RIP to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne. On the day when music lost one of the giants, let us remember how, back in 2010, Eminem turned a Black Sabbath ballad into a heartfelt confession, and Ozzy’s voice gave it even more soul.
Long before his passing, Ozzy’s music helped shape one of Eminem’s most emotional songs: “Going Through Changes” from “Recovery”. The track samples Black Sabbath’s “Changes” (1972), a vulnerable piano ballad that fits perfectly with Eminem’s reflections on loss, addiction, and family.
Producer Emile told Complex that the idea came together instantly: “I remember dropping the needle on Black Sabbath’s ‘Going Through Changes’, and he walked in the room right as I dropped the needle. And it started playing, and we both looked at each other like, “That could be the one”.
While some Ozzy fans were not thrilled about hip hop sampling their icon, Ozzy himself never seemed to mind. In fact, his journey of struggles and comebacks made him the perfect match for a song about change.
Listen to Eminem — “Going Through Changes” below:
