Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘The Ultimate Sin’ Turns 35

February 22, 1986. I turned 9 years old. Pitchers and catchers were reporting for a Red Sox season that would eventually break my heart. And Ozzy Osbourne released The Ultimate Sin.

Post-rehab Ozzy rules. This album has some real rippers on it, and it’s Jake E. Lee’s last album with the Ozz Man. But it’s the artwork that grabbed me as a grade-schooler who was just starting to get wise to the ways of heavy metal. So let’s dive into that.

• The Album Cover

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  I mean, this one has it all. Sexy witch-lady? Check. Thigh-high boots? Also check. Volcanic background? You bet? Ozzy as some sort of demon-dragon? Holy hell-yes.

• The Cassette

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  I feel like if you had this one on tape, you got an even more disturbing Ozzy-head on the demon-thing. Just amazing.

• The Import

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  The Japanese version really fleshed out the background. The volcano really pops.
• “The Ultimate Sin” Single

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  If you copped the 7" for the title track, you ended up with a time capsule of Ozzy's mid-80's look. That hair. Wow.

• “Shot In The Dark” Single

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  The album's last track was it's first single, and Ozzy's first-ever solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The artwork, though? Well...

• “Shot In The Dark” Single (Alternate)

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  ...you gotta go to the limited-edition poster version of the single to get that sweet, sweet Demon-Ozzy action.