Writers: Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Susan
Producer: Ron Nevison
Recorded: January 1986 at Townshouse Studios, London
Released: February 1986
| Players: | Ozzy Osbourne — vocals Jake E. Lee — guitar Bill Susan — bass Randy Castillo — drums |
| Album: | The Ultimate Sin (CBS Associated, 1986) |
Written by Ozzy Osbourne and his bass player, Bill Susan, “Shot In The Dark” was the first bona fide hit single of Osbourne's solo career, peaking at Number 20 in the U.K. and Number 68 on theBillboard Hot 100.
Osbourne said that after years of being a favorite at album-rock radio stations, having a hit was an odd experience. “I couldn't believe Ozzy Osbourne with a hit single! I laugh so much every time I see the video for this song. I look like a tattooed truck driver in a sequined dress. That was probably the closest I ever got to being a drag queen.”
The Ultimate Sin was one of the most successful of Osbourne's solo studio albums, reaching Number Six on the Billboard 200 and selling more than two million copies. It hit Number Eight on the U.K. chart.
Prior to The Ultimate Sin, Osbourne published an autobiography titled Diary Of A Madman.
The Ultimate Sin was recorded amidst rumors that Black Sabbath, Osbourne's previous band, would be re-forming. The group had played at Live Aid the previous summer, but attempts to put the group back together for new recording failed.
