Top 10 AC/DC Best Songs With Brian Johnson
We’ve tried hard not to make this Top 10 into a ‘Back in Black’ album tracklist. The initial idea was to make a list of songs extended to all albums from Brian Johnson era, but unfortunately songs like ‘Who Made Who’, ‘Big Gun’, ‘Heatseeker’, ‘Shake Your Foundations’ among others great AC/DC‘ songs didn’t made the Top 10. Check out our choices and say your lists too.
10 – ‘Hard as a Rock‘ – (‘Ballbreaker’ / 1995)
This single from 1995 ‘Ballbreaker’ album , is better known by its appearance on live concerts such as: ‘No Bull’, ‘Stiff Upper Lip Live’ and ‘Live At The Circus Krone’. The music video to this song was directed by David Mallet, on which the fans are a part of, and can be seen in front of the stage.
‘Hard as a Rock’ became AC/DC second No. 1 on Album Rock Tracks chart, following 1993’s ‘Big Gun’.
9 – ‘Rock n’ Roll Train‘ – (‘Black Ice’ / 2008)
By the time of 2008 ‘Black Ice’, AC/DC have nothing else to prove to the world. Another album in primitive shape that have is best effort on ‘Rock n´Roll Train’.
Backed up by ‘War Machine’, ‘Rock n´Roll Train’ was a huge success in part due to its use on many television advertisements. It hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, staying there for over three weeks. The song was also one of the first AC/DC songs on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
8 – ‘Guns for Hire’ – (‘Flick of the Switch’ / 1983)
After three records produced in a row by Mutt, AC/DC wanted to be a simple little band again, and self-produce ‘Flick of the Switch’. The album is indeed a raw and basic record. Although the critics disagree, for us, ‘Flick of the Switch’ will always be among AC/DC’s most consistent and satisfying albums.
‘Guns for Hire’ served as the opening song during the band’s performances in support of ‘Flick of the Switch’ album, but has never been performed on any other AC/DC tours since.
A promotional video was produced for the song, which featured drummer Simon Wright rather than Phil Rudd, that left the band during the recording of ‘Flick of the Switch’.
7 – ‘You Shook Me All Night Long‘ – (‘Back in Black’ / 1980)
One of the most recognizable songs of all time, ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ is one of the best AC/DC’s signature song. Like the entire classic ‘Black in Black’album, ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ got a simple beat with a melodic heavy rock riff followed by Brian Johnson’s raspy vocals.
The first single to feature Brian Johnson as the lead singer (replaced Bon Scott, who died February 20, 1980 after a drinking binge), was the first AC/DC song to make the US Top 40.
6 – ‘Stiff Upper Lip‘ – (‘Stiff Upper Lip’ / 2000)
Released as a single, ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and was performed on Saturday Night Live on March 18, 2000.
‘Stiff Upper Lip’ like many songs of AC/DC last decades, have no new ideas. But why change something so good like this great rock n’ roll song?
5 – ‘Shoot to Thrill‘ – (‘Back in Black’ / 1980)
‘Shoot to Thrill’ was given a new breath when it was used as the main song into ‘Iron Man 2’ in 2010, introducing it to a new generation and reminded how great the song in fact is!
4 – ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)‘ – (‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ / 1981)
With the release of ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’, backed by two instant classics ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Back in Black’, the Australians were officially one of the world’s biggest groups.
It was in an abandoned factory in France that AC/DC began to recorded one of their best songs ever. The staggering title track, have inspiration from a curious source: The title and central lyric of the song are based on an ancient salute used by Roman prisoners to be executed in the Colosseum, ‘Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant’ (‘Hail Caesar, we who are about to die, salute you.’)
3 – ‘Hells Bells‘ – (‘Back in Black’ / 1980)
From start to the finish of ‘Back in Black’, the band burns with passion and energy to prove the whole world that they could overcome the shadow of Bon Scott’s death.
The opening track, ‘Hells Bells’, is a master wall of sound in the most pure essence of a great rock song : a bell that rings 13 times; an intro played by Angus Young, with Malcolm Young then joining to create AC/DC’s classic double-guitar sound; Phil Rudd on drums and Cliff Williams on bass!
Maybe the most memorable way to celebrate the image of Bon Scott, is when during every live performance of ‘Hells Bells’ Brian Johnson kick the gigantic bell, like saying : ‘Bon we never forgot you!’
2 – ‘Thunderstruck‘ – (‘The Razors Edge’ / 199o)
The song that peaked at No. 5 on U.S. the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, have a basic inspiration like Angus stated: “It started off from a little trick I had on guitar. I played it to Mal and he said ‘Oh, I’ve got a good rhythm idea that will sit well in the back.’ We built the song up from that. We fiddled about with it for a few months before everything fell into place. Lyrically, it was really just a case of finding a good title … We came up with this thunder thing and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power.”
The frenetic opening of ‘Thunderstruck’ became a staple of AC/DC’s live shows with the chant (‘Thun-DER!’). Made for big arenas, this is one of only two songs released after ‘Back in Black’ that the band still regularly performs live in concert, the other being ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’.
1 – ‘Back in Black’ – (‘Back in Black’ / 1980)
The story of ‘Back in Black’ begins with the end of Bon Scott’s life. Angus and Malcolm were writing and rehearsing when Scott died. As a tribute and statement, the album became a multiplatinum triumph, thanks to songs like the monstrous title track.
The song confirmed that the band was far from over, and that they’d returned stronger than ever, while the album and song’s title referred to the fact that the band was still in mourning over Bon Scott’s passing. The song features one of AC/DC’s most instantly recognizable guitar riffs, courtesy of brothers Malcolm and Angus Young.
Brian Johnson recalled to Mojo magazine 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. 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.’
‘Back in Black’ peaked in the U.S. at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981 and was No. 51 on Billboard’s Top Tracks chart. The song received the RIAA’s Master Ringtone Sales Award (Gold and Platinum) in 2006 and reached 2x Platinum status in 2007.
The song was ranked No. 4 by VH1 on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs, and in 2009, it was named the second greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1. It was also ranked No. 187 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The same magazine has also ranked ‘Back in Black’ No. 29 on ‘The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time’.
