On this week’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown, we look at the top 10 rock albums on February 1, 1981. Disco had peaked, punk and new wave were going strong, and AC/DC’s biggest album had a surprising chart run.
Back In Black Is Born
In the Spring of 1980, AC/DC were ready to begin work on their seventh album. It would be their first after the death of longtime lead singer Bon Scott. In his place was former Geordie front man Brian Johnson. Poor Brian had very little to time to acclimate himself to the band. They had planned several weeks of rehearsal but, after studio time opened up in the Bahamas, the group shot down to Compass Point Studios to start recording. Their producer was Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who drove the band hard to perfect the album. The result was a true hard rock masterpiece. There’s not a wasted note on that record. Every song is powerful, driving and explosive, and it wasn’t long before it caught on with fans.
#1..But Only In the U.K.
Back In Black was an instant hit for AC/DC. For one, it debuted at #1 on the British charts, their first to do so. Since its release, its become the biggest selling hard rock album of all time. In the U.S., it is certified 25x platinum, or 25 million copies sold. You’d think, with success like that, the album would have parked itself at #1 and stayed there forever, right? In Britain, yes, but over here, Back In Black topped off at #4. After its success, Atlantic Records re-released some of their earlier albums and they, too, were big. In fact, when Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was re-issued, it did better on the chart than Back In Black, peaking at #3!
Who’d have thought AC/DC’s biggest album would have such a surprising chart run? It’s further proof how weirdly interesting the music charts can be. Here is Back In Black, plus 9 other monster albums, on this week’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown from February 1, 1981.
