Highway to Hell (album)
Encyclopedia
Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album
by Australia
n hard rock
band AC/DC
, released in July 1979. It is also AC/DC's fifth international studio album. It was the last album featuring Bon Scott
, who died early the following year from over-consumption of alcohol.
It was originally released by Albert Productions
, who licensed the album to Atlantic Records
for release outside of Australia, and was then re-released by Epic Records
in 2003 as part of the AC/DC remasters series. On 25 May 2006, Highway to Hell was certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA
. In 2003, the album was ranked number 199 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
", "Touch Too Much
", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", and "Shot Down in Flames" which have become fan favourites and regular songs in their setlist during their live shows. The album became AC/DC's first to break the US Top 100, eventually reaching #17, and it propelled the band into the top ranks of hard rock acts.
The final words spoken by Scott on the album are "Shazbot, na-nu na-nu", phrases used on the then-popular American sitcom, Mork and Mindy
, by lead character Mork (a visiting extraterrestrial
played by Robin Williams
). The phrase ended the song "Night Prowler" and closed the album.
Highway to Hell was the first AC/DC album not produced by Harry Vanda
and George Young. Pre-production of the album began in January 1979 with demos cut at Albert Studios in Sydney
, Australia, where they met the intended producer, Eddie Kramer
. Kramer was fired before a single track had been completed, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange
was brought in to replace him. The change proved to be fortuitous, and the album was the band's biggest yet. Lange would go on to produce the band's next two albums and biggest sellers, Back in Black
and For Those About to Rock We Salute You
. The album was recorded during sessions in February 1979 at Criteria Studios
in Miami, Florida
, and March–April at Roundhouse Studios in London
, England.
In Australia, Highway to Hell was released with a slightly different album cover, featuring flames and a drawing of a bass guitar neck superimposed over the same group photo used on the international cover. Also, the AC/DC logo is a darker shade of maroon, but the accents are a bit lighter. Additionally, the East German release had different and much plainer designs on the front and back, apparently because the authorities were not happy with the sleeve as released elsewhere.
Two songs from the album, "Highway to Hell
" and "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" are included on the soundtrack album
for Iron Man 2
, with the former also being played during the final scenes of the movie. The song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" is featured in the movie Empire Records
as well as in The Longest Yard
. The song "Walk All Over You" is featured in the movie Grown Ups. In October 2010, Highway to Hell was listed in the top 50 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums
with Back in Black at No. 2.
, who was responsible for several brutal killings in Los Angeles
. Nicknamed the "Night Stalker", Ramírez was a fan of AC/DC, particularly the song "Night Prowler". Police also claimed that Ramirez was wearing an AC/DC shirt and left an AC/DC hat at one of the crime scenes. During the trial, Ramírez often muttered "Hail Satan
" and showed off the pentagram
carved into his palm. This brought extremely bad publicity on AC/DC, whose concerts and albums faced protests by parents in the Los Angeles area. On VH1
's Behind the Music
on AC/DC, the band maintained that the song had been given a murderous connotation by Ramírez, but is actually about a boy sneaking into his girlfriend's bedroom at night while her parents are asleep.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, released in July 1979. It is also AC/DC's fifth international studio album. It was the last album featuring Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
, who died early the following year from over-consumption of alcohol.
It was originally released by Albert Productions
Albert Productions
Albert Productions, a division of music publishing and recording company Albert Music, is one of Australia's longest established independent Australian record label to specialise in rock and roll music. The label was founded in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned and operated the Australian...
, who licensed the album to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
for release outside of Australia, and was then re-released by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 2003 as part of the AC/DC remasters series. On 25 May 2006, Highway to Hell was certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. In 2003, the album was ranked number 199 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Overview
Highway to Hell is the last AC/DC album recorded with Bon Scott before his death on 19 February 1980. The album featured such songs as "Highway to HellHighway to Hell (song)
"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. It was initially released as a single in 1979....
", "Touch Too Much
Touch Too Much
"Touch Too Much" is the fourth track on AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell, their last with lead vocalist Bon Scott, who died the following year....
", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", and "Shot Down in Flames" which have become fan favourites and regular songs in their setlist during their live shows. The album became AC/DC's first to break the US Top 100, eventually reaching #17, and it propelled the band into the top ranks of hard rock acts.
The final words spoken by Scott on the album are "Shazbot, na-nu na-nu", phrases used on the then-popular American sitcom, Mork and Mindy
Mork and Mindy
Mork & Mindy is an American science fiction sitcom broadcast from 1978 until 1982 on ABC. The series starred Robin Williams as Mork, an alien who comes to Earth from the planet Ork in a small, one-man egg-shaped spaceship. Pam Dawber co-starred as Mindy McConnell, his human friend and roommate...
, by lead character Mork (a visiting extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
played by Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
). The phrase ended the song "Night Prowler" and closed the album.
Highway to Hell was the first AC/DC album not produced by Harry Vanda
Harry Vanda
Harry Vanda , is a Dutch-born Australian popular music singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:...
and George Young. Pre-production of the album began in January 1979 with demos cut at Albert Studios in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, where they met the intended producer, Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
. Kramer was fired before a single track had been completed, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Robert Lange
Robert John "Mutt" Lange is a Zambian-born British record producer and songwriter, usually known by his nickname "Mutt". Lange is one of the most successful producers in rock history. He has produced albums for artists such as AC/DC, Nickelback, Def Leppard, Outlaws, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan...
was brought in to replace him. The change proved to be fortuitous, and the album was the band's biggest yet. Lange would go on to produce the band's next two albums and biggest sellers, Back in Black
Back in Black
Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
and For Those About to Rock We Salute You
For Those About to Rock We Salute You
For Those About to Rock We Salute You is the eighth Australian and seventh international studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in 1981. The album was a follow-up to their highly successful album Back in Black. For Those About to Rock has sold over four million copies in the US....
. The album was recorded during sessions in February 1979 at Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios is a music-recording studio in Miami, Florida, started in 1958 by Mack Emerman.In 1999, The Hit Factory purchased Criteria Studios, revamping and reopening the studios under the new name The Hit Factory Criteria Miami.-Notable artists:...
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and March–April at Roundhouse Studios in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
In Australia, Highway to Hell was released with a slightly different album cover, featuring flames and a drawing of a bass guitar neck superimposed over the same group photo used on the international cover. Also, the AC/DC logo is a darker shade of maroon, but the accents are a bit lighter. Additionally, the East German release had different and much plainer designs on the front and back, apparently because the authorities were not happy with the sleeve as released elsewhere.
Two songs from the album, "Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell (song)
"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. It was initially released as a single in 1979....
" and "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" are included on the soundtrack album
Iron Man 2 (soundtrack)
Iron Man 2 is a compilation album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 19 April 2010 as the soundtrack to Jon Favreau's movie of the same name...
for Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, with the former also being played during the final scenes of the movie. The song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" is featured in the movie Empire Records
Empire Records
Empire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other...
as well as in The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard is a 1974 American comedy sports-drama film about inmates at a prison who play American football against their guards. Burt Reynolds portrayed Paul "Wrecking" Crewe in the original, and the coach Nate Scarborough in the 2005 remake...
. The song "Walk All Over You" is featured in the movie Grown Ups. In October 2010, Highway to Hell was listed in the top 50 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums is a compendium of rock and pop albums of the past 50 years as compiled by music journalists Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell. The book was published on 25 October 2010 by Hardie Grant Books...
with Back in Black at No. 2.
Controversy
In June 1985, a highly publicized murder case began revolving around Richard RamírezRichard Ramirez
Ricardo "Richard" Muñoz Ramírez is a convicted serial killer awaiting execution on California's death row at San Quentin State Prison...
, who was responsible for several brutal killings in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Nicknamed the "Night Stalker", Ramírez was a fan of AC/DC, particularly the song "Night Prowler". Police also claimed that Ramirez was wearing an AC/DC shirt and left an AC/DC hat at one of the crime scenes. During the trial, Ramírez often muttered "Hail Satan
Hail Satan
"Hail Satan", sometimes expressed in a Latinized version as Ave Satanas is an expression used by some Satanists to show their dedication to Satan, but has also been used for the purpose of comedy or satire. Believers in backmasking think they can hear "Hail Satan" and other messages to Satan in...
" and showed off the pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
carved into his palm. This brought extremely bad publicity on AC/DC, whose concerts and albums faced protests by parents in the Los Angeles area. On VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
on AC/DC, the band maintained that the song had been given a murderous connotation by Ramírez, but is actually about a boy sneaking into his girlfriend's bedroom at night while her parents are asleep.
Track listing
Personnel
- Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
– lead vocals - Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Malcolm YoungMalcolm YoungMalcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Cliff WilliamsCliff WilliamsClifford Williams is an English bassist and backing vocalist, who has been a member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC since mid-1977. He had started his professional music career in 1967 and was previously in the British groups Home and Bandit. His first studio album with AC/DC was Powerage...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Phil RuddPhil RuddPhillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer. He is best known for his membership of rock band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Producer: Robert John "Mutt" Lange
- Recording Studio: Roundhouse StudiosThe RoundhouseThe Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
, London, England - Recording Engineer: Mark Dearnley
- Mixing Studio: Basing Street StudiosBasing Street StudiosSARM Studios is a recording studio located in Notting Hill, London. The studios were established by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, and were originally known as Basing Street Studios...
, London, England - Mixing Engineer: Tony PlattTony PlattTony Platt is a music producer/engineer best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists including AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, Shy, Buddy Guy, Foreigner, Sparks, Jazz Jamaica All Stars and Motörhead. He has recently completed an album with Jazz trio The Bad Plus and is...
- Assistant Engineer: Kevin Dallimore
- Art Direction: Bob Defrin
- Photography: Jim HoughtonJim HoughtonJames "Jim" Houghton is an American actor and writer.Houghton was an original castmember of the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, in which he played Greg Foster. His most prominent role is that of Kenny Ward on the long-running prime time soap opera Knots Landing, which he played...
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart | |
| 2009 | Finnish Albums Chart | |
| 1979 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart (Billboard) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Highway to Hell" | Pop Singles | 47 |
Certification
| Country | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 7,000,000 | 7x Platinum |
| Canada | 1,000,000 | 2x Platinum |
| United Kingdom | 100,000 | Gold |
External links
- Lyrics on AC/DC's official website
- Highway to Hell by Joe BonomoJoe BonomoJoe Bonomo is an American essayist, poet, and rock and roll writer.-Life:He grew up in suburban Washington, D. C. He graduated from Ohio University.He teaches at Northern Illinois University, since 1995....
in the 33 1/3 Series of books