Ozzy Osbourne’s 1986 album *The Ultimate Sin* was a major commercial success, selling more than two million copies and reinforcing his status as a leading heavy-metal artist. However, Osbourne later regarded it as his worst solo album, believing its production failed to reflect the quality of the songs.

The album followed Osbourne’s 1984 stay at the Betty Ford Rehabilitation Centre and was made amid tensions with guitarist Jake E Lee and lyricist Bob Daisley. Lee contributed substantially to the music, while Daisley wrote most of the lyrics, but disputes over credit complicated the recording; Osbourne later blamed producer Ron Nevison for making the album sound repetitive and lacking imagination.