# Back in Black (song)
"Back in Black" is a song by the Australian rock band AC/DC, written by [Brian Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-johnson), Angus Young, and [Malcolm Young](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-young) and released on 25 July 1980 as the title track of the band's seventh studio album, its first with Johnson singing after the death of frontman [Bon Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/bon-scott).[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/ac-dc/back-in-black/) Johnson wrote the lyrics working only from the title, and the band intended the song as a positive tribute to Scott rather than a mournful one.[2](https://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-lyrics-writer-brian-johnson-bon-scott-rumor/) • [3](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dc-reflect-writing-back-in-black-memory-bon-scott-2715064) Its opening riff, built on the interplay between Angus Young's lead guitar and Malcolm Young's rhythm guitar, is among the most recognized in rock.[4](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist and credits | AC/DC; written by Brian Johnson, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/ac-dc/back-in-black/) |
| Release | Title track of the album *Back in Black*, released 25 July 1980, five months after Bon Scott's death[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/ac-dc/back-in-black/) • [5](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acdc-back-in-black/) |
| Recording | Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange and engineer Tony Platt; the album was finished in about six weeks[4](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black) |
| Lyric writing | Johnson wrote the lyrics "with only the title to work with," writing every night and morning[2](https://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-lyrics-writer-brian-johnson-bon-scott-rumor/) |
| Intent | A tribute to Bon Scott that the band wanted to be "a good thing, positive song," not sad or maudlin[3](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dc-reflect-writing-back-in-black-memory-bon-scott-2715064) |
| Album sales | The parent album has sold almost 50 million units worldwide and is cited as the best-selling hard rock album of all time[6](https://www.premierguitar.com/the-making-of-back-in-black-a-conversation-with-tony-platt) • [7](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/the-story-of-van-halen-1984) |
## Background
AC/DC was coming off *Highway to Hell*, issued a year earlier, which had pushed the group into platinum territory. As the band gathered material for the follow-up, vocalist Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980, and the band's future seemed uncertain.[8](https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/hifi/index.php/opinion/1280-seven-shades-of-acdcs-back-in-black-finding-the-best-version-to-test-your-system-with) • [4](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black) Not long after joining Malcolm and [Angus Young](https://www.edgepedia.org/angus-young) for a session in which the three started developing material intended for the album, Scott passed away from acute alcohol poisoning following an evening of excessive drinking at a London club.[9](https://blabbermouth.net/news/ac-dcs-brian-johnson-shoots-down-rumor-bon-scott-wrote-lyrics-for-back-in-black-prior-to-his-death)
The band pushed on. On April 1, 1980, six weeks after Scott's death, AC/DC announced Brian Johnson, a Newcastle-based singer previously of the band [Geordie](https://www.edgepedia.org/geordie-band), as their new frontman.[10](https://www.loudersound.com/features/ac-dc-the-epic-inside-story-of-back-in-black-by-brian-johnson) At his audition, Johnson sang "Nutbush City Limits" by [Tina Turner](https://www.edgepedia.org/tina-turner); Malcolm Young greeted him with a bottle of [Newcastle Brown Ale](https://www.edgepedia.org/newcastle-brown-ale), and the call to return came the next afternoon.[5](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acdc-back-in-black/) When Johnson joined, the band had song titles but no lyrics, and he was given free rein to write his own.[10](https://www.loudersound.com/features/ac-dc-the-epic-inside-story-of-back-in-black-by-brian-johnson) • [5](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acdc-back-in-black/)
## Writing and recording
In May 1980 the band traveled to the newly constructed Compass Point Studios in [Nassau, Bahamas](https://www.edgepedia.org/nassau-bahamas), joined by producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, whose ear for slick pop lent a mainstream sensibility to the sessions. The album was completed in about six weeks.[4](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black) "Back in Black" was the first song the band put down, and they ran through several takes to dial in the proper guitar and drum tones.[11](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/epic-story-back-black-how-acdc-rose-tragedy-stronger-all)
Johnson recalled that the writing of the title track was difficult because the band set a clear emotional target: "Listen we want this song in memory of Bon, but we don't want it to be sad or maudlin, we want it to be a good thing, positive song."[3](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dc-reflect-writing-back-in-black-memory-bon-scott-2715064) The lyric he produced is defiant rather than elegiac; one line, "Forget the hearse 'cause I never die," states the song's stance toward mortality outright.[5](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acdc-back-in-black/) In his memoir *The Lives of Brian*, Johnson addressed the recurring rumor that Scott had written the words: "It was me at the end of the pen, writing every night and every morning, with only the title to work with."[2](https://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-lyrics-writer-brian-johnson-bon-scott-rumor/)
Engineer Tony Platt recorded the band largely live, with Angus Young on lead guitar, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, [Cliff Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/cliff-williams) on bass, and [Phil Rudd](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-rudd) on drums. On the title track, Angus's lead guitar sits in the right channel and Malcolm's rhythm guitar in the left, both captured with minimal processing; Platt restricted the sessions to 24 tracks, which forced early decisions and added to the immediacy of the sound.[4](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black) Only some solo overdubs were done later, at [Electric Lady Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/electric-lady-studios) in New York.[6](https://www.premierguitar.com/the-making-of-back-in-black-a-conversation-with-tony-platt)
## The authorship question
Whether Bon Scott contributed lyrics to *Back in Black* has been a persistent controversy. Angus Young has publicly shot down rumors that Scott helped write tracks on the album.[12](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dcs-angus-young-responds-to-rumours-bon-scott-helped-write-back-in-black-2889115) The official credits on every track name Johnson and the Young brothers, preserving the three-way writing arrangement Scott had held.[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/ac-dc/back-in-black/) Fans have pointed to the album's playful double-entendre style, associated with Scott's writing on songs like "The Jack," and to reports that Scott had been preparing material before his death; the band's position is that any such sketches were scrapped and a new batch of songs was written.[13](https://www.lookingforbon.com/magazine/ACDC%20-%20Classicc%20Rock%20Special%20Edition%20Sept%202017.pdf) Johnson's account, and the band's, is that the album's lyrics are his work.[2](https://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-lyrics-writer-brian-johnson-bon-scott-rumor/)
## Legacy
The album *Back in Black* became both a tribute to Scott and a declaration that AC/DC would survive without him, and it went on to sell almost 50 million units worldwide.[6](https://www.premierguitar.com/the-making-of-back-in-black-a-conversation-with-tony-platt) It is cited as the best-selling hard rock album of all time, a standing that shaped hard rock through the 1980s; [Van Halen](https://www.edgepedia.org/van-halen)'s 1984 album drew on its example.[7](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/the-story-of-van-halen-1984) The title track itself remains a live staple, appearing in AC/DC's setlists essentially unchanged since the 1990s.[14](https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2024/07/09/ac-dc-electrise-le-stade-de-wembley_6248213_3246.html)
The song has attracted covers from far outside hard rock. Shakira performed it on her 2003–2004 Tour de la Mangosta and included it on the live album *Live & off the Record* (2004); [Dua Lipa](https://www.edgepedia.org/dua-lipa) performed it on her Australian tour in 2025. In a 2008 interview, Angus Young, asked about Shakira's version, said he had not heard it but added, "she is much better looking than us."[15](https://elpais.com/cultura/2025-04-01/dua-lipa-shakira-celine-dion-diez-divas-en-la-dificil-tarea-de-versionar-a-acdc-de-peor-a-mejor.html)
## References
1. [Back in Black (1980) Songwriting Credits, SongSuey](https://songsuey.com/artist/ac-dc/back-in-black/)
2. [Brian Johnson on the Rumor That Bon Scott Wrote 'Back in Black', Loudwire](https://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-lyrics-writer-brian-johnson-bon-scott-rumor/)
3. [AC/DC reflect on writing 'Back In Black' in memory of Bon Scott, NME](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dc-reflect-writing-back-in-black-memory-bon-scott-2715064)
4. [Tips From the Top: Tony Platt on Back in Black, BMI](https://www.bmi.com/advice/Tips_From_the_Top_Tony_Platt_on_Back_in_Black)
5. [AC/DC: Back in Black Album Review, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acdc-back-in-black/)
6. [The Making of Back in Black: A Conversation with Tony Platt, Premier Guitar](https://www.premierguitar.com/the-making-of-back-in-black-a-conversation-with-tony-platt)
7. [The story of Van Halen's 1984, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/the-story-of-van-halen-1984)
8. [Seven Shades of AC/DC's "Back in Black", SoundStage! Hi-Fi](https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/hifi/index.php/opinion/1280-seven-shades-of-acdcs-back-in-black-finding-the-best-version-to-test-your-system-with)
9. [AC/DC's Brian Johnson Shoots Down Rumor Bon Scott Wrote Lyrics For 'Back In Black', Blabbermouth](https://blabbermouth.net/news/ac-dcs-brian-johnson-shoots-down-rumor-bon-scott-wrote-lyrics-for-back-in-black-prior-to-his-death)
10. [AC/DC: The epic inside story of Back In Black, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/ac-dc-the-epic-inside-story-of-back-in-black-by-brian-johnson)
11. [The Epic Story of 'Back in Black', Revolver](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/epic-story-back-black-how-acdc-rose-tragedy-stronger-all)
12. [AC/DC's Angus Young responds to rumours Bon Scott helped write 'Back In Black', NME](https://www.nme.com/news/music/ac-dcs-angus-young-responds-to-rumours-bon-scott-helped-write-back-in-black-2889115)
13. [Did Bon Scott write the lyrics for Back In Black?, Classic Rock special edition (via Looking for Bon)](https://www.lookingforbon.com/magazine/ACDC%20-%20Classicc%20Rock%20Special%20Edition%20Sept%202017.pdf)
14. [AC/DC électrise le stade de Wembley, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2024/07/09/ac-dc-electrise-le-stade-de-wembley_6248213_3246.html)
15. [Diez divas en la difícil tarea de versionar a AC/DC, El País](https://elpais.com/cultura/2025-04-01/dua-lipa-shakira-celine-dion-diez-divas-en-la-dificil-tarea-de-versionar-a-acdc-de-peor-a-mejor.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Pop, rock, and metal songs › Alternative rock songs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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