Back in Black cover

Back in Black

AC/DC

Albert Productions Atlantic Records Sony Music Columbia Records

Released

1980

When’s the last time you listened to this? Yeah, it’s the Big Dumb Obvious megahit rock record, but there’s a reason for that: to a teenage boy, “You Shook Me All Night Long”’s poetry feels a whole lot more meaningful than anything by Robert Frost. A bacchanalian celebration in honor of fallen frontman Bon Scott, the peaks have never been matched. “Hells Bells,” “Shoot to Thrill,” the title track — rock ’n’ roll straight-up does not get better than this.

Jeff Treppel

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