Highway to Hell (song)

"Highway to Hell" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the opening track of their 1979 album Highway to Hell. It was initially released as a single in 1979.

"Highway to Hell"
A-side label of one of the Australian vinyl releases
Single by AC/DC
from the album Highway to Hell
B-side"If You Want Blood (You've Got It)"
Released27 July 1979
RecordedMarch–April 1979
Genre
Length3:27
LabelAlbert Productions
Songwriter(s)Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young
Producer(s)Mutt Lange
AC/DC singles chronology
"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"
(1978)		 "Highway to Hell"
(1979)		 "Girls Got Rhythm"
(1979)
Music video
"Highway to Hell" on YouTube

The song was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, with Angus Young credited for writing the guitar riff which became an instant classic.[2] AC/DC had made several studio albums before and were constantly promoting them via a grueling tour schedule, referred to by Angus Young as being on a highway to hell, hence the name.[2]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Highway to Hell" was ranked number 40.[3]

Background

The song's title and lyrics reflects the incredibly arduous nature of touring constantly and life on the road.[2]. The highway that inspired the name of the song, Canning Highway, connects the Perth Kwinana freeway to its port Fremantle and was home to many of Bon Scott's favourite pubs and hotels, including the Raffles Hotel.[4][5]

The single spent 45 weeks on the German Singles Chart, even though it peaked at only No. 30, in its 19th week on that chart.[6]

Lead vocalist Bon Scott was found dead in the back of a friend's car, just over six months after the song was released.[2] The song is in the key of A Major.[7]

"Highway to Hell" won the 'Most Played Australian Work Overseas' category at the 2009 APRA Awards.[8]

Personnel

Production

"Highway to Hell" was produced by Mutt Lange as part of the album by the same name, and his work is regarded as a significant factor in delivering one of the classic AC/DC albums, the emergence of the double-guitar sound, which was later perfected on Back in Black, and improved backing vocals with Malcolm Young, joined by Cliff Williams for the first time.[2]

Live recordings
"Highway to Hell (live)"
Single by AC/DC
from the album AC/DC Live
B-side"Hells Bells (live)"
Released8 November 1992
Recorded1991
GenreHard rock, blues rock
Length3:53
LabelAtco
Songwriter(s)Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
AC/DC singles chronology
"Are You Ready"
(1991)		 "Highway to Hell (live)"
(1992)		 "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live)"
(1992)
Music video
"Highway to Hell" (AC/DC Live) on YouTube

"Highway to Hell" has been included on three official live albums:

  • Live: This was also released as a single. A video for the single was also released, containing a montage of footage from the Live at Donington home video.
  • Let There Be Rock: The Movie
  • Live at River Plate

List of accolades


Track listing

UK

Released 1992 by ATCO

  1. "Bonny"/"Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "Hells Bells (Live)"
  3. "The Jack (Live)"

Germany and France

Released 1992 by ATCO

  1. "Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
  3. "High Voltage (Live)"

Australia

Released 1992 by Albert Productions / Epic Records

  1. "Bonny"/"Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "High Voltage (Live)"
  3. "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"

US and Canada

Released 1979 by Atlantic Records (Atlantic #3617)

  1. A Side: "Highway To Hell"
  2. B Side: "Night Prowler"

Released 1992 by ATCO (Atco #98491-2)

  1. "Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"

Released 1992 by ATCO (Atco #96135-2)

  1. "Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
  3. "The Jack (Live)"
  4. "High Voltage (Live)"

Released 1992 by ATCO

  1. "Highway to Hell (Live)"
  2. "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Live)"
  3. "The Jack (Live)"
  4. "High Voltage (Live)"
  5. "Back in Black (Live)"

Covers
  • Sam Kinison covered the song in 1990 for his comedy album Leader of the Banned.
  • Tiny Tim covered the song on his 1993 album Tiny Tim Rock.
  • Ukrainian folk-punk band Vopli Vidopliassova used the music as the basis for a bayan-based song, "Galyu, prykhod'!". The song was released for the first time on the band's debut album Kraina Mriy in 1994.
  • Quiet Riot covered the song on their 1999 studio release, Alive & Well.
  • Marilyn Manson covered it as part of the soundtrack for the 1999 film Detroit Rock City.
  • Phish have performed the song 77 times from 1989 to 2009. One performance was included on their "Live Phish Volume 15" album. Though recorded in 1996, it wasn't released until 2002.
  • In 2002, Angry Samoan covered it for the punk tribute album For Those About To Rawk: A Punk Tribute to AC/DC.
  • Maroon 5 performed it on the Songs About Jane Tour, with Ryan Dusick (drummer) on vocals and lead guitar. Their version of it is also on their live EP 1.22.03.Acoustic.
  • American band Lazlo Bane recorded the song in 2007 for their 1970s covers album Guilty Pleasures, though hard rock is not their typical music style.
  • In 2010, the song was covered by Jonathan Groff in the Glee episode, "Hell-O".
  • Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the song several times through their tour of Australia in 2014, and released a single of the song that year.
  • X Factor UK 2014 contestant Ben Haenow covered the song at on the 4th live show.
  • Stary Olsa, a medieval folk music band from Belarus included "Highway to Hell" on a 2016 album of classic rock cover songs.
  • Carla Bruni covered the song on her 2017 studio album, French Touch.
  • Billy Joel has performed it live regularly throughout the years.
  • Rick Astley has regularly performed it live, on vocals and drums, since his return to the music scene in the 2010s.

Chart performance
Year Chart Position
1979 Austrian Singles Chart 52
Belgian Singles Chart 14
Dutch Singles Chart 17
French Singles Chart 23
German Singles Chart 30
Spanish Singles Chart 24
Swedish Singles Chart 36
UK Singles Chart[11] 56
US Billboard 100[12] 47
1992 Australia Singles Chart[13] 29
Dutch Singles Chart[14] 69
Swiss Singles Chart[15] 37
US Billboard Mainstream Rock 1
2012 Scottish Singles Chart 36
UK Singles Chart[11] 40
Billboard Hot Digital Songs 1
2013 UK Singles Chart[11] 3
Irish Singles Chart 23
Scottish Singles Chart 36

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[16] 2× Platinum 140,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Platinum 1,000,000
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References
  1. Smith, Troy L. (24 May 2016). "50 greatest album-opening songs". cleveland.com. Retrieved 31 December 2018. Singer Bon Scott’s crowning achievement with AC/DC is the opening title-track for 'Highway to Hell,' a hard rock anthem that remains one of the band’s greatest songs.
  2. Wall, Mick (2012). AC/DC: Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be. London: Orion Publishing group. ISBN 9781409115359.
  3. "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  4. "AC/DC – The Stories Behind The Songs". NME. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  5. Harmon, Steph. "Highway to Hell: 10km of major Perth highway to shut for AC/DC covers concert". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  6. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de.
  7. https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0083035
  8. "2009 Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  9. Highway to Hell The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
  10. "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  11. "highway to hell | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  12. "AC/DC Highway To Hell Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  13. "australian-charts.com - AC/DC - Highway To Hell (Live)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  14. "AC/DC - Highway To Hell (Live) - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  15. "AC/DC - Highway To Hell (Live) - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  16. "Italian single certifications – AC/DC – Highway to Hell" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "20109" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Highway to Hell" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
  17. "British single certifications – AC/DC – Highway to Hell". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Highway to Hell in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  18. "American single certifications – AC/DC – Highway to Hell". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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