Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Encyclopedia
"Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" is a song by the rock band AC/DC
, the song featured as the final track of the album released in 1980 Back in Black
. It is the fourth single released of the album. The song reached number 15 on the UK singles charts, the highest placing of any song on the album.
, lead singer of the band from late 1974 to 1980. Malcolm Young
later explained that "I thought, 'Well, fuck this, I'm not gonna sit around mopin' all fucking year.' So I just rang Angus and said, 'Do you wanna come back and rehearse?'". The album was recorded with Brian Johnson
, who officially joined the band on April 8, 1980. Angus Young
said that, "We knew if Bon liked him, he must be good, because Bon didn't like many people'".
In the beginning of the song there is the sound of a lighter igniting and then someone taking a pull from a joint, presumably Brian Johnson.
The song also appears in videos like "No Bull
" (1996), "Family Jewels" (2005) and "Plug Me In
" (2007), also appears on the boxset "Bonfire
" (1997).
The song appears on the 2003 tribute album by various artists to the band Back in Baroque: The String Tribute to AC / DC, it was also covered in 2004 by death metal
band Six Feet Under
in the album Graveyard Classics 2
. Alex Gibson also covered the song in 2008 from the album Rockabye Baby!
: Lullaby Renditions of AC/DC. The song was also featured in a commercial for Nike
in 2006.
It is also the walk-up song for Minnesota Twins
first-baseman Justin Morneau
.
1980 7 inch single (UK: Atlantic K 11630, Australia: Albert Productions AP 400)
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"...
, the song featured as the final track of the album released in 1980 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....
. It is the fourth single released of the album. The song reached number 15 on the UK singles charts, the highest placing of any song on the album.
Background
The band started work on the album just three days after the funeral of Bon ScottBon 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...
, lead singer of the band from late 1974 to 1980. Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm 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...
later explained that "I thought, 'Well, fuck this, I'm not gonna sit around mopin' all fucking year.' So I just rang Angus and said, 'Do you wanna come back and rehearse?'". The album was recorded with Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
, who officially joined the band on April 8, 1980. Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus 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,...
said that, "We knew if Bon liked him, he must be good, because Bon didn't like many people'".
In the beginning of the song there is the sound of a lighter igniting and then someone taking a pull from a joint, presumably Brian Johnson.
The song also appears in videos like "No Bull
No Bull
No Bull is a live video released by AC/DC in November 1996, filmed on Super 16mm at Madrid's Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas on 10 July 1996 during the Ballbreaker world tour...
" (1996), "Family Jewels" (2005) and "Plug Me In
Plug Me In
Plug Me In is a DVD box set released on 16 October 2007 by AC/DC. It includes rare performances of the band. The standard set contains one disc of performances from the Bon Scott era and one from the Brian Johnson era. The three disc set includes Between the Cracks, featuring performances from both...
" (2007), also appears on the boxset "Bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
" (1997).
The song appears on the 2003 tribute album by various artists to the band Back in Baroque: The String Tribute to AC / DC, it was also covered in 2004 by death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under (band)
Six Feet Under is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary...
in the album Graveyard Classics 2
Graveyard Classics 2
Graveyard Classics 2 is the second cover album by Six Feet Under. It is an album cover version of AC/DC's 1980 album Back in Black.-Track listing:All Songs by Brian Johnson, Angus Young and Malcolm Young#"Hells Bells" – 5:11...
. Alex Gibson also covered the song in 2008 from the album Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby! is a series of CDs geared toward infants and newborns, containing instrumental lullaby versions popular rock bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin...
: Lullaby Renditions of AC/DC. The song was also featured in a commercial for Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
in 2006.
It is also the walk-up song for Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
first-baseman Justin Morneau
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
.
Track listing
1980 12 inch single (UK: Atlantic K 11630 (T))- "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – 4:12
- "Hells Bells" – 5:10
1980 7 inch single (UK: Atlantic K 11630, Australia: Albert Productions AP 400)
- "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – 4:12
- "Hells Bells" – 5:10
Chart positions
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
15 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
15 |
Personnel
- Brian JohnsonBrian JohnsonBrian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
– 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 guitar - 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 guitar, background 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 guitar, background 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...
– drums
External links
- Back in Black review
- Rock N' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution in Sonfact
- [ Rock N' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution in Allmusic]