Back in Black

Back in Black is the seventh album on which AC/DC, after Bon Scott’s sudden death, welcomed new vocalist Brian Johnson and moved forward again, overcoming grief. The guitars of Angus and Malcolm Young mesh without waste, and the rhythm of Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams supports the songs like the earth. Counted among the best-selling albums in rock history, it is an enduring masterpiece. From the heavy introduction of “Hells Bells,” with its tolling funeral bell, and the breaking-through openness of “You Shook Me All Night Long” to the unyielding riff of the title track “Back in Black,” everything reaches the body instantly and powerfully. From the speed of “Shoot to Thrill” to the declaration of “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution,” there is not a single throwaway. Sharply pared riffs and big choruses anyone can follow unite, and the songs draw a strong outline from the first beat. Its greatness lies precisely in sublimating the deep grief of loss into a force to keep sounding, not a reason to stop. It is a landmark of AC/DC — and of rock history itself.