| "Highway to Hell" | |||||
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| Single by AC/DC from the album 'Highway to Hell' |
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| B-side | "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" | ||||
| Released | 1979 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | 1979 | ||||
| Genre | Hard Rock Rock 'n' Roll |
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| Length | 3:28 | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Records | ||||
| Producer | Mutt Lange | ||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | |||||
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| "Highway to Hell (Live)" | |||||
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| Single by AC/DC from the album Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition |
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| B-side | "Hells Bells (live)" | ||||
| Released | 8 November 1992 (US) | ||||
| Format | 7", CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1992 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock Rock 'n' Roll |
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| Length | 3:53 | ||||
| Label | Epic Records Atco Records |
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| Producer | Bruce Fairbairn | ||||
| AC/DC singles chronology | |||||
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| "Highway to Hell" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by AC/DC | |||||
| Album | Highway to Hell | ||||
| Released | 27 July, 1979 | ||||
| Recorded | Spring 1979 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock Rock 'n' Roll |
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| Length | 3:32 | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Records | ||||
| Writer | Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott | ||||
| Producer | Robert "Mutt" Lange | ||||
| Highway to Hell track listing | |||||
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Highway to Hell is a song by the hard rock band AC/DC. It is the opening track of the group's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. The song was written by Bon Scott, Angus Young and Malcolm Young while the main guitar riff was created by Malcolm Young. The track has become one of the most famous songs in rock history. AC/DC had made several studio albums before and was constantly supporting them by going on a grueling tour schedule. The song and album's title supposedly came after a reporter asked bandmembers if they could describe what life was like being constantly on tour. Angus replied that it was "a fucking highway to Hell", and the name stuck. Rumors persisted that the band members were satanists, and this comment, and the album cover depicting Angus with devil horns and tail only added fuel to the fire. (The band has denied having anything to do with Satanism, Malcolm having even commented that "me mum would kill me for that!") The origin of the title of the song more likely comes from lead singer Bon Scott who came from Perth in Western Australia. Scott's local pub (The Raffles Hotel) was on Canning Highway at the bottom of a very steep hill, at an intersection which saw so many road crashes the road became known as 'the Highway to Hell'. If you listen to the lyrics it becomes very obvious that Bon was singing about going down to his local pub for a drink, and for good times with his mates - and to get there he'd travel Canning Highway, the Highway To Hell. Nevertheless, this and other songs brought AC/DC its first million-copy-selling album, and sent Highway to Hell to #17 on the charts. Scott would be found dead in the back of a friend's car just over six months later. The success of the Highway to Hell song and album set AC/DC on track to record its most famous album and tribute to Bon, Back In Black, one year later. This song was played on the 2000 film Little Nicky during a slideshow, which is seen before the credits. The song "Highway to Hell" is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[1] It was the title track for World Wrestling Federation's 1998 SummerSlam Pay-Per-View, which was subtitled "The Highway to Hell".
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List of accolades
- Ranked #254 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- Ranked #152 on the 500 Greatest Classic Rock Songs compiled by 94.5 XKR.
- Ranked #23 on The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time, a book by Martin Popoff
Track listing
UK
- Bonny/Highway to Hell (Live)
- Hells Bells (Live)
- The Jack (Live)
- Hey little Girl From Hartfords Palace (Unrealeased)
Germany and France
- Highway to Hell (Live)
- Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)
- High Voltage (Live)
Australia
Released 1992 by Albert Productions / Epic Records
- Bonny/Highway to Hell (Live)
- High Voltage (Live)
- Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)
USA and Canada
- Highway to Hell (Live)
- Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)
- The Jack (Live)
- High Voltage (Live)
- Back in Black (Live)
- Come My Children This is for You (Unrealeased)
Personnel
- Bon Scott - Lead Vocals
- Angus Young - Lead Guitar
- Malcolm Young - Rhythm Guitar-Backing Vocals
- Cliff Williams - Bass Guitar-Backing Vocals
- Phil Rudd - Drums
Cover versions
This song was covered by the German comedy-industrial metal band Knorkator, the heavy metal group Quiet Riot for its reunion album Alive and Well. Additionally, it was covered by power metal band Iced Earth on the tribute album Tribute to the Gods. Billy Joel also performed a cover during his 2007 tour. Marilyn Manson did a cover, albeit with a much different meaning, for the Detroit Rock City soundtrack. A cover was made by Slash's Snakepit band. Slash also teamed up with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park to make a separate cover of the song. Musicians who covered the song include a brazilian band called Pitty, the song was played live for an MtvBr especial apresentation.
Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- It has been said that there is a "bash" on the Aerosmith "Reason and Rhyme" because of the lyrics toward the beginning "Don't need reason, don't need rhyme." This is unconfirmed.
- The song was parodied by the Ukrainian rock group Vopli Vidoplyasova in their "Galia, come" (Ukrainian: "Галю, приходь") instrumentally and by lyrics styled as Ukrainian folk.
- French comedy group "Les Robins des Bois" did a parody of the song called "Highway to Tata Yoyo" by mixing AC/DC's music with the lyrics of Annie Cordy's popular hit "Tata Yoyo". [1]
- Professional wrestling tag team the Dudley Boyz used this song as their entrance theme in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
- The opening of Highway to Hell was used on House when Doctor House got his new cane.
- Irish rock band The Resin have also recently done a cover version.
- Part of the song was used during the bar explosion scene in the 2007 movie Wild Hogs.
- Part of the song was used at the conclusion of The Simpsons episode Simpsons Bible Stories.
See also
External links
- Lyrics on AC/DC's official website
