The crowd cheers as a tattooed man with shaggy hair and a British accent belts out Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath tunes. An hour later, a blonde singer tears through a set of Motley Crue classics while his bandmates pound their instruments into submission. An hour after that, a grown man in a schoolboy outfit duck-walks across the stage and his cohort growls from under his cap while AC/DC riffs blast through the speakers.

Is this a dream team concert lineup of rock ‘n’ roll legends? Not quite, but the crowd is enthusiastic and it sounds pretty close to the real thing. In fact, the only part that’s completely unrealistic is the price, since admission to see all the bands ($10) cost less than parking at major rock concerts.

On June 30, three tribute acts performed at Jannus Landing at the Monsters of Mock show while fans sang along to the familiar sights and sounds. It’s not the real thing, but according to Martyn Jenkins, frontman for AC/DC tribute act Highway to Hell (and the evening’s headliners), the next best thing is pretty satisfying in its own right.

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Few names resonate more with heavy metal fans than Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Interestingly enough, Ozzy’s time in the band represents only a small portion of Sabbath’s legacy. Black Sabbath now has 40 years and 18 albums under its belt. Ozzy was around for eight albums, and two of them are so awful they damage his own legacy and justify his termination from the group in 1979.  Drummer Bill Ward and bassist/lyricist Terrence “Geezer” Butler left and rejoined before bolting for good in 1984. Through all the substance abuse, through turbulent, revolving door lineups, and through parts of five decades — only guitarist Tony Iommi remained an original member.

Why, then, is Ozzy suing Tony Iommi for ownership of the “Black Sabbath” trademark? And why now? Ozzy’s statement:

“It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long-term partner Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse.

“As of the mid-1990s, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of ‘BLACK SABBATH’ was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name BLACK SABBATH) was reduced to performing in clubs.

First of all, ten bucks says that’s not Ozzy’s statement — it’s his harpy mouthpiece wife, Sharon’s.

Secondly, listening to a Black Sabbath album — whether a legendary Ozzy- or Dio-fronted LP, or the easily forgotten Tony Martin — there’s no doubt for a second who stars. Ozzy’s vocals rarely deviated from directly following Iommi’s riffs!

If Ozzy wants to argue about legacy, he should pop in a DVD of The Osbournes and look inward — or better yet, at his wife.

The Black Sabbath lawsuit made me wonder about other great bands – not just in heavy metal, but over all of rock ‘n’ roll, where similar debates may rage.

What’s more important? The Frontman or The Riff? The debates and classic Sabbath video after the jump.

Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne vs. Tony Iommi

Did Beavis & Butthead sing, “Has he lost his mind? / Can he see or is he blind?” Or did they grunt “DUH DUH DUH-DUH-DUH! / DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA DUH DUH DUH!”

Edge: IOMMI.

Led Zeppelin – Robert Plant vs. Jimmy Page

A considerably tougher debate than Ozzy/Iommi. Page brought perhaps more memorable riffs and melodies to the table than Iommi. (Hell, a guitar debate between Page and Iommi would be pretty difficult!) Plant possessed the charisma and vocal talent Ozzy lacked. I’m gonna have to cop-out on this one.

Edge: EVEN.

AC/DC – Bon Scott/Brian Johnson vs. Angus Young

If a classic riff slipped through the cracks between Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page, Angus Young caught it and turned out awesome albums with different talented, yet somewhat interchangable frontmen.

Edge: YOUNG.

Guns ‘n’ Roses – Axl Rose vs. Slash

Two words: Chinese Democracy.

Edge: SLASH.

Judas Priest – Rob Halford vs. Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing

Following Sabbath’s emergence, Priest’s innovative dual guitar attack was the next step in the evolution of heavy metal. But as great as Tipton and Downing are, look what happened when Halford and his incredible vocal range left the band. Priest made two forgettable albums with a former tribute-band singer, and inspired a putrid film.  Halford took Painkiller magic with him and made Fight’s War of Words and his solo album Resurrection. Plus, it’s hard to argue with someone nicknamed “Metal God.”

Edge: HALFORD.

I could think of more singer vs. guitarist matchups all day. Do you disagree with my choices? Do you have your own interesting frontman/guitarist dichotomy? Post a comment!

Black Sabbath “Black Sabbath” from Ozzy’s Live & Loud (1993)

The good news: if you couldn’t make it to Fort Lauderdale last Thursday for the first Iron Maiden show in Florida since ‘95, frontman Bruce Dickinson swore up and down multiple times Maiden would return to our state in 2011.

The bad news: the classic Powerslave-era stage decor and the old-songs-only mantra of the Somewhere Back In Time tour are now a thing of the past … again.

I waited half my life to see this band in person. Were you to peruse my apartment, you would find no less than three dozen Maiden releases. Multiple copies of studio albums due to varying reissue bonuses. Rare singles.  Multiple live albums — some on both CD and DVD.  Even the ridiculous Eddie’s Archive metallic casket of rarities.  It’s silly and excessive(ly awesome), I admit. Given the band’s lengthy absence from Florida, I’m positive many others shared my situation. But would the British Heavy Metal legends live up to years of expectation?

Before the band could answer that question I had to sit through the worst case of rock ‘n’ roll nepotism since I saw The Poor open for AC/DC at what used to be the Thunderdome (Angus Young’s nephew played drums): the rock star aspirations of Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris‘ daughter.

Lauren Harris‘ namesake band plays straightforward late-’80s hard rock. If they were opening for Def Leppard or Poison, they’d have fit perfectly. No one I was with seemed to mind her too much, and I didn’t sense much of a negative reaction from the sold-out crowd, but my inner cynic wonders: If her father wasn’t the architect of one of metal’s greatest bands, and he wasn’t backstage, would we be so polite?

Just like on Live After Death, Iron Maiden’s set exploded with “Aces High,” putting the band’s almost excessive triple-guitar attack and Dickinson’s patented air-raid-siren vocals on immediate display.  The frontman vaulted himself between platforms all night long, bouncing around the stage with the energy of a man half his 51 years. When I wasn’t too busy headbanging to notice, it appeared that Dave Murray had his choice of guitar solos.

Adrian Smith made the most of his opportunity to shine during the legendary intro to “Wasted Years.” Janick Gers seemed relegated to a predominantly rhythm guitar role. The Bank Atlantic Center sound was adequate, but too loud and muddled to accurately determine what each guitarist was playing. However, Harris’ bass was perfectly audible.

Aside from the deep Number of the Beast track “Children of the Damned,” there were few surprises in the set. Powerslave was heavily represented with the aforementioned “Aces High” as well as “2 Minutes to Midnight,” the title track, and the literary epic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” complete with a swaying, creaking lighting rig and well-synchronized fireworks as it geared towards its finale.

Bruce once again waved a Union Jack during “The Trooper,” and the one-two punch of “Fear of the Dark” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name” was almost too much anthemic metal awesomeness to bear. Even the Paul Di’Anno era was well-represented with “Wrathchild” and the blistering centerpiece of the band’s 1980 debut, “Phantom of the Opera.” When Bruce said, “This may be the last time we ever play some of these songs,” “Rime” and “Phantom” especially felt like classics about to be sealed in a vault.

Iron Maiden treated the crowd to two Eddie sightings. For the first, during set-closer “Iron Maiden,” an Eddie sarcophagus opened to reveal a giant mummified Eddie looming large over the stage (pictured right).

Later, a 10-foot-tall, cybernetic Somewhere in Time-era Eddie joined the band halfway through “The Evil That Men Do” and pretended to shoot bandmembers with a gun. (Set phasers to awesome.)

The encore-closing “Sanctuary” — interrupted by a long goodbye and thanks to the tour crew — was a bit of a buzzkill. But Bruce once again promised a relatively quick return to Florida in 2011. I hope it’s a promise Iron Maiden keeps. As for now, I happily cross them off my own personal “bands I must see before I die” list.

AC/DC, which plays the St. Pete Times Forum on Sun. Dec. 21, is one of the few classic rock acts that steadfastly refuses to peddle the obligatory “greatest hits” CD  — or offer their music as digital downloads, for that matter. And I’m proud of my hard rock heroes for not selling out … Well, for not selling out to anybody except Walmart, with which the band did do a most dirty deed.

Anyway, if AC/DC ever OKs a best-of CD, I want to produce the compilation. Here’s how it would go: 18 tracks in chronological order spanning the years 1976 to 2008, with nine songs each for singers Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. The disc has been quite popular with my friends and coworkers — yes, I’ve made several. The Johnson tracks and greatest 1970s promo music video ever(!) after the jump.

AC/DC: Greatest Hits

1. “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N Roll)”
2. “T.N.T.”
3. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
4. “Big Balls”
5. “Let There Be Rock”
6. “Whole Lotta Rosie”
7. “Rock ‘N Roll Damnation”
8. “Highway to Hell”
9. “Girls Got Rhythm”

10. “Hells Bells”
11. “Shoot To Thrill”
12. “You Shook Me All Night Long”
13. “Back in Black”
14. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”
15. “Who Made Who”
16. “Thunderstruck”
17. “Money Talks”
18. “Rock ‘N Roll Train”

“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N Roll)”

• 12/19 Update: Top 10 albums of 2008.

• 12/17 Update: Check out “Honorable mentions: More best songs of 2008.”

OK, here’s my list. Look for the CL music team’s Top 10 album lists to be posted Dec. 22-24, to coincide with our Top 10 issue that streets Christmas Eve.

Also, I’ve been seeing M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” popping up on other best-of lists. The song topped my 2007 tally, so I decided to leave her off this year’s – or else the Sri Lankan sensation would have definitely given Weezy a run for his cash money.

1. “Mr. Carter,” Lil’ Wayne (pictured) w/Jay-Z
Lil’ Wayne, the self-proclaimed greatest rapper on earth, lives up to the claim on this amazing free-word association with a world-class hook. Weezy’s distinctive Nawlins locution is wonderfully raspy as he bounces from brilliantly wacky pop-culture references (”Hector Camacho Man Randy Savage”) to outstanding boasts like: “Two words you never hear, ‘Wayne Quit?’/ ‘Cause Wayne win, and they lose/ I call them April babies, ’cause they fools.” Jay-Z’s guest verse is boss, but it’s Weezy’s dramatic delivery and mad genius lyrics that make this song my top pick for ‘08.

2. “Highly Suspicious,” My Morning Jacket
Genre-hopping rockers My Morning Jacket’s foray into funk is a stone-cold winner. Frontman Jim James pulls a Prince, singing falsetto about sexy mysteries like “peanut butter pudding surprise” – without a discernible hint of irony. Oh, yeah, and the thumping, make-you-wanna-hump backbeat is irrepressible.

3. “Slapped Actress,” The Hold Steady
This isn’t the first song in which the indie rank’s fiercest bar band name-checks Ybor City, but it is The Hold Steady’s finest. And that’s saying something considering the gutter glory of “Killer Parties.” On “Slapped Actress,” the band has concocted a guitar-centric, articulate rush of adrenaline that rises and falls like a first-rate arena-rock offering – minus the gloss and lyrical goofiness.

4. “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?,” Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green has evolved from an ace rapper to one of the most talented soul singers of his generation. Green’s voice is ragged but right, his phrasing and expressiveness sublime. Credit Danger Mouse for draping Green’s raw vocal in subtle, plucked strings and restrained, hypnotic beats.

5. “Jailhouse Tears,” Lucinda Williams w/Elvis Costello
Williams is the trailer park gal with good sense scolding her “three-time loser” boyfriend (Elvis Costello) in this humorous white trash exchange that also manages to tug at the heartstrings.

6. “Bang! Bang!,” The Knux
The Knux brothers offer a super-catchy cautionary tale about life in their native New Orleans. Unlike Weezy, though, their jubilant sound is more indebted to Outkast – and New Wave – than anything from the Cash Money stable.

7. “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes (pictured)
Not since the Beach Boys’ prime have vocal harmonies sounded this sweet. Like a church choir singing its way through an enchanted Pacific Northwest forest, this song is spirits-lifting escapism at its finest.

8. “You Stood Me Up,” Benji Hughes
Like Beck before he got all psychedelic and serious on us, Benji Hughes offers a detailed account of a chick ditching him for another dude. We feel ya, man. And dig those grabby, old-school synth runs.

9. “My Home Is Nowhere without You,” Herman Düne
Spanish guitar, delicate percussion, mariachi horn and angelic background singers frame this gorgeous valentine. It’s emotive, but not over-sung, in English by sharp-eyed Frenchman David-Ivar Herman Düne.

10. “I Got Mine,” The Black Keys
The song starts off as a crushing, garage-rock kiss-off then pulls the listeners into a delightfully trippy carnival tunnel (thanks Danger Mouse) before the guitar fury and raging vocals return with even more face-melting force.

11. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country,” Randy Newman
Pop music’s crown prince of sarcasm sends up the Bush administration by arguing things could be worse. In doing so, he mentions “Hitler, Stalin, men who need no introduction.”

12. “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution,” The Black Crowes
Just when you thought the Crowes had lost their way on the jam-band circuit, the sibling act returns with a ballsy rocker bolstered by the slashing slide guitar playing of North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson.

13. “Red River Shore,” Bob Dylan
An outtake from Dylan’s 1997 Grammy-winning masterstroke Time Out of Mind, this lovesick epic finds the singer searching the world over for the one fair maiden who brought him solace. On the final verse, he ponders the ways of Jesus, and salvation in general. “Well, I don’t know what kind of language he used,” Dylan somberly intones over mournful accordion. “Or if they do that kind of thing anymore.”

14. “Ur So Gay (And You Don’t Even Like Boys),” Katy Perry (pictured)
Girl-kissing Katy Perry gets sweet revenge with a hilariously savage attack on her indie-rock ex in this horn-enhanced pop ditty. Best line? “You walk around like you’re oh so debonair/ You pull ‘em down, and there’s really nothing there.”

15. “I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory,” Kathleen Edwards
In this breezy country-rock delight, the Canadian singer/songwriter bemoans playing second fiddle to her frontman boyfriend. In doing so, she manages to work formerly feared NHL enforcer Marty McSorley into the song. Very cool.

16. “Rock ‘N Roll Train,” AC/DC
Big, heavy riffs and taut rhythms that swing. It’s AC/DC, back near the top of their game, which means no other contemporary hard-rock act can touch ‘em.

17. “High Cost of Living,” Jamey Johnson
In the style of Waylon Jennings and George Jones, Nashville singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson confesses to a coke habit that nearly cost him everything. This is real country. The way God intended it.

18. “Smiling Underneath,” Ani DiFranco
The sonics are spooky and moody, but the message is one of pure love and devotion. DiFranco tells her man that with him by her side she can stand anything, even a “flaming Christmas wreath” around her neck. Hot stuff.

19. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend
What the hell was Paul Simon thinking when he left this off Graceland?

20. “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll
A new twist on a timeworn country tradition: His woman left him … But not for Bubba, for Jesus! And now Carll’s gonna kick J.C.’s ass. Blasphemous? Sure. But funny. Very funny.