The AC/DC Album That Almost Didn’t Happen and the Song That Made Them Legendary

The AC/DC Album That Almost Didn’t Happen and the Song That Made Them Legendary AC/DCImage via Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press/Abaca Press/INSTARimages By  Teguan Harris Published 49 minutes ago Tehuan Harris is a news and features journalist at Collider, reporting and writing about all things music and reality TV (sometimes). She is a talented journalist and a natural storyteller who writes with curiosity and interest. After graduating from university, she jumped straight into journalism, with one goal in mind: to tell stories that matter. Away from the newsroom, Teguan runs her own. She runs her own newsletters on Substack and Medium and recently became the Editor in Chief of her brand new Substack newsletter, Channel 25, which covers TV and movies. The T Word, a Substack newsletter that covers pop culture, trends, and society, was also launched in March (it's about time anyway).  Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

For many decades, Australian rock band AC/DC gave their fans hit after hit and one iconic album after the other. From Highway to Hell to The Razor's Edge, AC/DC cemented themselves as legends in the rock space. However, the one album that truly made them who they are now is the album that almost didn’t happen. It has been over 45 years since AC/DC released their 1980 album Back In Black and the song title of the same name that made them. However, the album itself was almost omitted due to the tragedy that would shape the group for the rest of their career. 45 years later, the album and the song title of the same name remain iconic.

Why Did AC/DC Almost Not Release 'Back In Black'?

Before Back In Black, AC/DC was on a trajectory. The band’s 1977 album Let There Be Rock pushed them into the international markets, and their 1979 album Highway to Hell performed well on the charts in the UK and the USA. However, the band would later be stumped by tragedy due to the death of their former frontman, Bon Scott, who was found unresponsive in his car after a night of binge-drinking. He passed away at 33 years old due to acute alcohol poisoning, putting the band’s future at a standstill. AC/DC were struck with grief and even thought of disbanding at the height of their careers. However, it was decided that they would stay a band, as Scott’s father encouraged the members to continue; Scott himself would not have wanted the members to disband. Replacing Scott was not easy, as the Young brothers were not interested in their manager, Peter Mensch’s list of potential lead singers. The band’s current frontman, Brian Johnson, was soon recruited, despite criticisms from the press of replacing Scott too quickly after his death. After Johnson joined AC/DC, they set out to record Back In Black, the album that would be the first since Scott’s death and the first record that would introduce fans to the lead singer in his place. Recording for the album took place between April and May 1980, lasting six weeks. small Related

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AC/DC Released 'Back In Black' as a Single in Late 1980

AC/DC released the single “Back In Black” in December 1980, months after the release of the album titled the same name. “Back In Black” was written as a tribute to Scott, celebrating the daring yet talented man he was. Despite only peaking at 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, music experts and rock music fans regard “Back In Black” as the best rock song of all time. “Back In Black” was widely used in movies and TV shows, notably Spider-Man: Far From Home, Iron Man, and Family Guy. As of November 2025, the music video on YouTube had received over one billion views and surpassed two billion streams on Spotify. 31 years after the song’s initial release, AC/DC’s music became available on iTunes, and the song peaked at number 27 on the UK charts. The song also reached number one on the UK Rock Charts in the same week. “Back In Black” commercial performance in 1981 and in 2012, as well as the billion streams, are not the sole reasons for the song’s success. The song showed that the band overcame tragedy and their devastating loss, and is moving on with their music, while also honoring the former frontman who helped the band become great legends and successes, even long after his death. What really made “Back In Black” stand out was the opening riff, which went on to become one of the most iconic and recognizable riffs in history.

AC/DC’s 'Back In Black' Overcame Tragedy and Soared to the Top of the Charts

Back In Black quickly peaked at number one in the UK and peaked at number four on the US charts, soon becoming the best-selling album that never reached number one in the US. The album stayed on heavy rotation, as it charted for 131 weeks, but it did not take 131 weeks for fans and listeners to mourn and honor Scott while listening to the album that paid tribute to him. To this day, the album still brings closure to the band, the fans, and Scott’s relatives. As of November 2025, AC/DC’s Back In Black remains the second best-selling album of all time in music history. The album sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, taking second place behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Back In Black is also 27x platinum, making it the third best-selling album of all time in the USA, sitting behind Jackson’s Thriller and Eagles’ Greatest Hits (1971-1975). An album conceived from grief and an unexpected loss became their greatest success, forever honoring the legend that was Scott. small Related

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