On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released the album "Back In Black".

Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records on 25 July 1980.

It was the band's first album to feature Brian Johnson as lead singer, following the death of Bon Scott, their previous vocalist.

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, the remaining members of the group decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who had previously been vocalist for Geordie.

The album was composed by Johnson and brothers 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 also produced Highway to Hell. 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.

Back in Black was an unprecedented commercial and critical success. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in music history. AC/DC supported the album with a yearlong world tour that cemented them among the most popular music acts of the early 1980s. The album received positive critical reception at the time of its initial release, and has since been included on numerous lists of "greatest" albums. On 9 December 2019, the album was certified 25× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making it the fourth best-selling album in the United States, and the best-selling album that never reached the top spot on the American charts.

Background

Formed in 1973, AC/DC first broke into international markets in 1977 with their fourth album, Let There Be Rock, and by 1979 they were poised for greater success with their sixth studio album, Highway to Hell. Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange helped to make the band's sound more catchy and accessible, and Highway to Hell became their first gold album in the United States, selling over 500,000 copies, while also peaking at number 17 on that country's pop charts and number eight in the United Kingdom.

As the new decade approached, the group set off for the UK and France for the final leg of the Highway to Hell Tour, planning to begin recording their next album shortly after playing those dates. On 19 February 1980, vocalist Bon Scott went on a drinking binge in a London pub that caused him to lose consciousness, so a friend let him rest in the back of his Renault 5 overnight. The next morning, Scott was found unresponsive and rushed to King's College Hospital, where medical personnel pronounced him dead on arrival. The coroner ruled that pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death, but the official cause was listed on the death certificate as "acute alcoholic poisoning" and classified as "death by misadventure". Scott was cremated, and his ashes were interred by his family at Fremantle Cemetery in Fremantle, Western Australia. The loss devastated the band, who considered breaking up, but friends and family persuaded them to carry on.

After Scott's funeral on 1 March, the band immediately began auditions for a replacement frontman. At the advice of Lange, they brought in Geordie-singer Brian Johnson, who impressed the group. The band begrudgingly worked through the rest of the list of applicants in the following days, and then brought Johnson back for a second rehearsal. On 29 March, to Johnson's surprise, Malcolm Young called the singer to offer him the job.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson.

Side A

1."Hells Bells" 5:10
2."Shoot to Thrill" 5:17
3."What Do You Do for Money Honey"3:33
4."Given the Dog a Bone"3:30
5."Let Me Put My Love into You"4:16

Side B 1."Back in Black"4:15
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   Total length:42:11

• According to the official AC/DC website and most worldwide releases, track four is "Given the Dog a Bone". On some albums, particular Australian releases, and also in the iTunes Store, it is sometimes shown as either "Giving the Dog a Bone" or "Givin the Dog a Bone".

Personnel

AC/DC

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Phil Rudd – drums

Production

• Robert John "Mutt" Lange – production
• Tony Platt – assistant engineering
• Benji Armbrister – assistant engineering
• Jack Newber – assistant engineering
• Brad Samuelsohn – mixing
• Bob Ludwig – mastering (original LP)
• Barry Diament – mastering (original CD releases)
• Ted Jensen – remastering (EMI/Atco reissue)
• George Marino – remastering (Epic reissue)
• Bob Defrin – art direction
• Robert Ellis – photography