AC/DC are one of the most successful and prolific heavy rock bands of all time, but there was a period when even these rock legends didn’t look like they’d be coming back any time soon.
Following the release of their fourteenth studio album, Stiff Upper Lip, the band took an eight-year unofficial hiatus while they continued working on music together without the pressure of living in the spotlight.
Stiff Upper Lip had been another commercial success for the rock giants, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. This would have been an impressive feat at the beginning of their careers, but at such a late moment in their journey, when rock music had evolved in a totally new direction, it was even more of an accomplishment.
By 2008, after a series of unexpected setbacks, AC/DC was ready to make their long-awaited comeback with Black Ice. The album’s release had been severely delayed due to an injury sustained by bassist Cliff Williams, which left him unable to play his instrument for a while. It was also the final album featuring contributions from guitarist Malcolm Young, who was diagnosed with dementia just six years later and subsequently died in 2017.
Black Ice offered a very different sound from what AC/DC fans were familiar with, but that transformation was exactly what the band needed to extend their success into the 21st century. Where they had previously been associated with classic electric rock, Black Ice saw them morph into a more familiar, mainstream soul rock outlet.
Unsurprisingly, AC/DC’s comeback album was another huge commercial success. The record shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 100, overtaking Kenny Chesney‘s Lucky Old Sun. The album received countless nominations at the Grammys, Brits, Junos, and ARIA Music Awards, cementing AC/DC as one of the most reliable and consistent rock bands of all time.
Today, Black Ice is fondly remembered by AC/DC fans as a crucial turning point in the band’s career, if not strictly their best album overall. The record proved that Brian Johnson and his band were capable of morphing their sound into something entirely new to captivate a new generation, which proved crucial to maintaining their popularity throughout the decades.
