At MetalMania Live, the only radio station that plays nothing but live metal and hard rock performances — never studio cuts, only the raw power of the stage — we know how much the live spirit of heavy music means to fans. On Sunday, September 7, 2025, during the MTV Video Music Awards, the world witnessed a fitting tribute to a man who embodied that same live energy for more than five decades: Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness himself.
Ozzy, who passed away on July 22, 2025, at age 76 after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease, left behind not just a catalog of legendary songs, but an entire cultural movement. His final bow came only weeks earlier when he reunited with Black Sabbath for what would be his last performance. The VMAs honored him with a tribute that felt as raw and powerful as one of his own shows — and at MetalMania Live, we’re here to keep that energy alive every single day, through live versions of the very songs celebrated that night.
The Tribute: Rock Legends Unite
Introduced in a heartfelt pre-taped message from Ozzy’s son, Jack Osbourne, joined by his four daughters, the tribute kicked off with the sentiment that “it would make my father incredibly happy” to see musicians from multiple generations carrying his torch forward.
That torch immediately lit the stage. Yungblud, one of Ozzy’s close friends and younger champions, launched into the opening of the medley. From there, the performance transformed into a multi-generational metal summit.
- Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt laid down his trademark virtuoso guitar firepower.
- Adam Wakeman, longtime Black Sabbath keyboardist, brought authenticity and emotional depth.
- Finally, the night climaxed when Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry stormed the stage to close out the set.
The medley itself honored both Ozzy’s solo career and his work with Black Sabbath, running through “Crazy Train,” “Changes,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” During the latter, images of Ozzy’s life — from his early Sabbath days to his time as a reality TV pioneer on The Osbournes — filled the screen.
For fans, though, one of the most unforgettable moments was seeing Steven Tyler back on stage after Aerosmith had retired from touring due to his vocal cord injury. Sharing the spotlight with Yungblud, Tyler leaned into the mic with all the grit and heart fans remember, closing the song with a shout of “Ozzy forever!” as he embraced his fellow performer.
The Live Spirit of Ozzy
Ozzy Osbourne was more than a singer; he was a live force of nature. Whether howling through “Iron Man” or commanding stadiums with “Bark at the Moon,” he lived for the stage. That’s exactly why we at MetalMania Live — the only station on the planet spinning nothing but live versions of metal and hard rock classics — continue to blast his performances the way they were meant to be heard: raw, untamed, and in front of a roaring crowd.
The VMAs tribute echoed this philosophy. It wasn’t about polished studio perfection. It was about energy, grit, and the communal spirit of metal — the same things that define every track we play here on MetalMania Live.
Fan and Critical Reception
The performance was instantly hailed as one of the most emotional and powerful moments in recent VMAs history. Fans on social media praised it as “one of the best performances ever” and a “heartfelt way to honor the Prince of Darkness.” Critics applauded MTV for dedicating such a large stage moment to a heavy metal pioneer who not only helped define a genre but also left his mark on MTV itself through his groundbreaking reality series, The Osbournes.
More importantly, the performance reminded a global audience — many of them younger fans discovering Ozzy for the first time — of just how much of today’s rock and metal DNA traces directly back to him.
Ozzy Osbourne’s passing was a seismic moment for the world of music. His legacy stretches from the creation of heavy metal with Black Sabbath, to his wild and unforgettable solo career, to his impact as a cultural icon. The MTV VMAs tribute ensured that his contributions were honored on a mainstream stage, while also introducing his power to a new generation.
And here at MetalMania Live, we’ll continue to honor Ozzy in the best way we know how: playing his live performances — not just “Crazy Train,” but every riff, scream, and crowd chant that defined him as the ultimate showman. Because in metal, it’s not just the song that matters — it’s the way it’s delivered live, where every note bleeds with energy and authenticity.
The 2025 MTV VMAs may have closed with glittering pop stars and choreographed sets, but it was Ozzy Osbourne’s tribute that cut through with raw emotion and sheer power. The Prince of Darkness left us in July, but his legacy was cemented once again on one of music’s biggest stages.
And at MetalMania Live — the radio station that only plays live metal and hard rock — Ozzy’s spirit lives on every time we spin his thunderous performances. From Sabbath anthems to his solo classics, we’ll keep broadcasting the sound of Ozzy exactly how it was meant to be heard: live, loud, and eternal.