How has Back In Black sold 25 million copies in the USA?

[raska27]

Not having a greatest hits album also helps.

Core of band has been static and continually released albums and big tours since BiB released. So essentially the line up keeps promoting it on a wide scale and introducing those songs to successive generations of fans. They go to a concert, hear those songs and want to own them - can't buy a greatest hits to pick up the big tunes, have to buy BiB

[Psychobolia.com]

Because Back In Black (title track) has the greatest riff of all fucking time on it...

Peter Griffin says it right here (turn it up!):
https://youtu.be/vg90kleRpPk?si=_2YX6wVbxxgPy_BI&t=48

[Love_Industry]

Was curious how that album did in their native Australia. While a huge seller at 12x (Australian) Platinum, it is not even in the top 25 of best selling albums there and outsold by far by Australian artists like John Farnham (24x platinum, that's 2x AC/DCs sales) and Delta Goodrem (15x platinum) as well as the usual international suspects like Metallica, Eminem, Meat Loaf, Springsteen and ABBA - who have three albums outselling BIB.

No other AC/DC album made the list on Wikipedia which starts at 10x Platinum. I expected them to be huge there and have at least HTH and Razors' Edge on the list...

[Mister Freeze]

While a huge seller at 12x (Australian) Platinum, it is not even in the top 25 of best selling albums there and outsold by far by Australian artists like John Farnham (24x platinum, that's 2x AC/DCs sales)

Never understood how that John Farnham album went mega-huge based on one song, "You're the Voice".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbkOZTSvrHs

It was big in Europe too, but fizzled in the U.S.

Heart tried covering it a few years later (because of course they did), but Americans continued to not care.

[CrankerBait]

One way is dorks like me buying like 5-6 copies. LP, Cassette, CD, re-mastered CD, DVD-A etc etc.

That's right. It doesn't hurt AC/DC, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Eagles and Zep sales when some of the same people have bought multiple versions of these albums, either because they want a newer or upgraded version or because they are replacing a lost or damaged copy. It strongly suggests those releases mean just as much to those fans as when they first bought them 40 or 50 or 60 years ago.

[BernieTaupson]

Yeah but Blizzard, Diary, VH1, Heaven annd Hell and all those other classics we all rebought in multiple formats and multiple copies, none of those are even CLOSE to being twenty-five fucking platinum.

So the question still stands.

[BernieTaupson]

Never understood how that John Farnham album went mega-huge based on one song, "You're the Voice".

It was big in Europe too, but fizzled in the U.S.

Whispering Jack had a bunch of great singles on it, it wasn’t just that one song. Pressure Down, A Touch of Paradise, both ubiquitous. “Reasons” not so much but still got airplay. Next album had some big hits as well (Age of Reason, Two Strong Hearts) so that will push sales of the last album. And the NEXT album had some good shit on it too, Chain Reaction, Burn For You, That’s Freedom, all big singles. Put out consistently strong stuff and it will be popular, what a novel idea!

[Bono Nettencourt]

Yeah but Blizzard, Diary, VH1, Heaven annd Hell and all those other classics we all rebought in multiple formats and multiple copies, none of those are even CLOSE to being twenty-five fucking platinum.

So the question still stands.

Radio.

[Mister Freeze]

Never understood how that John Farnham album went mega-huge based on one song, "You're the Voice".

It was big in Europe too, but fizzled in the U.S.

Whispering Jack had a bunch of great singles on it, it wasn’t just that one song. Pressure Down, A Touch of Paradise, both ubiquitous. “Reasons” not so much but still got airplay. Next album had some big hits as well (Age of Reason, Two Strong Hearts) so that will push sales of the last album. And the NEXT album had some good shit on it too, Chain Reaction, Burn For You, That’s Freedom, all big singles. Put out consistently strong stuff and it will be popular, what a novel idea!

I liked "Pressure Down" more than "You're the Voice," but is it any better than the average upbeat pop hit of the era? Nothing about it screams "phenomenon".

If this guy's going 25x platinum, why not Rick Astley? Why not Living in a Box?

[dmbrocker]

While a huge seller at 12x (Australian) Platinum, it is not even in the top 25 of best selling albums there and outsold by far by Australian artists like John Farnham (24x platinum, that's 2x AC/DCs sales)

Never understood how that John Farnham album went mega-huge based on one song, "You're the Voice".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbkOZTSvrHs

It was big in Europe too, but fizzled in the U.S.

Heart tried covering it a few years later (because of course they did), but Americans continued to not care.

Hey! I'm American and I care! Seriously, though, "You're the Voice" is a pretty good song, actually.

[parasite74]

I saw AC/DC on the Back n black tour at Nassau Coliseum in NY. They did 1 show there and the place was 70% empty that night. Amazing how big that album became.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Because it's a stone cold perfect classic record?? idk...

[Love_Industry]

I saw AC/DC on the Back n black tour at Nassau Coliseum in NY. They did 1 show there and the place was 70% empty that night. Amazing how big that album became.

Just checked and in Stockholm they played Göta Lejon. With Whitesnake. It's a theatre, so they weren't even arena level at time with a popular support or co-headliner.

1980 may have been a shitty year for concerts though, Scorpions/Leppard and Ramones played the same place and even Kiss/Maiden played a smaller handball hall or something instead of hockey arena Hovet.

[pieceofme]

Because it became the go-to rock album for people getting into rock. Same as the Black Album by Metallica with metal.

[rubysdad]

Sadly down here in Oz, a band must have overseas success before the general population takes notice.
Radio here did not, and still don’t play new rock music.

As for Farnham, he was a household name, he was a pop star in the 60’s and Your the Voice was a comeback album.
Before its release he was singing in covers bands in pubs.

From memory, it was thought that Highway to Hell had opened the door to America and the next record would be huge.
I think I read that in a Bon bio my brother lent me.

I never saw them with Bon, to young when they played the regional circuits.
I saw the Black Ice tour in Melbourne, Angus was Angus and Brian strangely reminded me of Jimmy Barnes, the rhythm section however blew my mind, I’d forgotten how all the early stuff grooved.

[BernieTaupson]

Because it's a stone cold perfect classic record?? idk...

Again, someone who missed the point. Vh1 and Blizzard of Ozz and two dozen other albums are stone cold perfect classic records as well. They haven’t sold 25 million units.

[Dyslexicheart]

Because it's a stone cold perfect classic record?? idk...

Again, someone who missed the point. Vh1 and Blizzard of Ozz and two dozen other albums are stone cold perfect classic records as well. They haven’t sold 25 million units.

It's the perfect sweet spot of blues based rock (not metal) that has more mass appeal than Ozzy. Chicks dig it, 70's rock fans like it, kids liked it. Apparently everybody liked it. A lot. Metal has a narrower audience.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Because it's a stone cold perfect classic record?? idk...

Again, someone who missed the point. Vh1 and Blizzard of Ozz and two dozen other albums are stone cold perfect classic records as well. They haven’t sold 25 million units.

Nobody missed any point there Professor Profound. Apparently people liked BIB better than those other records. Plus, like someone said You Shook Me. Understandable...

[BernieTaupson]

Professor Profund

[Wednesday 13 Fan]

Yeah but Blizzard, Diary, VH1, Heaven annd Hell and all those other classics we all rebought in multiple formats and multiple copies, none of those are even CLOSE to being twenty-five fucking platinum.

So the question still stands.

Well, that would mean not that many people rebought those in multiple formats, wouldn't it?

It isn't that hard.

[Bono Nettencourt]

I saw AC/DC on the Back n black tour at Nassau Coliseum in NY. They did 1 show there and the place was 70% empty that night. Amazing how big that album became.

Just checked and in Stockholm they played Göta Lejon. With Whitesnake. It's a theatre, so they weren't even arena level at time with a popular support or co-headliner.

1980 may have been a shitty year for concerts though, Scorpions/Leppard and Ramones played the same place and even Kiss/Maiden played a smaller handball hall or something instead of hockey arena Hovet.

The US BiB tour was a mix of arenas and theaters too, and a lot of B-market gigs. They probably weren't true arena headliners 'til FTATR.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Professor Profund

Oooh, typo, fixed! Hmm, you remind me of someone? Have we met before?

[Charles Bukaki]

I graduated high school in 1991 and our "class song" was Back In Black. I think it was a right place, right time situation with some lightning in a bottle thrown in. Some albums shoot into the stratosphere periodically. Dark Side, Rumors, Back in Black, The Black Album. You Shook Me was a staple of my middle school years. It's one of those albums that feels like it's always been around.

[Love_Industry]

Because it's a stone cold perfect classic record?? idk...

Again, someone who missed the point. Vh1 and Blizzard of Ozz and two dozen other albums are stone cold perfect classic records as well. They haven’t sold 25 million units.

It's the perfect sweet spot of blues based rock (not metal) that has more mass appeal than Ozzy. Chicks dig it, 70's rock fans like it, kids liked it. Apparently everybody liked it. A lot. Metal has a narrower audience.

I wonder how much VH1 has sold by now. It was Diamond already in 1996 and hasn't been re-certified since. Back in Black was certified 12x platinum in 1996 so not THAT much more.
Van Halen 1 has been remastered twice in the 2000s and also had a big reunion tour with Roth where they played most of that album, plus a new studio album and a live album. That put together must have boosted the sales of the debut and 1984 at least. Probably not as much as AC/DCs, looking at the certifications they sold 4 million in less than 2 years - Jan 1996 to Dec 1997. And then another cool million a year for three more years. Seven million sold from 1996 through 2000 for an album from 1980 that wasn't remastered during this era. Impressive.