Rock legends AC/DC released Back In Black 38 years ago on 25 July 1980.
With Back In Black, AC/DC created one of the most genre-defining albums of the twentieth century, epitomising both rock and metal within the confines of ten perfectly formed songs. Being the first album by the band with lead singer Brian Johnson after the death of Bon Scott, AC/DC not only maintained the high standard they had already set with previous albums such as Let There Be Rock (1977) and Highway To Hell (1979) but improved their already illustrious discography with an album that hurled them into heavy rock legend.
From the offset, Back In Black introduces us to what was a soon-to-be classic with ‘Hells Bells,’ and continues throughout the album to showcase an unrelenting and unapologetic cacophony of hard-hitting rock. The album fails to produce one song that falls even slightly below par, with the opening sequence to the titular song still being unmistakeable to listeners from any generation. The bludgeoning chord sequences and Johnson’s husky roar tearing through masterpieces like ‘Shoot to Thrill’ and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ still conjure up images of Angus Young slashing away on his guitar in his schoolboy uniform. Punctuated with typical AC/DC innuendo and violent lyricism, the band successfully married their playfulness with musical genius on their seventh studio album. The Aussies’ blood, sweat and arrogance are rife throughout, celebrating everything that makes this machismo-laden band everything that it intends to be.
Back In Black is more than just an album – it is a display of one of the most successful rock bands of all time at their peak, and has become a symbol of heavy rock at its absolute finest.
Watch the legends performing one of the albums best songs ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ in Argentina below:
