Back in Black

"Back in Black" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released as the second US single from their seventh album of the same name in 1980 through Atlantic Records. It is notable for its opening guitar riff. The song was written as a tribute to their former singer Bon Scott, who died in February 1980. In 1981, it reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, it reached number 65 in Australia and number 27 in the United Kingdom. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Back in Black" was ranked number 22. The song is featured in the movies Iron Man, Megamind, The Muppets, The Smurfs, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Family Guy, Supernatural, and other films and TV shows. Background Known for its opening guitar riff, the song was AC/DC's tribute to their former singer Bon Scott. His replacement Brian Johnson recalled to Mojo magazine in 2009 that when the band asked him to write a lyric for this song, "they said, 'it can't be morbid – it has to be for Bon and it has to be a celebration. He added: "I thought, 'Well no pressure there, then' (laughs). I just wrote what came into my head, which at the time seemed like mumbo, jumbo. 'Nine lives. Cats eyes. Abusing every one of them and running wild.' The boys got it though. They saw Bon's life in that lyric." Critical reception