← Back

In the Dark (Grateful Dead album)

by Grateful Dead

Released: July 06, 1987

Blues rock, roots rock, pop rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Breakthrough.

The Album

"In the Dark" is the twelfth studio album (nineteenth overall) by the Grateful Dead. Recorded in January 1987, it marked the band's return after a six-year hiatus from studio albums since 1980's "Go to Heaven". The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus propelled it to mainstream success, bolstered by frequent airplay on MTV where its music video became popular.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

Released on July 6, 1987, "In the Dark"…

Released on July 6, 1987, "In the Dark" defied expectations by becoming unexpectedly popular.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

Grateful Dead - In the Dark (Grateful Dead album)

Open in Albums Gallery

Then

Reception

"Hell in a Bucket" and "Throwing Stones", for which videos were also produced, received significant airplay on album-oriented rock radio, further enhancing the album's commercial success and cultural impact. It achieved double platinum certification in the U.S. and reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the Grateful Dead's only top ten album. The album's success was largely driven by its lead single, "Touch of Grey", which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band's first and only top forty single.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"In the Dark" is the twelfth studio album (nineteenth overall) by the Grateful Dead. Recorded in January 1987, it marked the band's return after a six-year hiatus from studio albums since 1980's "Go to Heaven". Released on July 6, 1987, "In the Dark" defied expectations by becoming unexpectedly popular. It achieved double platinum certification in the U.S. and reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the Grateful Dead's only top ten album.

The album's success was largely driven by its lead single, "Touch of Grey", which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band's first and only top forty single. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus propelled it to mainstream success, bolstered by frequent airplay on MTV where its music video became popular. "Hell in a Bucket" and "Throwing Stones", for which videos were also produced, received significant airplay on album-oriented rock radio, further enhancing the album's commercial success and cultural impact.