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m Original text did not mention the only album to sell more than Back in Black or the only artist to produce such an album. Included Michael Jackson by way of clarification.
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The album was remastered and re-released in 1994, then again as part of the ''[[Bonfire (album)|Bonfire]]'' box set in 1997, and as part of the AC/DC remasters series in 2003 by George Marino. In addition, a [[Dualdisc]] version was released in 2004, featuring the album in enhanced [[LPCM]] Stereo format and the video documentary ''The Story of Back in Black''.
The album was remastered and re-released in 1994, then again as part of the ''[[Bonfire (album)|Bonfire]]'' box set in 1997, and as part of the AC/DC remasters series in 2003 by George Marino. In addition, a [[Dualdisc]] version was released in 2004, featuring the album in enhanced [[LPCM]] Stereo format and the video documentary ''The Story of Back in Black''.


The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies worldwide to date, making it the [[list of best-selling albums worldwide|second highest-selling album of all time]], and the best-selling hard rock or heavy metal album, as well as the best-selling album ever released by an Australian musical act.<ref name="Back In Black sold {{Nowrap|50 million}} copies">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/arts/music/12levi.html?pagewanted=all|title=Ageless and Defiant, AC/DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-07-18 | first=Robert | last=Levine | date=2008-10-12}}</ref><ref name="Back In Black sold {{Nowrap|45 million}} copies">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzettadiparma.it/primapagina/dettaglio/4/16119/ACDC_fuoco_alle_polveri:_%C2%ABLasciate_che_ci_sia_il_rock%C2%BB.html|title=AC/DC, fuoco alle polveri: "Lasciate che ci sia il rock!"|publisher=Gazzetta di Parma|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2009/0627/1224249636218.html|title=How AC/DC Conquered the Globe|publisher=The Irish Times|date=2009-06-27|accessdate=2009-12-03}}</ref><ref>''AC/DC The Encyclopedia'', by Malcom Dome and Jerry Ewing ISBN 978-1-84240-436-2</ref> On {{Nowrap|13 December}} 2007, the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] certified it 22× [[RIAA certification|Multi Platinum]], recognizing sales of {{Nowrap|22 million}} in the United States.<ref>[http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS RIAA&nbsp;– Gold & Platinum&nbsp;– September 22, 2010]</ref>
The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies worldwide to date, making it the [[list of best-selling albums worldwide|second highest-selling album of all time]], and the best-selling hard rock or heavy metal album, as well as the best-selling album ever released by an Australian musical act or by anyone anywhere not named Michael Jackson.<ref name="Back In Black sold {{Nowrap|50 million}} copies">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/arts/music/12levi.html?pagewanted=all|title=Ageless and Defiant, AC/DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-07-18 | first=Robert | last=Levine | date=2008-10-12}}</ref><ref name="Back In Black sold {{Nowrap|45 million}} copies">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzettadiparma.it/primapagina/dettaglio/4/16119/ACDC_fuoco_alle_polveri:_%C2%ABLasciate_che_ci_sia_il_rock%C2%BB.html|title=AC/DC, fuoco alle polveri: "Lasciate che ci sia il rock!"|publisher=Gazzetta di Parma|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2009/0627/1224249636218.html|title=How AC/DC Conquered the Globe|publisher=The Irish Times|date=2009-06-27|accessdate=2009-12-03}}</ref><ref>''AC/DC The Encyclopedia'', by Malcom Dome and Jerry Ewing ISBN 978-1-84240-436-2</ref> On {{Nowrap|13 December}} 2007, the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] certified it 22× [[RIAA certification|Multi Platinum]], recognizing sales of {{Nowrap|22 million}} in the United States.<ref>[http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS RIAA&nbsp;– Gold & Platinum&nbsp;– September 22, 2010]</ref>


==Overview==
==Overview==

Revision as of 20:39, 9 March 2012

Template:Two other uses

Untitled

Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band.

Released on 25 July 1980, Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980 at the age of 33, and was dedicated to him. The band considered disbanding following Scott's death, but they ultimately decided to continue and shortly thereafter hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer and lyricist. Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had previously worked with AC/DC on Highway to Hell, was again brought in to produce. The album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, and Electric Lady Studios in New York, where the album was also mixed.

The album was remastered and re-released in 1994, then again as part of the Bonfire box set in 1997, and as part of the AC/DC remasters series in 2003 by George Marino. In addition, a Dualdisc version was released in 2004, featuring the album in enhanced LPCM Stereo format and the video documentary The Story of Back in Black.

The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies worldwide to date, making it the second highest-selling album of all time, and the best-selling hard rock or heavy metal album, as well as the best-selling album ever released by an Australian musical act or by anyone anywhere not named Michael Jackson.[2][3][4][5] On 13 December 2007, the RIAA certified it 22× Multi Platinum, recognizing sales of 22 million in the United States.[6]

Overview

After the success of their previous album, Highway to Hell, Bon Scott and company began developing a new album. Some of the songwriting had been completed when Scott died unexpectedly from alcohol poisoning. When Brian Johnson became lead singer, the group decided to finish the songwriting they had started under Scott, with the Young brothers composing the music and Johnson writing the lyrics.[7] It contains some of AC/DC's biggest hits, including "Hells Bells", "Shoot to Thrill", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the title track "Back in Black". The final song on the album, "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest placing of any song on the album.

The album was recorded at the Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas. It was not easy for the band, as their equipment was initially held up by customs, and the island was overcome with tropical storms that wreaked havoc on the studio's electricity. Johnson reported having trouble adjusting to the environment, and even referenced the bad weather on the opening lines of "Hells Bells" ("I'm rolling thunder, pourin' rain. I'm comin' on like a hurricane. My lightning's flashing across the sky. You're only young but you're gonna die.").[7]

According to Angus Young the album's all-black cover was a "sign of mourning" for Scott, as black is the traditional Western colour of mourning. Atlantic Records disagreed with the cover, but accepted if the band put a grey outline around the AC/DC logo.[7] It is AC/DC's best-selling album, the second best-selling album of all time, and the biggest-selling album by any band, with more than 49 million copies sold worldwide.[2][3] 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 22 million copies sold.[8] Despite its massive commercial success, it is not AC/DC's highest charting album in the U.S, peaking at number 4; their next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, hit number 1 in 1981,[9] as did the band's 2008 album Black Ice. However, it hit number 1 on the UK charts.

The song "Let Me Put My Love into You" was rated number 6 in the Parents Music Resource Center Filthy Fifteen list in 1985.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]
Blender[11]
Robert ChristgauB−[12]
Rolling Stone (1980)favourable[13]
Rolling Stone (2002)[14]
Rolling Stone (2005)[15]

The album has received critical acclaim; it is present on many "best of" lists. Commercial response was even more positive. Selling over 22 million copies in the United States and 49 million copies worldwide, it is the highest-selling hard rock album of all time. Michael Jackson's Thriller and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon are the only albums that have sold more copies.

Legacy

In 1989, it was ranked number 26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the '80s. The song "Back in Black" was ranked number 187 on the same magazine's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[citation needed] VH1 also rated Back in Black one of the greatest comeback albums of all time and number 2 on the greatest hard rock albums.[citation needed] In 2003, the album was ranked number 73 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 9 in its list of the 40 Best Albums of the '80s.[16] It was listed at No. 2 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums, in October 2010.[17]

Sales

The album is the second best-selling album worldwide,[18] behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller. It was successful around the world, and despite never reaching number one on the Billboard 200, it made the 22x Platinum distinction, denoting 22 million albums sold, an especially unique distinction. This places it fourth in the list of best-selling albums in the United States (behind Michael Jackson's Thriller, Eagles's Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), and Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV).

Back in Black stayed in the Billboard chart for 131 weeks. The album, however, did reach number 1 in Australia and the United Kingdom. In April 2010, it re-entered the Billboard charts at number 181.

The album has also sold 1 million or more copies in Canada, Germany and France[19].

Music videos

The band recorded six music videos for the album which were recorded in Breda, in the Netherlands. The songs they used for the six videos were "Back in Black", "Hells Bells", "What Do You Do for Money Honey", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Let Me Put My Love into You" and "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", and were basic performance videos. Most of these remained officially unreleased until "Back in Black", "Hells Bells", "What Do You Do for Money Honey", and "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", as well as the 1986 video for "You Shook Me All Night Long" which was filmed for the Who Made Who album, were released on the Family Jewels DVD. The original video for "You Shook Me All Night Long", however, was later released on the promo DVD Back in Black: The Videos and on the Backtracks box sets. One thing to note about both videos is the original 1980 video features drummer Phil Rudd, who appears on the actual track, while the 1986 video features drummer Simon Wright who replaced Rudd in 1983. However, Rudd would return to the group in 1994. This isn't the first time Wright appeared in an AC/DC video for a track originally recorded with Rudd. Rudd appeared on AC/DC's 1983 release Flick Of The Switch while Wright appeared on the tour and videos for that album. "Let Me Put My Love into You" still remains unreleased but can be viewed on YouTube.

DualDisc versions

Back in Black was included among a group of 15 DualDisc releases that were test marketed in two cities in the US: Boston and Seattle. The DualDisc has the standard album on one side, and bonus material on the second side.

The DualDisc version was subsequently reissued in a commercial version that is somewhat different than the rare test market version:

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Hells Bells" – 5:10
  2. "Shoot to Thrill" – 5:17
  3. "What Do You Do for Money Honey" – 3:33
  4. "Giving the Dog a Bone"[20] – 3:30
  5. "Let Me Put My Love into You" – 4:16
Side two
  1. "Back in Black" – 4:14
  2. "You Shook Me All Night Long" – 3:30
  3. "Have a Drink on Me" – 3:57
  4. "Shake a Leg" – 4:06
  5. "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – 4:15
  • According to the official AC/DC website and most worldwide releases, track four is "Given the Dog a Bone".[20] On some albums, particularly Australian releases, it is sometimes shown as either "Givin' the Dog a Bone" or "Giving the Dog a Bone".[21]

Personnel

Production

Chart performance

Albums

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Ö3 Austria Top 40[22] 6
UK Albums Chart[23] 1
US Billboard 200[24] 4
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart[citation needed] 1
Chart (1982) Peak
position
RIANZ Album Top 50[25] 24
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Norwegian Album Charts[26] 8
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Finnish Albums Chart[27] 9
Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums[24] 1

Singles

Year Single Chart Position[28][29]
1980 "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" UK Singles Chart 15
"You Shook Me All Night Long" US Billboard Hot 100 35
"You Shook Me All Night Long" UK Singles Chart 38
1981 "Back in Black" US Billboard Hot 100 37
"Hells Bells" US Billboard Top Tracks 52
"Back in Black" US Billboard Top Tracks 51
"Shoot to Thrill" US Billboard Top Tracks 60

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[30] Platinum 60,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[31] Platinum 50,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[32] Diamond 1,000,000^
France (SNEP)[33] 2× Platinum 600,000^
Germany (BVMI)[34] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[35] 2× Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[37] 22× Platinum 22,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  • Engleheart, Murray; Durieux, Arnaud (2007-01-02), AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, Harper Entertainment, ISBN 0-06-113391-4.

Notes

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Back in Black > Overview". All Media Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  2. ^ a b Levine, Robert (2008-10-12). "Ageless and Defiant, AC/DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  3. ^ a b "AC/DC, fuoco alle polveri: "Lasciate che ci sia il rock!"". Gazzetta di Parma. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  4. ^ "How AC/DC Conquered the Globe". The Irish Times. 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  5. ^ AC/DC The Encyclopedia, by Malcom Dome and Jerry Ewing ISBN 978-1-84240-436-2
  6. ^ RIAA – Gold & Platinum – September 22, 2010
  7. ^ a b c Back in Black 30th Anniversary, AC/DC official fanclub.
  8. ^ "Top 100 Albums". Recording Industry Association of America. 2006-07-31. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  9. ^ "AC/DC discography". Rock Detector. Archived from the original on 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  10. ^ Allmusic.com review
  11. ^ Blender review[dead link]
  12. ^ Robert Christgau review
  13. ^ Rolling Stone review (1980)
  14. ^ Rolling Stone review (2002)
  15. ^ Rolling Stone review (2005)
  16. ^ Q August 2006, Issue 241
  17. ^ O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9.
  18. ^ Levine, Robert (2008-10-12). "Ageless and Defiant, AC/DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital". The New York Times.
  19. ^ "InfoDisc : Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (les Disques Double Platine)". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  20. ^ a b "Back in Black at the official AC/DC website". acdc.com.
  21. ^ "Australian CD version of Back in Black". acdc-discography.com.
  22. ^ "AC/DC - Back In Black - austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  23. ^ "Chart Stats - AC/DC - Back In Black". chartstats.com. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  24. ^ a b Back in Black at AllMusic
  25. ^ "charts.org.nz - AC/DC - Back In Black". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  26. ^ "norwegiancharts.com - AC/DC - Back In Black". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  27. ^ "finnishcharts.com - AC/DC - Back In Black". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  28. ^ "Charts & awards – Billboard singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  29. ^ "Every Hit". Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  30. ^ "Argentinian album certifications – AC/DC – Back in Black". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers.
  31. ^ "Austrian album certifications – AC/DC – Back in Black" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  32. ^ "Canadian album certifications – AC/DC – Back in Black". Music Canada.
  33. ^ "InfoDisc : Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (les Disques Double Platine)". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  34. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Back in Black')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  35. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Back in Black')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  36. ^ "British album certifications – AC/DC – Back in Black". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Back in Black in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  37. ^ "American album certifications – AC/DC – Backinblack". Recording Industry Association of America.
Preceded by UK Albums Chart number one album
9 August 1980 – 22 August 1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
9–15 March 1981 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Back_in_Black&oldid=481060341"