obviously a decent record but lyrically it improves tenfold when you imagine it’s being sung by toad
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released on 25 July 1980 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott. 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, they decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who was previously vocalist for Geordie. The album was composed by Johnson, 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 worked on their previous album. 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. As their sixth international studio release, Back in Black was an unprecedented success. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, and is the second best-selling album in music history. The band supported the album with a yearlong world tour, cementing them among the most popular music acts of the early 1980s. The album also received positive critical reception during its initial release, and it has since been included on numerous lists of "greatest" albums. Since its original release, the album has been reissued and remastered multiple times, most recently for digital distribution. On 9 December 2019, it was certified 25× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
obviously a decent record but lyrically it improves tenfold when you imagine it’s being sung by toad
Such a beast of an album. Just legendary. Every song is a banger. Every track a shredder. "Relentless" is a really great descriptor for this album. It never lets up, never slows down, never lets you rest. It's the opposite of a rickroll.
Probably the most macho album ever, without ever being offensive. When aliens come down and ask about rock n roll, this will be the first album humans will play them.
It boggles my mind how insanely popular this album is. It just goes to show you how simple-minded a large portion of the population is. Here's the AC/DC formula: Find a common phrase. Either use it as is (e.g. Back in Black) or even better if we can make a slight alteration to turn it into something with sexual connotations (e.g. Shoot to Thrill) or best yet find one that can be a double entendre (e.g. Givin the Dog a Bone). Then write some simplistic lyrics to go with the phrase - a couple of verses and a chorus is all you need. Then find some basic power chord riff that is catchy (this is the part that requires some talent and the only reason I'm giving this more than one star). Now shriek the lyrics on top of the power chords, and there you go! Eat it up and give us your money, simpletons! 2 stars.
This album is about as nuanced as Hulk Hogan driving a monster truck to a Republican Party rally. But who needs nuance when you have riffs? It's big, it's basic, and it's timeless. 42 years old and could have been recorded yesterday. I'm not sure anything betters this in terms of loud, balls out, unpretentious rock. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Back in Black Date listened: 30/09/22
Whereas I get sick of Aerosmith's "middle school boy music" aesthetic, I still cannot get enough of it when AC/DC does it. Maybe they're just better at it. Maybe they're the real thing when Aerosmith is just poseurs. I don't know. What I do know is that every single one of these songs is a stone cold rock classic. Just listening to one of these is guaranteed to get you an STD. Hail Satan, and rock on AC/DC.
If albums had a smell this one would smell like sweat
One of my favorite quotes is Angus Young saying “ I'm sick to death of people saying we've made 11 albums that sounds exactly the same, Infact, we've made 12 albums that sound exactly the same.” And hey, if your dumb horny rock n’ roll music ain’t broke, I certainly agree you shouldn’t fix it.
The award for - Best recovery from a dead lead singer - goes to AC/DC Back in Black.
“Back in Black” by AC/DC (1980) I bought this album when it first came out, because my students (at a private Christian high school) had expressed alarm that if you play it backwards there were discernible messages from Satan. This was in the heyday of the evangelical Christian “backmasking” conspiracy theory. Anyway, I played parts of it in class (forward and backward), demonstrating that what they had been told to listen for (repeated references to “666”, etc.) were actually just cymbals and other sounds that only coincidentally sounded like words. Some of them remained unconvinced, and thus I learned a valuable lesson about religious fundamentalism: People will believe the craziest shit under the right conditions. But the music on this album is very good. Brian Johnson has a voice that seems to do violence to both his throat and the listener’s ears. But it is a very disciplined violence, with excellent range, diction, and breath control, and that makes it musically attractive. The guitar work of the Young brothers displays a particular virtuosity, especially for the time. Clearly one of the standout heavy metal guitar duos. Listen carefully for Angus Young’s deftly executed ‘quick bends’ on individual notes in the scales of his lead riffs. Exquisite. The rhythm section is exceptionally tight and steady, with enough variety to keep it interesting. The lyrics, on the other hand, are simply unconnected expressions of misguided manliness, angry arrogance, and cultural chaos. Even lyricist Brian Johnson is reported as having described the lyrics on the title track “Back in Black” as nonsense. And Johnson’s lyrics on “Hell’s Bells” are an unconvincing paean to evil. Consider the line “'Cause if good's on the left, then I'm sticking to the right”. Brian, if you’ve ever had children (and he did), then we all know you’re full of shit. What holds these lyrics together are the standard heavy metal themes of unrestrained individuality, untempered judgmentalism and the irresponsible abuse of what little they know. It’s not art. If you want to hear a message from Satan on this album, don’t play it backwards. Play it forwards. But the sound. The sound. It is metal done to perfection. 4/5
the kind of rock music that I love the least. Around the same time, the best rock music ever was created by the talking heads, joy division, the cure and so many great rock bands, that I don't understand why this boring band got any attention.
‘shoot to thrill’- hyper-masculine lyrics. Unpleasant to modern sensibilities. ‘What do you do for Money’- once you hear the misogyny, you can’t escape it. ‘givin the dog a bone’ is the icing on the cake. I didn’t listen to any more of this. How, even from a musical point of view, can this be considered one of the best albums of the past sixty years? How can the lyrics be extricated from the musicality? Ugh.
Great album from this totally ‘balls to the wall’ Aussie rock group. It’s heavy but it’s not metal as many people often categorise their music to be. They rely on the trusted and true technique of playing the blues fast with accompanying power chords and saturated in full blown Marshall distortion. These guys are the masters of this genre and this album is one of their best examples. Every track is almost as good as any other, including released singles...that in itself is a rarity. While I actually favour AC/DC with their former and original frontman Bon Scott, there is no doubting the genuine quality of these tracks. The album definitely deserves to be rated a classic. Turn it up to 11!! 4 Stars!
Big dumb fun from grown adults who dress as schoolboys and almost exclusively want to rock. That is their mission statement, and it’s mission accomplished. I’m deducting a star (possibly two - if it had caught me in the right mood) for the troublingly predatory lyrics to Let Me Put My Love Into You.
ac/dc... MEH
“I’m not like the other kids… I actually can appreciate the music of my parent’s generation,” he says, grimacing, as the skrelty muppet vocals of “What You Do For Money Honey” play on chorus four over an utterly normal guitar solo. 3/5
Heading into this album, my expectations were very low. I had always found this group annoying whenever I heard most of their songs on the radio, and my old high school would BLAST their song “Thunderstruck” before every pep assembly, which was TRAUMATIZING! Unfortunately, this album did not manage to surpass my already low expectations. The lead singer sounded like Robert Plant taking a dump with his ear piercing wailing and “YEAAA YEAHHH!!”’s on most of the songs. I enjoyed Hell’s Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long, but I otherwise found the rest to be very forgettable ford truck commercial music and/or downright appalling wailing and shouting about cliche nonsense.
Vous savez quoi ? Alors que j'étais partagé entre l'idée d'accorder un 4 à cet album, et celle de lui accorder un 5, j'ai finalement opté pour la dernière option. Et vous savez pourquoi ? Tout simplement parce que je voyais arriver le jour arriver où j'allais donner mon troisième 5 à Adèle et où on allait me traiter de fragile qui écoute seulement des filles qui pleurent en chantant. Alors voilà, un bon gros 5 pour Back In Black, un album bien viril, fait pour les hommes qui ont des clébards sales. Qu'est-ce que vous allez pouvoir dire maintenant ?
Now I know why AC/DC is legendary
Fuck yeah!!!!!! I was raised by a redneck mother who insisted that country music was the only kind of music worth listening to. I immediately rebelled against all her hurdy-durdy twangy cowpoke tunes by indoctrinating myself with every possible iteration of cock rock that exists. Van Halen, Guns 'n' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and AC/DC became deities whom I worshipped in my early teen years. That paved the way to full blown 80's obsession, with a fun and funky detour into new wave art rock which eventually led to the grunge/alt rock/riot grrl summit where I found my sonic joy and forged my own true musical identity. Even though this music is rife with horrific misogyny and the constant predatory objectification of women (which I do not support), the balls to the wall spirit of loud aggressive dissent is what resonates with me most. Hail Satan, and Fuck country music! If I could come back as a drinking, snorting, fucking cock rock legend in my next life I would. And we haven't even touched on the most amazing part, this album is a resurrection! Probably the greatest rock 'n' roll resurrection of all time after a front man dies. Bon Scott partied 'til the fucking wheels fell off and Brian Johnson took up the mantle to usher these boys into a new era, a better era arguably, that cemented their legendary rocker status for all of time. I will also add that my dad was cool as fuck and he believed in ROCK. AC/DC was one of his all-time favourite bands. He passed away in June this year, and what would have been his 67th birthday on July 15th this past weekend was a very sad day. I'm still shattered by his passing. He burned brightly just like these lads, and burned out way too fast. When he was ill, I listened to this album on many of my drives to visit with him. For energy. That's what he always said AC/DC represented to him: powerful gut-punching energy. I'll love and miss my dad until the end of time and I'll forever think of him whenever I hear AC/DC. I hope he's able to grab a bowl of cottage pie and down a stiff scotch with Bon in his hereafter. I love you dad.
All you need from ACDC. Literally it will all sound like these songs.
A right squelchy minge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9g1WHfZgaM 6/10
A bunch of the songs sounded the same, and were too long. The best one, You Shook Me All Night Long, did not have as much of the shrieking as many of the earlier songs on the album, and was less of a copy of the first few songs on the album. I don't know if I like the song Back in Black or if I've just heard it a lot of times.
Genial ACDC halt
Day 39 of Albums You Must Hear Before You Die! It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n roll, that is, unless you’re AC/DC. The Young brothers, Malcom and Angus had a vision in the early Seventies to bring straight forward, hard edged, and unapologetic Rock ‘n Roll bangers to the masses. AC/DC was a hard working band that had no problem grinding it out on the road, and their hard work would pay off in a huge way. Although the years ahead would bring tragedy and line-up changes, they would deliver time and time again. From 1974-1980, with Bon Scott as the lead singer and charismatic frontman, AC/DC would turn every record they touched into something better than gold, they turned them all into platinum. T.N.T., High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Let There Be Rock, would all be released in that time and any band in the world would be able to comfortably say that their musical careers had been a success and ride off into the sunset. When AC/DC prepared to record their sixth album, Highway to Hell, they parted from long time producers Harry Vanda and brother George Young, and ushered in Mutt Lange, who would help steer the band into a whole new stratosphere of rock. Highway to Hell would become their highest selling album up to that point and go on to be known as one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time. Singer Bon Scott would live out all of the excesses of a Rock God in his public and personal life, respectively. When he passed away unexpectedly in early 1980, his absence left an obvious gaping hole in the band. It seemed that AC/DC’s residency at the top of their game had come to an abrupt end. AC/DC isn’t the kind of band that rolls over and dies. When Bon Scott’s mother gave her blessing to continue on without her son, they soon recruited Brian Johnson to join the group. Bon Scott had seen Johnson perform before his death and highly recommended that the guys check him out sometime. Wanting to give tribute to their fallen band mate gave AC/DC the fuel to create their next album, and they did so in record time. In July 1980, only six months after Scott’s death, AC/DC would release Back in Black, once again collaborating with producer Mutt Lange. Back in Black was meant to have a totally black cover in memory of Scott, something that their label was very against, so they compromised and released the record with a mostly all black cover with just the title in grey. Due to the circumstances, most people would expect the band to take a more somber approach to the album. Hell no, AC/DC paid their respects by bringing the same frenzied energy to Back in Black that they were known to always have. Brian Johnson was the perfect frontman to step in on vocals. He didn’t try to replace Scott or mimic him at all. The opening track, Hell’s Bells starts off with the ominous ringing of a massive bell, setting the tone for Back in Black’s dark, yet pumped up approach. Their are no taboo topics on this rebirth. Death, Hell, drinking, partying, sex, it’s all there. When the most famous guitar riff of all time kicks in on the albums title song, Back in Black, I still feel the hairs on my neck rise. On You Shook Me All Night Long, you can feel the drums hit you in the chest as if you’re on the stage with the band. This is one of the cleanest recorded albums of all time, and it really shines because of its rough and rugged content. Have a Drink On Me and Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution are songs that you will still hear played on neighborhood bar jukeboxes around the world to this day. My personal favorite song on Back In Black is Let Me Put My Love Into You, it never loses its shine or sex appeal 40 years later. AC/DC had the perfect balance of Blues infused hard rock and work ethic that made them accessible to anyone that’s not a Bible thumping prude that can’t separate music entertainment from reality. My first memories of AC/DC come from my Uncle Mike. He always played their records at maximum volume that would vibrate the Angus Young plastered posters taped to his bedroom walls, and I thank him for that. (I can still picture Angus Young in his school boy outfit, with horns poking out from his hat, he’s my favorite). Back In Black is still the second highest selling album in the world. Let that sink in. There is no other band before AC/DC or to follow, that can overcome the loss of their frontman at the peak of their career, and go on to not only recover, but soar even higher than before. I’ll leave you with one last fact that I find to be especially impressive. While most albums have many, many songs recorded before selecting the final tracks that will go on the record, and leaving the rest on the cutting room floor, AC/DC recorded only 10 songs, all of which made it to the final cut. Then sold over 50 million copies of Back in Black... Mind blowing. Please share your thoughts, memories and opinions!!
This album is fantastic. The first entry from their new lead singer(after the death of their previous one) is their best outing. Show casing a new vocal sound that is today the opitome of ACDCs iconic music. This album plays almost like a greatest hits album containing numerous songs that are mainstays on any rock radio staion(or playlist - "helps bells", "shoot to thrill", "back in black", "you shook me all night long" and "rock and roll ain't noise pollution") but even the lesser tracks on this album are still great songs("what do you do for the money honey", "given the dog a bone" and "shake a leg"). This album hits high on almost every song and delivers the iconic sound we love from one of rocks greatest bands.
This is how a hard rock record should sound. The songs are great - nothing particularly ground-breaking or avant-garde, but amazing riffs, fantastic to sing along to, and definitely elicits an emotional response (especially when turned up loud). Some questionable lyrics, but they never took themselves too seriously and I don't think they expected the audience to either. In terms of overall sound, it's clear to see why this album is held up as one of the pinnacles of hard rock production. Solid rhythm section, and the guitars all sound incredible. The sound of a Gibson into a Marshall and turned up loud can't be beaten. Guitar solos suit the music perfectly, as do Brian Johnson's vocals. Makes me want to go grab my guitar and turn it up loud.
Another AC/DC album, and easily another classic. The second best-selling album of all time, right behind Thriller. Just like Highway to Hell, this one holds a lot of memories for me. I used to listen to this as a kid quite a bit. I could get away with saying "hell" in Hell's Bells. I've always been obsessed with the opening of the title track, but who isn't? I think overall I prefer Highway to Hell, but the hits on this one run deep as well. Imagine being AC/DC, losing your lead singer, and then coming back a year later with an album that rocks just as hard, if not harder, than anything you've made. This one's special. There's so much energy and heat here, and so many of the tracks are very horny, it almost seems like parody. But damn, they really did this. I can't say anything bad about this, I just love it. Favorite tracks: Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Hell's Bells, Let Me Put My Love Into You, Shoot to Thrill. Album art: Just enough. Barely more than a plain black cover, but the stenciled text is a great touch. I guess this is as funereal as a heavy metal rock band can afford to be. 5/5
A big part of my youth and as important now as it was then. Stunning songs, perfectly performed. A stellar debut appearance by Brian Johnson, a rhythm section you could set your watch by, Angus doing his thing but as ever, it’s Malcolm’s balls to the wall rhythm guitar that is the real star turn. Stone wall classic.
A very nearly perfect album in its sequence of songs, quality of match between lyrics, intent and musical style. Just great!
I’m always amazed that AC/DC managed to come back with one of the greatest rock albums of all time after losing their original frontman (an absolute legend). How is it that even possible!? This is pure rock at its best. Sometimes you just need something to blow out the cobwebs. My favourite is the closer - Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution. I love it’s slow start with the guitar and the drums cave-manning their way on in. This album is fun as fuck.
No great band lacks discipline by my reckoning, not so much on the business side, but in how they control their sound, and AC/DC are paragons here, with Malcolm Young the general. I don't have the ears or knowledge to understand what exactly they do to sound like no others, but I can hear it.
Look, all the tracks on the album sounding the exact same is only a *bad* thing when the songs stink.
I want an AC⚡️DC t-shirt. I really enjoyed rocking out to this. They really must be quite something live! Unpretentious. Silly in places. But LOUD. And blasts through, like dynamite, to that hidden cave inside where one is a Harley riding, whisky drinking, guitar playing free spirit. I'm Back in Black, baby. Yes, indeed. I will be driving to this album. In my rose gold Fiat 500. Look out world 🤣
Who else here blew a speaker with this one?
More Songs About Alcohol and Fucking
great to hear this again, didn't know it was the 2nd highest selling album ever, but why not?
Proof that Black Sabbath served a purpose. This mob learnt from their shortcomings, at least. Too serious? Um, they're wearing school uniform. Failure to deliver on their image? Not possible, the songs are literally *about* rocking very hard. Bypassed lyrics on the highway to riffs? Nope. This is pure poetry: "Back in the back / Of a Cadillac / Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack / Yes, I'm in a bang / With a gang / They've got to catch me if they want me to hang." Too basic? I mean, the aim is to wipe their grubby heinies in your sour moosh and that's exactly what they do. In short, I had a blast because I was getting ready for a wedding and wanted to get pumped up. This did the trick. Is it a three? It was then so it is now.
Back in black banger, Rest of it is not too bad, Wow it sold a lot. 6/10
Dad rock to the max, simply the daddest album to ever rock. Makes me wanna crack open a cold one, cross my legs on the coffee table and complain 'that they just don't make music like they used to'. ... meh/10
This one in particular doesn’t do a ton for me, but I will always appreciate that there is something about AC/DC’s guitar tone that makes it sound like hell music for absolute perverts.
But do they like rock and roll? So many unanswered questions posed by the lyrics on this one. I’ll be thinking about it for days.
Classic. Part of my first purchase at Toms too
A perfect album. Best track: Back In Black
AC/DC's best work
Brilliant. AC/DC at their rocking best.
What a great album, every song is class and belongs on there and is catchy
Great rock album, one of the all time best, great classic rock.
Awesome Rock and Roll. Simple but killer riffs with a good sense of fun. Interesting to read that this was the break through album following the death of their previous lead singer through MisAdventure.
Enorme !
All of my existing favorites, plus a handful of others that are also bangers. Led to a great continuation by Spotify also.
Bangers and sweet power chords
heh
A phenomenal rock album
Love it- knew I loved it before I listened to it. Listened to it twice. Totally pumped for work
The soundtrack to my middle school years! In my search to find the music that felt like me. ACDC time and time again came through as an artist I could vibe to
Bängeri Slässic
One of the best pure guitar driven hard rock albums ever.
Great upbeat listen...gets the blood pumping!
great album
Probably one of if not the greatest pure rock n roll albums of all time. The energy in it is still alive after 40 years. This album is a rock masterpiece and it changed my life.
Best AC/DC album in my opinion
Excellent! Intense and energy flowing
BOOOOOM!
C’est vraiment un masterpiece! Des mélodies simples, des drum simples mais c’est catchy a mort ! La voix est pour moi parfaite ! Une corneille qui chante bien! Ça démocratise le hard rock! Ça rend de bonne humeur et ça se danse Je l’évite Shake a leg moyenne elle Je lévite, hells bells wow, shoot to thrill!! Rock n roll aint noise pollution
El álbum que levantó los ánimos de la banda al ser mucho más exitoso posterior al fallecimiento de su primer vocalista
Good, i really like it
Excellent - incredible riffs, an undeniable groove and plenty of great hooks.
Classic
funky catchy rock anthems
C’est un 5, c’est ça pis c’est toute! Au moins 5 tounes qui me font applaudir dans mon salon. J’ai même rejoué certaines tounes parce que je chantais. Shoot to thrill, PLAY TO KILL!
This album is just so representative of the AC/DC sound and of the rock during that time. I love this album.
The BEST
Vei, Back In Black.
Great album
A resounding cheer from Sass and Nick. I planted the back window box to some of it.
Crackin’ Tracks
Classic
Считаю ли я AC/DC переоценёнными? Скорее да. Пилили ли они при этом достойное музло? Скорее да. Если бы группа не была главной иконой хард-рока в массовом сознании, если бы какие-то школьницы на Первом канале не пели "Highway to School", если бы на футболке Батхеда красовался другой логотип, если бы Back In Black не стояла годами у отца на звонке... я бы, вероятно, воспринимал их музыку с большим удовлетворением. Но я же у мамки разумист, умею абстрагироваться. Так вот, если отбросить всякие предрассудки, то альбом то... кайфовый. Прям ну балдёж же. Конечно, балдёж балдежу рознь, дискографию гонять часами дома желания никакого нет. Но, например, для бега на плеер кинуть - вполне неплохая идея. Да и между делом услышать не прочь. Если только не на звонке в течении долгих лет. Отличное музло, лаконичные и запоминающиеся гитарные партии, яркий вокал, атмосфера "Е-е-е... ро-о-ок!" Да и то, при каких условиях альбом был записан, внушает увожение. На самом деле лучшим треком ныне кажется You Shook Me All Night Long, ранее его как-то не выделял, особенно на фоне вездесущей заглавной темы. Вступительный трек эпичную атмосферу задаёт, что даже некоторое разнообразие вносит в доминантную разгильдяйскую эстетику. Главную проблему AC/DC вижу именно в недостатке разнообразия, слишком узком выборе эстетики и отсутствии выраженного развития на протяжении карьеры чтоль. Но если альбом рассматривать отдельно от всего этого, он ж пиздатый.
its an iconic album ofc! I am not that into this type of genre, however I like some of the songs. like back in black and let me put my love into you.
Brilliant album, carefree rock at it’s best.
Just about every song on this album is gold
Hard rock classic
Stone cold rock classic in AC/DC's signature style
Very Good Shit
Classic. Epic Band. Epic Album.
A masterpiece! If you think any different you’re not playing it loud enough. From the days when albums were albums not playlists.
Dope.
Total classic headbanger hard rock. Every song is a hit!
Favorite AC/DC album. Shoot to Thrill is a standout.
It's AC/DC it's fantastic
Classic. All-time. Goated.
22/06/2021 Ricardo was here Nostalgic Album
One of the best albums of AC/DC
I mean.. it’s back in black. The hits are great, the deep cuts are great.
Pog
5/5 - Love
Stone cold banger
Great album!