simply something I don't particularly care for. That's all. And if there are fans of this band out there, I'm happy for the fans and the band

Girlschool-Hit and Run

-The song that got me into Girlschool. Check out their new Guilty as Sin album. It's amazing!!

Atomic Rooster-The Devil's Answer

Helloween-I Want Out

-The song that got me into this band. This band gives off strong Iron Maiden-like sounds because of their vocalist sounding almost identical to Bruce Dickinson. But, overall, this band is great. Not too aggressive, mellow in the right parts

Samson-Riding with the Angels

-It's hard to hear Bruce Dickinson on this song and know it's not an Iron Maiden song

Juicy Lucy-Who Do You Love

-This band is covering the George Thoroughgood classic "Who Do You Love"

Climax Blues Band-Couldn't Get It Right

Rose Tattoo-Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw

Be Bop Deluxe-Ships in the Night

Atomic Rooster-Tomorrow Night

Curved Air-Back Street Luv

Tenpole Tudor-Swords of a Thousand Men

The Cooper Temple Cause-Who Needs Enemies

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-Ain't No Easy Way

-This song has a slightly folksy feel to it. It reminds me a little of some folk music, some southern rock. Like The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd or even Kenny Wayne Shepherd

CD 5 Tracks

This CD is mostly newer music

Queens of the Stone Age-No One Knows

Papa Roach-Last Resort

-This band is covering the Falling in Reverse song of the same name (I actually prefer the original by Falling in Reverse. Heads up, the original version does have some swearing in it and the lyrics might not be suitable for everyone)

Marilyn Manson-The Beautiful People

3 Doors Down-Kryptonite

-I love this song. I already listened to 3 Doors Down before I discovered this album. For the longest time, I thought the name of this song was "Superman". Their album, The Better Life, check it out! It's great!

Puddle of Mudd-Blurry

-I love this song. Every time it comes on in my car, I start singing along with it since I know all of the words confidently. I already listened to Puddle of Mudd before I discovered this album. Check out their Come Clean album. It's great. The internet offers you the choice of the Parental Advisory Unfiltered version, meaning all of the swear words and dirty lyrics are audible to the listener or the regular version, where all of the dirty lyrics and swear words are blurred out

Breaking Benjamin-The Diary of Jane

Fall Out Boy-My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)

-This song has a slightly rap / hip hop sound to it, but it's good. I'm of the firm belief that rap / hip hop can be mixed with other genres of music and sometimes it improves the song, sometimes not so much. It all comes down to what you prefer. Examples include Biz Markie rapping on "Anybody Seen My Baby?" by The Rolling Stones. Or Linkin Park, who combines rap / hip hop with hard rock or metal, whatever the internet or fans consider them to be. Or Rage Against the Machine, who combines rap / hip hop and metal

Hoobastank-The Reason

-Definitely a late 1990s, early 2000s song

Sonic Youth-Incinerate

Lenny Kravitz-Fly Away

Hole-Celebrity Skin

Gun-Word Up

-This band does a hard rock version of the classic 1980s-era hit by Cameo

Blink-182- What's My Age Again

Weezer-Beverly Hills

Ugly Kid Joe-Everything About You

Alien Ant Farm-Movies

Sum 41-In Too Deep

Therapy?-Screamager

Raging Speedhorn-The Gush

The Cooper Temple Cause-Promises Promises

Discovered Some New Bands (At Least New to Me, But Probably Older to Everyone Else)

My stepdad recently bought a five CD compilation album at a local used book store called Half Price Books that also sells music. This CD is called Ultimate Rock Legends. It's a great CD. There are so many good songs on there and, as such, this CD introduced to me a lot of artists that were new to me but old to everyone else. If you get the chance, listen to this album. There are a lot of great songs on it

Because of this album, I now listen to quite a few artists featured on it. Such as Magnum, Girlschool, Status Quo, Uriah Heep, Motorhead

Most of the other artists featured on it I already listen to, like Rod Stewart, Rainbow, Cher, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Puddle of Mudd, Breaking Benjamin, Rainbow, Fleetwood Mac and more. Then there are artists I have actually heard of on this album, but don't listen to. Such as Hole, Alien Ant Farm, Ugly Kid Joe, Marilyn Manson, Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop

Here are some of the artists I now listen to because of this CD

Magnum

-Their song "Just Like An Arrow" got me into their music. I now have all of their albums on my Amazon wishlist. This band is great. Their vocalist has such impressive vocals. Now I want to see them perform live in concert

Girlschool

-Their song "Hit and Run" got me into their music. I now have a few of their albums on my Amazon wishlist. I'm still in the process of listening to their albums. This band is great. What makes them even greater is that they are still around making music to this day. Their Guilty as Sin album is definitely something I would play on repeat in my car

Status Quo

-Their song "Caroline" got me into their music. The song sounds like something from the 1970s, a sort of glam rock type song, but it's good. I am in the process of listening to their albums and will add them to my Amazon wishlist. I'm sure all of their albums are good; I just need to listen to them. This is a great band!

Uriah Heep

-Their song "Lady in Black" has that kind of folksy rhythm that is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. And I love listening to Fleetwood Mac. I am in the process of going through their albums and listening to them

Motorhead

-The first time I heard Motorhead was not on this CD, but on the local classic rock station 92.5 The Fox. It was "Ace of Spades." I'll be honest; it does take some getting used to listening to Lemmy's raspy vocals. But the song that really got me into wanting to listen to Motorhead was featured on this album. It's the song "I Got Mine." It's kind of a softer song, rather than the heavy stuff. I like to start out on the easy stuff and work my way up to the heavy stuff. Overall, Lemmy's voice is raspy, yes, but he's a good vocalist. I'm in the process of going through and listening to Motorhead's albums. I will definitely say that the heavier stuff is perfect for getting amped for the day and perfect for that drive home from work. Motorhead has at least two songs on here: "I Got Mine" and "Overkill", both of which I have on my MP3 player. They also have a duet with Girlschool called "Please Don't Touch"

Dokken

-Their song "Breaking the Chains" is a live version and it got me into this band. I now have all of their albums on my Amazon wishlist. This is a great band

Helloween

-They have two songs featured on this album: "I Want Out" and "Dr. Stein." The first time my sister heard these songs, the first thing she asked me was "Did you bring Iron Maiden downstairs to listen to?" because we were shooting pool in our basement and listening to this album. I actually had to check to make sure because I know I didn't. It turned out that the songs were from a German power metal band called Helloween. Their vocalist, Kai Hansen, sounded just like Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. It's two songs from what might be the Michael Kiske era of the band. And because of the two songs featured on this album, I now listen to and have all of the albums of this band

Gun

-They do a cover of the 80s song "Word Up" by 80s band Cameo. Gun's version is a lot more hard rock and it's amazing!! I am in the process of listening to their albums and adding them to my Amazon wishlist. They are a relatively newer band

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

-Their song "Ain't No Easy Way" has a slightly folksy feel to it. I am in the process of listening to the other music they have written. They are a relatively newer band

Ronnie James Dio's wife Wendy reveals secret of their lasting marriage

Ronnie James Dio is the iconic vocalist for bands like Dio, Black Sabbath, Elf and Rainbow. He and wife Wendy were married for years, until his untimely death in 2010 from stomach cancer. Fox News did an interview about the secret of their lasting marriage.

The long awaited memoir Rainbow in the Dark was written by both his wife Wendy Dio and British music journalist Mick Wall. They took what Ronnie had written over the years and transformed it into a memoir of a sort. It lets him tell the story of his humble beginnings in New York to being the vocalist for four successful bands

He unfortunately died from stomach cancer at the age of 67 in 2010. While undergoing chemo treatment, he was hopeful to begin touring again. Wendy Dio did an interview with Fox News about why she's releasing the book and what is the secret to their long lasting relationship.

Fox News: Your husband, Ronnie James Dio, began writing his book a long time ago. Why did he choose to write his memoir at that time?

Wendy Dio: A lot of people have been asking him to write a book. One day he decided, why not put it down? He wanted to write about how he got into the business, where he was born, his teen years and his struggles. He's had such a long career that it would, of course, take two or three volumes to cover it all. But he wanted to explore how he got to where he was

Fox News: You met your husband in 1974. What was your initial impression of him?

Wendy Dio: He was too short for me [laughs]. But he was an amazing person. He made everyone that ever talked to him feel like they were the most important person in the world. He just loved people. And he really was a wonderful, caring person

Fox News: Ronnie said that he knew right from the start that you were The One. However, you needed a bit more time to be convinced. Why?

Wendy Dio: Well, in the beginning, he really was a bit short for me. And I wasn't really ready for a relationship at that time. But he was persistent. He kept calling me and then he wanted me to go on tour with him. And I quit my job. I said "I'll come for a couple of weeks." I never came back. But I truly learned what an amazing person he was. He read a book a day, he was so intelligent. He could talk to you about any subject whatsoever

Fox News: We knew Ronnie the rock legend. But what was Ronnie the husband like?

Wendy Dio: Oh, he didn't like to dress up. He was perfectly comfortable in a sweatsuit. He didn't like to go out too much. So we used to have a lot of friends come over to our house instead. He loved to entertain at home. He also loved to watch sports. In fact, he would write songs while watching sports. He knew everything about every sport that was going on

Fox News: You were initially hesitant about taking on the role of manager. Why?

Wendy Dio: Well, it's a big thing. Ronnie was a big star. Even though it was in my background, it was scary. I worked as an intern at Decca Records. I went to an agency for bands and I also worked for attorneys reading contracts. But this was a completely different, life-changing role. In the beginning, I faced a lot of bumps with a lot of people. But gradually, they realized that I had the best interest for Ronnie. In fact, he said one time "I'd rather get screwed by my wife than screwed by my manager." [laughs]. He trusted me and I tried to do my absolute best for Ronnie. I never interfered with his music. He never interfered with my management. And I think that's why it worked. But I did have a lot of hiccups at the beginning with a lot of people who said "Oh, you don't know what you're doing. Give him to me. I know what I can do with him." But we stuck it out.

Fox News: It sounded like he gave you free reign to create your role and identity as his manager

Wendy Dio: Yes, but he was very involved as well, like with album covers and things like that. He was a control freak, I'm a control freak. So you've got two control freaks working on things together. We bumped heads a lot of times, but in the end, it always came out the way we wanted. Our goal was to give our fans great value. He loved his fans more than anything else in the whole world. That was his priority. He never forgot where he came from. The fans came first.

Fox News: According to the book, Ronnie at one point had less than $800 in the bank. How did you two manage at the time?

Wendy Dio: Ronnie got fired from Rainbow. We used to have a big house and a big car. Everything was paid for by the management. Then he wasn't in Rainbow anymore. We didn't have anything. My grandmother left me a little inheritance. We basically took that and drove 3,000 miles to California where we knew more people. It was a big struggle, but you know what? You pay your dues. And we were never down about it. I always knew he was going to get something going and he did, too. The the opportunity to join Black Sabbath came along. That was something he wasn't so sure about in the beginning. But once he was in, he absolutely loved it. It was probably his favorite time in his life.

Fox News: What's the funniest or most unique encounter Ronnie's ever had with a fan?

Wendy Dio: Oh there's so many [laughs]. We had fans who would come from Holland and basically follow the whole tour around on a bus. They're still friends of mine now. Ronnie developed a close bond with his fans. If it was raining outside, he would invite them in to his tour bus. He made sure they were treated well.

Fox News: What surprised you most about the heavy metal scene?

Wendy Dio: Well, Ronnie was a bit different. He wasn't sex, drugs and alcohol. He took his music very seriously. Everything had to be exactly the way he wanted it to be. So I think that made him different, in comparison to some of the other bands that were around at the time. But you know what truly shocked me about the heavy metal scene? The fans are true fans. They never forget. They support nonstop. In different genres, you'll have fans that stick around for a certain time and then move on to something else. But the heavy metal fans, they're with you for life. They are completely genuine, honest and loyal. They have huge hearts and they'll follow the bands all the way through their lives.

Fox News: Is there anything you feel Ronnie would have done differently in his life?

Wendy Dio: Truthfully, I don't think he would have done anything differently. If he hadn't died, he would have kept creating. People tried to put him in a certain box. But he wanted to do things his way. He didn't just want to make record labels happy or just go commercial. The music meant so much more to him than that. And it worked because his music still sells. It makes me so happy, still, to see young bands playing his music

Fox News: What do you believe was the secret behind your lasting marriage to Ronnie?

Wendy Dio: Well, we had a lot of ups and downs and fights, of course. We had a few separations and came back again. But I think we both truly wanted this. We also believed in his music and his goal in life was to make his fans happy. And that's my goal now. I want to keep his music and imagination alive. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a trickster. His band used to play tricks on each other all the time. And when he wasn't performing, he was at home watching sports. He was a huge sports fan. I remember one time Wayne Gretzky gave him the prized jersey. I had no idea what it was or what it meant. I just thought it was an old, oversized shirt that was 10 times too big for Ronnie. So I just threw it in the trash. He wanted to kill me for that [laughs]

Fox News: It sounded like he was a homebody

Wendy Dio: He really was. He loved to sit in the house, invite friends over and watch the games. He just wanted to have a normal life. And anytime he was watching any sport - Giants, Yankees - he was always inspired and writing new music. He loved every kind of sport. He wanted to play baseball or do things like that growing up, but he wasn't allowed to because his father made him practice the trumpet all day. But his love for sports remained. He was just a normal guy with a wonderful sense of humor and a dream. 

Most Popular Rock / Metal Tattoos

It's no surprise that music fans want something honoring their favorite musician on their body. Whether it be the logo, a few lines from a song, the mascot for the band (if they have one) and so on. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, here are the bands most people get something of for a tattoo.

I'm definitely guilty as charged. I have "Let It Be" with music notes surrounding it on my left shoulder. So it's obvious I like The Beatles. I'm planning on my next tattoo already. I want to get a few lines from the song "Wasted Years" by Iron Maiden on my right forearm. It'll be a representation of one of my favorite metal bands and it will be feminine, after all, I am female and don't want something too massive. Getting Eddie tattooed on my body is not something I want. Men mostly get Eddie tattooed; I want something a little simpler

A new study done by LLTattoo has revealed that rock bands and metal bands are amongst the popular choice for tattoos. They have revealed who the most popular musicians are for getting tattoos of.

Pink Floyd

-Taking the number one spot, these legendary British rockers have inspired the most tattoos, from logos to song lyrics to album covers. An average of 13,000 searches a month puts these guys at the top

Guns N' Roses

-Tattoos of Slash and company are amongst the popular ideas for tattoos. Of course, there are also song lyrics that hold meaning for the one intending to go under the needle. An average of 10,675 searches each month puts these guys at number 2

Rammstein

-This legendary German alt-metal band is popular amongst metal heads with an average 10,558 searches in a month

Metallica

-Any fan of Metallica would most likely get either an album cover or song lyric tattooed. They have 9.367 monthly searches

Nirvana

-Grunge rockers Nirvana still have a die hard following, despite the death of front man Kurt Cobain. Each month, they average 9,150 searches

Linkin Park

-The legendary metal band averaged 8,425 searches for tattoos inspired by them

Slipknot

-This Iowa-based giant of metal is seeing 7,900 searches a month

Twenty One Pilots

-This Ohio-based alt-rock band has inspired 7,775 monthly searches for tattoo-related ideas

Iron Maiden

-Not surprisingly, these legendary British metal legends have inspired a slew of tattoo ideas, ranging from song lyrics to album covers to the famous, iconic "Eddie the 'Ead". On average, each month they were getting about 7,125 tattoo ideas for fans

Tool

-This unique band was ranking about 6,200 monthly searches for tattoo-related ideas

According to Mentor Dedaj of LLTattoo, he said "It's very interesting to see which rock bands inspire the most tattoo pieces around the world. Rock music and ink are seemingly inseparable, and tats are almost obligatory to big rock heads. Having inked people in our studio with pieces influenced by some of these artists, some of the results are unsurprising. However, there are also a few interesting bands included in the top ten, as well as a few that surprisingly didn't make the list."