Highway to Hell (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia's layout guidelines. (May 2013) |
| "Highway to Hell" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||
| Single by AC/DC | ||||||||||
| from the album Highway to Hell | ||||||||||
| B-side | "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" | |||||||||
| Released | July 1979 | |||||||||
| Format | 7 inch | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||||||||
| Length | 3:28 | |||||||||
| Label | Atlantic | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Bon Scott Angus Young Malcolm Young |
|||||||||
| Producer | Mutt Lange | |||||||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| "Highway to Hell (live)" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||
| Single by AC/DC | ||||||||||
| from the album Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Hells Bells (live)" | |||||||||
| Released | 8 November 1992 (US) | |||||||||
| Format | 7 inch, CD | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal | |||||||||
| Length | 3:53 | |||||||||
| Label | Epic Atco Records |
|||||||||
| Producer | Bruce Fairbairn | |||||||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell. It was initially released as a single in 1979.
The song was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, with Malcolm Young credited for writing the guitar riff which became an instant classic.[1] AC/DC had made several studio albums before and were constantly promoting them via a grueling tour schedule, referred to by Angus Young as being on a highway to hell.[1]
Contents |
Background[edit]
The song's title reflects the incredibly arduous nature of touring constantly and life on the road. [1]
The single spent 45 weeks on the German Singles Chart, even though it peaked at only No. 30, in its 19th week on that chart.[2]
Bon Scott, whose talent as a singer and rock frontman were at a peak, was found dead in the back of a friend's car, just over six months after the song was released and would never enjoy the band's incredible success that was to come. [1]
"Highway to Hell" won the 'Most Played Australian Work Overseas' category at the 2009 APRA Awards.[3]
Personnel[edit]
- Bon Scott – lead vocals
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Rudd – drums
Production[edit]
Highway to Hell was produced by Mutt Lange as part of the album by the same name, and his work is regarded as a significant factor in delivering one of the classic AC/DC albums, the emergence of the double-guitar sound which was later perfected on Back in Black, and improved backing vocals with Malcolm Young joined by Cliff Williams for the first time.[1]
Live recordings[edit]
"Highway to Hell" has been included on three official live albums:
- Live: This was also released as a single. A video for the single was also released, containing a montage of footage from the Live at Donington home video.
- Let There Be Rock: The Movie
- Live At River Plate
List of accolades[edit]
- Ranked No. 258 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4]
- Ranked No. 152 on the 500 Greatest Classic Rock Songs compiled by 94.5 XKR.
- Ranked No. 23 on The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time, a book by Martin Popoff.
- The song "Highway to Hell" is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[5]
- The master ringtone was certified Gold by the RIAA in June 2007 for sales in excess of 500,000.
Covers[edit]
- Sam Kinison covered the song in 1990 for his comedy album Leader of the Banned.
- Marilyn Manson covered it as part of the soundtrack for the 1999 film Detroit Rock City.
- Green Day played part of the song during their 2010 Tour.
- In 2002 Angry Samoan covered it for the punk tribute album For Those About To Rawk: A Punk Tribute to AC/DC.
- American band Lazlo Bane recorded the song for their 70's covers album Guilty Pleasures, though hard rock is not their typical music style.
- The song has been used by many bands in concert including Cheap Trick, Green Day, and The Darkness.
- Pink performed it on her Funhouse Tour.
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart [2] | 30 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 47 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 24 |
| Scotland (Official Charts Company)[6] | 36 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] | 40 |
Track listing[edit]
UK[edit]
Released 1992 by ATCO
- "Bonny"/"Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "Hells Bells (Live)"
- "The Jack (Live)"
Germany and France[edit]
Released 1992 by ATCO
- "Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
- "High Voltage (Live)"
Australia[edit]
Released 1992 by Albert Productions / Epic Records
- "Bonny"/"Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "High Voltage (Live)"
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
US and Canada[edit]
Released 1979 by Atlantic Records (Atlantic #3617)
- A Side: "Highway To Hell"
- B Side: "Night Prowler"
Released 1992 by ATCO (Atco #98491-2)
- "Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
Released 1992 by ATCO (Atco #96135-2)
- "Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
- "The Jack (Live)"
- "High Voltage (Live)"
Released 1992 by ATCO
- "Highway to Hell (Live)"
- "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
- "The Jack (Live)"
- "High Voltage (Live)"
- "Back in Black (Live)"
Personnel[edit]
- Bon Scott — lead vocals
- Angus Young — lead guitar
- Malcolm Young — rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams — bass guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Rudd — drums
Use in popular culture[edit]
- It is used as a walk-up song by designated hitter Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox.
- The song is featured in the 2011 TV Show How I Met Your Mother; Season 7 Episode 12 Symphony of Illumination.
- The song is featured in the 2011 TV Show Family Guy; Season 10 Episode 7 Amish Guy.
- The song is featured in the 2010 20th Century Fox film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
- The song is featured in the 2010 Paramount Pictures film Iron Man 2.
- The song is featured in the 2010 Paramount Pictures film Megamind, along with its trailers.
- The song's guitar riff is briefly played in the 2003 movie School of Rock.
- The song is featured in the 2008 TV Show Top Gear; season 12 episode 1, particularly during the introduction of "Rig Stig".
- The song is featured in the 2007 TV Show House; Season 3 Episode 21 Family.
- The song is featured in the 2005–present TV show Supernatural.
- The song is featured in the 2003 New Line Cinema film Final Destination 2.
- The song is featured in the 2000 New Line Cinema film Little Nicky.
- The song is featured in the 1999 TV Show The Simpsons; Season 10 Episode 18 Simpsons Bible Stories.
- The song is featured in the 1998 WWE pay per view SummerSlam.
See also[edit]
- Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell
- Quiet Riot covered the song on their 1999 studio release, Alive & Well.
- Maroon 5 covered the song on their 2007 live acoustic EP, 1.22.03.Acoustic.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Wall, Mick (2012). AC/DC: Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be. London: Orion Publishing group. ISBN 9781409115359.
- ^ a b http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/AC%A5DC/Highway+To+Hell/single
- ^ "2009 Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ Highway to Hell The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
- ^ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "500 songs that shaped rock and roll" [1]
- ^ "Archive Chart". Scottish Singles Top 40. Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Categories:
- 1979 singles
- 1992 singles
- AC/DC songs
- Singles certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
- Songs about touring
- Song recordings produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange
- Songs written by Malcolm Young
- Songs written by Angus Young
- Songs written by Bon Scott
- Australian rock songs
- Hell in popular culture
