"Back in Black" is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on July 25, 1980, by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It marked the band's first album featuring Brian Johnson as lead singer after the death of Bon Scott in February 1980 due to alcohol poisoning.
Despite contemplating disbandment, the band recruited Johnson, previously of Geordie. The album was composed by Johnson and brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, recorded over seven weeks in the Bahamas with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had also worked on "Highway to Hell." The album's iconic all-black cover was designed as a tribute to Scott.
"Back in Black" achieved unprecedented commercial success, selling an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. AC/DC supported the release with a yearlong world tour, solidifying their status as major rock icons in the early 1980s. The album has been featured on numerous "greatest albums" lists and, as of July 8, 2024, was certified 26x Platinum by the RIAA, ranking as the third best-selling album in the U.S. and the best-selling album that never reached number one on the American charts.
