Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘War Pigs’ becomes a hit

Judas Priest is back this week with another best-selling hit in the UK. The heavy metal icons return not with a completely original composition, but with a tune that longtime fans of the genre will know well.

The group has released its version of the Black Sabbath classic “War Pigs,” which is now available as a collaboration with the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on July 22. The combination of the two beloved acts proved to be enough to not only bring them both back to the charts, but also help the band chart higher than ever before.

Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘War Pigs’ becomes a bestseller

The new collaborative version of “War Pigs” debuting at number 15 on the Official Singles Downloads chart. At the same time, it also starts at number 17 on the Official Singles Sales rankings, which combines both digital and physical purchases. These positions represent career highs for Judas Priest in the two matches.

A look back at Judas Priest’s UK chart history

Judas Priest has now only collected a few hits on the Official Singles Downloads chart, and one more on the Official Singles Sales chart. The band first appeared on the list in October 2023, when “Panic Attack” debuted and peaked at number 81 on the download chart. The same song also launched at number 85 on the Official Singles Sales chart.

In March 2024, “Invincible Shield” spent a week at number 25 on the latter chart, but failed to make the rankings of the most downloaded songs in the UK.

How ‘War Pigs’ compares to other big debuts

On the Official Singles Downloads chart, Judas Priest and Osbourne have the second highest debut at the moment. The two acts land behind Myles Smith’s “Stay (If You Want to Dance),” which starts at No. 5.

On the official singles sales chart, ‘War Pigs’ is the third highest newcomer of the week. “Stay (If You Want to Dance)” begins its time at No. 6, while the biggest new song is “Friday I’m in Love,” a cover of The Cure classic by Olivia Rodrigo and band frontman Robert Smith. That song, which went viral after the two performed it at the Glastonbury music festival this summer, opens at No. 5.

“War Pigs” adds to Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy

Osbourne has amassed many more hits than Judas Priest on both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts. As a soloist, the rock legend has racked up six top 40 hits at a time, including this latest collaboration. His career totals grew considerably after his final concert, held in Birmingham, England, in July, and then again after his death just a short time later.

“War Pigs” only recently became a success

Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ reached the Official Singles chart, the main ranking of the most consumed songs in Britain, for the first time in late July. Amid a time of reflection on Osbourne’s career – both solo and with Black Sabbath – the hit climbed all the way to No. 47. Around the same time, it also broke into the top 40 of both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts.

The history of ‘War Pigs’, a Black Sabbath classic

“War Pigs” was released in September 1970 on Black Sabbath’s second album Paranoid. Although the song has become a standout in the catalog of heavy metal pioneers, it was never pushed as a single. The full-length instead produced “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” as promotional material, and both became genre-defining hits.

Judas Priest honors Ozzy Osbourne

Judas Priest has been using ‘War Pigs’ as entrance music to live shows for over a decade, so this collaborative version is a perfect fit. Following Osbourne’s passing, the duet serves as a powerful tribute to one of the genre’s founding fathers, while also celebrating the power and popularity of both acts.