Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records on July 25 1980. It was the band’s first album to feature Brian Johnson as lead singer, following the death of Bon Scott, their previous vocalist.
After the commercial breakthrough of their 1979 album Highway to Hell, AC/DC was planning to record a follow-up, but in February 1980, Scott died from alcohol poisoning after a drinking binge. Instead of disbanding, the remaining members of the group decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who had previously been vocalist for Geordie.
The album was composed by Johnson and brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, and recorded over seven weeks in the Bahamas from April to May 1980 with producer Robert John “Mutt“ Lange, who had also produced Highway to Hell. Following its completion, the group mixed Back in Black at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The album’s all-black cover was designed as a “sign of mourning” for Scott.
Back in Black was an unprecedented commercial and critical success. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in music history. AC/DC supported the album with a yearlong world tour that cemented them among the most popular music acts of the early 1980s. The album received positive critical reception at the time of its initial release, and has since been included on numerous lists of “greatest” albums. On December 9, 2019, the album was certified 25× Platinum by the (RIAA), making it the fourth best-selling album in the United States, and the best-selling album that never reached the top spot on the American charts.
Tracklist:
- Hells Bells
- Shoot to Thrill
- What Do You Do for Money Honey
- Given the Dog a Bone
- Let Me Put My Love into You
- Back in Black
- You Shook Me All Night Long
- Have a Drink on Me
- Shake a Leg
- Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
AC/DC
Brian Johnson: lead vocals
Angus Young: lead guitar
Malcolm Young: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams: bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd: drums
Production
Robert John “Mutt” Lange: production
Tony Platt: assistant engineering
Benji Armbrister: assistant engineering
Jack Newber: assistant engineering
Brad Samuelsohn: mixing
Bob Ludwig: mastering (original LP)
Barry Diament: mastering (original CD releases)
Ted Jensen: remastering (EMI/Atco reissue)
George Marino: remastering (Epic reissue)
Bob Defrin: art direction
Robert Ellis: photography
Malcolm Young (January 6, 1953 – November 18, 2017)
