| "Back in Black" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of side-A labels of US 7-inch single | ||||
| Single byAC/DC | ||||
| from the albumBack in Black | ||||
| B-side | "What Do You Do for Money Honey" | |||
| Released | December 1980 (US)[1] | |||
| Recorded | April – May 1980 | |||
| Studio | Compass Point (Nassau) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock[2][3] | |||
| Length | 4:15 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Robert John "Mutt" Lange | |||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Back In Black" onYouTube | ||||
"Back in Black" is a song by Australianrock bandAC/DC. It was released as the second US single from their seventh album, which is also namedBack in Black and released in 1980 throughAtlantic Records. Notable for its opening guitar riff, the song was written as a tribute to the band's former singerBon Scott, who died suddenly in February 1980. In 1981, it reached number 37 on theBillboard Hot 100. In 2012, it reached number 65 in Australia and number 27 in the United Kingdom. It has been widely regarded as one of the best rock songs of all time.
In January 2018, as part ofTriple M's "Ozzest 100", which listed the "most Australian" songs of all time, "Back in Black" was ranked number 22.[4] The song is featured in trailers forLilo & Stitch, and in the teaser trailer forKung Fu Panda 3, as well as the filmsIron Man,Megamind,The Muppets,The Smurfs,Death Wish,Spider-Man: Far from Home,Family Guy,Supernatural, and other films and TV shows.
Known for its openingguitar riff, the song was AC/DC's tribute to their former singerBon Scott. His replacementBrian Johnson recalled toMojo magazine in 2009 that when the band asked him to write a lyric for this song, "they said, 'it can't be morbid – it has to be for Bon and it has to be a celebration.'" He added: "I thought, 'Well no pressure there, then' (laughs). I just wrote what came into my head, which at the time seemed like mumbo jumbo. 'Nine lives. Cats eyes. Abusing every one of them and running wild.' The boys got it though. They saw Bon's life in that lyric."[5]
Record World said the song has "everything that's made the band one of the hottest sellers around: powerhouse rhythm grind, guitar raunch & vocal mania."[7] In a retrospective piece on "Back in Black",Metal Hammer magazine hailed the song's riff as one of the greatest riffs ever and wrote, "There are rock songs that appeal to metal fans. And there are metal songs that appeal to rock fans. Then there is Back in Black – a rock and metal song that appeals to everybody, from dads to dudes, to little old ladies beating noisy kids over the heads with their sticks – and it all hangs on that monumental, no-nonsense, three-chord monster of a riff."[8] Will Byers fromThe Guardian said "AC/DC's judicious use ofspace" in the song helped make it a "classic metal anthem".[9]
The song was ranked No. 4 byVH1 on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs.[10] In 2009, it was named the second-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[2] The song was also ranked No. 187 onRolling Stone's list of500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[11] The same magazine has also ranked the song No. 29 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time", and wrote of the song in an accompanying piece: "Angus and Malcolm Young's dual-guitar masterpiece is the platonic ideal of hard rock."[12] In 2020,The Guardian ranked the song number three on their list of the 40 greatest AC/DC songs,[13] and in 2021,Kerrang ranked the song number four on their list of the 20 greatest AC/DC songs.[14]
In 2010, this song sat at No. 2 inTriple M Melbourne's Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Australia. The Top 5 were all AC/DC songs.[15] In 2025, it placed 37 in theTriple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.[16]
As asingle, "Back in Black" peaked in the U.S. at No. 37 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in 1981 as well as at No. 51 on Billboard'sTop Tracks chart, which debuted in March 1981. "Back in Black" received theRIAA's Master Ringtone Sales Award (Gold and Platinum) in 2006 and reached 2× Platinum status in 2007.[citation needed] It officially charted on the UK charts after 31 years in release; peaking in at no. 27[17] because of the band's music becoming available on iTunes. It also reached no. 1 on the UK Rock Charts in the same week.[18]
In 1984, theBeastie Boys sampled "Back in Black"[12] without permission for their song "Rock Hard". In 1999, when they wished to include it on an upcoming CD compilation release, they sought permission but AC/DC refused.Mike D of the Beastie Boys quoted Malcolm Young's reason for refusing as:"'Nothing against you guys, but we just don't endorse sampling.'"[19]
Boogie Down Productions also used a sample of the rhythm section of song for "Dope Beat" on their debut album,Criminal Minded, released in 1987.
Five sampled "Back in Black" for their song "Lay All Your Lovin' on Me" on their 2001 albumKingsize.[citation needed]
| "Back in Black" | |
|---|---|
| Song byShakira | |
| Released | 2004 |
| Recorded | 2003 |
| Genre | Hard rock |
| Length | 5:23 |
| Label | Epic |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
|
| Live video | |
| "Back in Black" onYouTube | |
Shakira performed a cover of "Back in Black" during her 2002-2003Tour of the Mongoose, with the live performances of the song produced by Shakira andTim Mitchell.[20] A recording of the tour date on 22 April 2003 inRotterdam, Netherlands, was released as a live album titledLive & off the Record in 2004.[21]
Two live versions of the song later appeared on both versions of the albumLive, as well as the Australian tour edition ofStiff Upper Lip. It has been covered by a number of artists, includingLiving Colour andShakira.[12] In 2007,Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue recorded live at theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.[22] In 2017, Muse performed the song at theReading Festival with Brian Johnson on vocals; this was Johnson's first performance in almost two years, as he was previously ordered to halt live performances in order to prevent further hearing damage.[23]
Norwegian bandBrothers recorded a version, which became one of the top-selling singles in Norway for 1993.[24]
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Hot 100[25] | 37 |
| USBillboardMainstream Rock[25] | 51 |
| USCash Box Top 100[26] | 39 |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[27] | 65 |
| France (SNEP)[1] | 58 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[28] | 28 |
| South Korea (Gaon Karaoke International Chart)[29] | 65 |
| UK Rock & Metal (Official Charts Company)[18] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 27 |
| USDigital Song Sales (Billboard)[30] | 20 |
| US Hard Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[31] | 1 |
| US Hot 100 Recurrents (Billboard)[32] | 14 |
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[33] | 100 |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[34] | 29 |
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Global 200 (Billboard)[35] | 191 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[36] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[37] | 9× Platinum | 720,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[39] | Platinum | 500,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[40] | 3× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[41] | 2× Diamond+2× Platinum+Gold | 750,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[42] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[44] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[45] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000‡ |
| Ringtone | ||
| Canada (Music Canada)[46] | 2× Platinum | 80,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[47] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Back in Black includes one of their best known songs, 'You Shook Me All Night Long' (#35 Pop), and hard rock classics 'Hells Bells', 'Back in Black' (#37 Pop) and 'Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution'.
