Back in Black
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| Back in Black | ||
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| Studio album by AC/DC | ||
| Released | July 25, 1980 | |
| Recorded | April - May 1980 at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas | |
| Genre | Hard rock | |
| Length | 41:59 | |
| Label | Atlantic, ATCO; Epic Records (2003 Remaster/2005 Dualdisc) | |
| Producer(s) | Robert John "Mutt" Lange | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| AC/DC chronology | ||
| Highway to Hell (1979) |
Back in Black (1980) |
For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) |
| Back cover | ||
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Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980. Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who had died in February 1980. The band considered disbanding following Scott's death, but ultimately decided to continue and shortly thereafter hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer and lyricist. Though the Young brothers had begun work on this album prior to Scott's death, and Scott had written lyrics for potential new songs, the decision was made to redo the album from scratch upon hiring Johnson.[1] Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had previously worked with AC/DC on Highway to Hell, was again brought in to produce.
The album was remastered and re-released first in late 1994, then again in the Bonfire box set in 1997, and as part of the AC/DC Remasters Series in 2003. In addition, a Dualdisc version was released in 2005, featuring the album in enhanced LPCM Stereo format and the video documentary The Story of Back in Black.
The international sales of the disc ascend to more than 42 million copies, making it the second most sold disc of all time after “Thriller” by Michael Jackson
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Back in Black contained some of AC/DC's biggest hits, including the title track, "Back in Black," "Hells Bells," and "You Shook Me All Night Long". Angus Young has stated that the album's all-black cover was a "sign of mourning" for Scott, as black is the traditional color of mourning. It went on to become AC/DC's most popular album, the second best-selling album of all time, and the biggest selling album by any band, with more than 42 million copies sold worldwide.[2] In 2006 Back in Black was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as the fifth best-selling album in the United States, with 21 million copies sold.[3] Despite its massive commercial success, it is not AC/DC's highest charting album, peaking at #4; their next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, hit #1 in 1982.[4]
In 1989, it was ranked #26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's. In 2003, the album was ranked number 73 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[5]
[edit] Track listing
- "Hells Bells" – 5:12
- "Shoot to Thrill" – 5:17
- "What Do You Do for Money Honey" – 3:35
- "Given the Dog a Bone" – 3:31
- "Let Me Put My Love into You" – 4:15
- "Back in Black" – 4:15
- "You Shook Me All Night Long" – 3:30
- "Have a Drink on Me" – 3:58
- "Shake a Leg" – 4:05
- "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – 4:16
- All songs written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson.
[edit] Personnel
- Brian Johnson — lead vocals
- Angus Young — lead guitar
- Malcolm Young — rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams — bass guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Rudd — drums
[edit] Production
- Robert John "Mutt" Lange — Producer
- Benji Armbrister — Assistant Engineer
- Bob Defrin — Art Direction
- Robert Ellis — Photography
- Ted Jensen — Remastering
- Tony Platt — Engineer
- Brad Samuelsohn — Mixing
- Jack Newber — Assistant Engineer
[edit] Chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | UK Albums Chart | #1 |
| 1980 | ARIA Albums Chart | #2 |
| 1980 | Billboard Pop Albums | #4 |
| 1980 | Ö3 Austria Top 40 | #6 |
| 1980 | Norwegian Album Charts | #18 |
| 1980 | RIANZ Album Top 50 | #24 |
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | #126 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Rock 'N' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" | UK Singles Chart | #15 |
| 1980 | "You Shook Me All Night Long" | Billboard Hot 100 | #35 |
| 1981 | "Back In Black" | Billboard Hot 100 | #37 |
| 1980 | "You Shook Me All Night Long" | UK Singles Chart | #38 |
| 1981 | "Hells Bells" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #50 |
| 1981 | "Back In Black" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #51 |
| 1981 | "Shoot To Thrill" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #60 |
[edit] References
- Engleheart, Murray & Arnaud Durieux (2007-01-02), AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, Harper Entertainment, ISBN 0-0611-3391-4.
[edit] Notes
- ^ (Engleheart & Durieux 2007, p. 324)
- ^ Record Breakers and Trivia: Albums. Every Hit. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ Top 100 Albums. Recording Industry Association of America (2006-07-31). Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ a b AC/DC discography. Rock Detector. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ 73) Back in Black. Rolling Stone (2003-11-01). Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ Charts & awards - Billboard albums. All Music Guide. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ Number 1 Albums - 1980s. Every Hit. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
- ^ Charts & awards - Billboard singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
- ^ Every Hit. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Lyrics on AC/DC's official website
