Power Up | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 13 November 2020 | |||
Recorded |
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Studio | The Warehouse (Vancouver) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:03 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
AC/DC chronology | ||||
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Singles from Power Up | ||||
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Power Up (shortened as PWR/UP) is the seventeenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 13 November 2020 through Columbia Records. Power Up marks the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams to AC/DC. This is also the band's first album since the death of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017. Malcolm received posthumous songwriting credits for all of the album's songs, as they were never-before released tracks written by him and his brother, Angus. The album is dedicated and serves as tribute to Malcolm according to his brother.
Power Up was generally well received by music critics and reached number one in 21 countries. The album was nominated for the Best Rock Album on the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Foo Fighters' Medicine at Midnight (2021). To support Power Up, the band are undertaking the Power Up Tour, starting in May 2024, with drummer Matt Laug and bass guitarist Chris Chaney as touring members, replacing Rudd and Williams respectively.
Following the 2014 album Rock or Bust , the group embarked on a seventeen-month world tour. Prior to the tour, drummer Phil Rudd was charged with attempting to procure murder, threatening to kill, and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. For the tour, Rudd was replaced by Chris Slade, who had also previously played with AC/DC on their 1990 album The Razors Edge , several years after Rudd first left the band. [1] By 2016, lead singer Brian Johnson had started to suffer hearing loss, causing the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust tour to be rescheduled. [2] Ultimately, he was replaced with Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose for the remaining dates. [3] On 8 July 2016, bassist Cliff Williams announced that he would be retiring from the band once the tour was finished, citing health issues as reasons for retiring, and calling AC/DC a "changed animal". [4]
This record is pretty much a dedication to Malcolm, my brother. It's a tribute for him like Back in Black was a tribute to Bon Scott.
— Angus Young, on Power Up [5]
In 2018, rumours began circulating that AC/DC were working on their seventeenth studio album, with Johnson, Rudd, and Williams having returned to the group. Johnson, Rudd, Angus Young and Stevie Young were photographed in August 2018 at Warehouse Studio, a recording studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada owned by fellow musician Bryan Adams, suggesting the band were working where they had recorded their three previous albums. [6] [7] [8] The rumours were later confirmed as the truth, with the album having been recorded there over a six-week period in August and September 2018 with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also oversaw 2008's Black Ice and 2014's Rock or Bust , with some tweaking having followed in Los Angeles in 2019. [5] [9] Every track is credited to Angus and Malcolm Young as Angus had raided the AC/DC vault of unreleased songs to record the album. [5] Critics described the album's sound as hard rock, [10] rock and roll, and blues metal. [11]
While promoting the album, Angus admitted that the songwriting process was difficult as he had to compile riffs that he had written with his brother Malcolm prior to his death in 2017. He stated that their nephew Stevie assisted him in arranging the riffs before the band entered the studio.
After a series of cryptic teases reading PWR/UP on the band's website, the album's title was revealed to be Power Up on 7 October 2020. [12] The album was released on 13 November 2020. [13] In its first week of release, it was projected to place either first or second on the Billboard 200 all-format albums chart, and to top the US and UK album sales chart. [14] [15] [16]
Prior to the album release, the music audio for the band's first single, "Shot in the Dark", was released on 7 October 2020. [17] A music video for the song was released on 26 October 2020. [18] The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart for two weeks starting in November 2020. [19] A 53-second short clip of a second song, "Demon Fire", was debuted ahead of the album's release on 30 October 2020 as well; [20] [21] and was released once again on 8 December 2020. [22] On 7 December 2020, it was announced that the music video for "Demon Fire" would have its world premiere release on 9 December 2020 as the third single from the album. [23] Two days prior to the album release, the music audio for the album's second single, "Realize", was released on 11 November 2020. [21] [24] A music video for the song was also released via YouTube on 13 January 2021. [25] A music video for the song "Witch's Spell" was published on YouTube on 9 June 2021. [26] It was also released as a single the same day. [27] On 11 June 2021, the song "Through the Mists of Time" was released as a twelve-inch single, with "Witch's Spell" as the B-side as a part of Record Store Day. [28] A music video for the song was published on YouTube on 30 September 2021. [29]
To further promote Power Up, AC/DC launched the Power Up Tour on 17 May 2024 on Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with former Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney replacing Williams and former Slash's Snakepit drummer Matt Laug replacing Rudd. [30] Two songs from the album, "Shot in the Dark" and "Demon Fire", were played. [31]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.2/10 [32] |
Metacritic | 79/100 [33] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [34] |
Clash | [35] |
Consequence of Sound | A− [36] |
Exclaim! | 7/10 [37] |
The Guardian | [38] |
The Independent | [39] |
Kerrang! | [40] |
NME | [41] |
Rolling Stone | [42] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | [43] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 79, based on 19 reviews, indicating "Generally favourable reviews". [33] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.2 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [32]
AllMusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated, "Good times have always been a crucial part of the band, but there's a depth of feeling to the levity on Power Up, as if the band decided that the best way to pay respect to what they've lost is by focusing on what they still have. They don't dwell upon the past, they barrel forward with a set of turbocharged blues and high-octane rock that doesn't merely sound good, it feels nourishing." [34] Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! noted, "The fact that AC/DC came together to create something as satisfying as Power Up when the cards were down is a complete miracle upon itself, and AC/DC seem more than ready to celebrate." [37] Kitty Empire of The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five, stating, "If deja vu is a familiar sensation with AC/DC, few outfits have managed to eke so much variety out of so few constituent parts as these stalwarts of reductio ad absurdum. For the undiminished certainties AC/DC provide in the face of adversity, it's hard not to salute them." [38] Nick Ruskell of Kerrang! observed, "AC/DC have made an album that, even for them, is a high-voltage celebration of life, the best of times, and the absolutely indomitable, boundless power of a couple of chords and a four-four beat. In a time where getting together with your mates and partying and getting the beers in and shagging and living it up is all but illegal, as a reminder of just how powerful and timeless the very idea of these wonderful things are, AC/DC have never felt more necessary or vital." [40]
At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album and the band were nominated for Best Group. [44]
At the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, the album won Rock Album of the Year. The single "Shot in the Dark" was nominated for Rock Song of the Year, but lost to Foo Fighters' "Shame Shame". [45]
For the 64th Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album, and "Shot In The Dark" was nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Music Video. [46]
The album won the 2020 Metal Storm award for Best Hard Rock Album. It was also nominated for Biggest Surprise, but lost to Lucid Planet's Lucid Planet II. [47]
Publication | Accolade | Rank |
---|---|---|
Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 44 [48] |
Rolling Stone | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 45 [49] |
In Australia, Power Up debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts and, in the process, AC/DC became the first act to have an Australian number one album in five consecutive decades (1980s to 2020s). [50] The album registered 21,535 sales in its first week outselling the rest of the top 15 combined. [51] As of 12 December, it has spent four weeks at number one, becoming the equal longest number one album in Australia in 2020. [52]
In the United States, Power Up debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 117,000 album-equivalent units (including 111,000 pure sales) in its opening week. [53] It became the band's third album to reach number one on the chart, following For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) and Black Ice (2008). [53] Additionally, the album's tracks accumulated a total 7.8 million on-demand streams in the week ending 28 November. [53]
The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 13 November 2020 with 62,000 chart sales, displacing Kylie Minogue's Disco as biggest opening week release of 2020 so far. [54] In Germany, it debuted at number one, selling almost 160,000 copies, the best start of the year. [55] It stayed at number one for a total of five non-consecutive weeks, and became the best selling album of 2020. [56] Worldwide, it was the sixth best selling album of 2020 with 1.37 million copies sold. [57]
All tracks are written by Angus and Malcolm Young. [5]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Realize" | 3:37 |
2. | "Rejection" | 4:06 |
3. | "Shot in the Dark" | 3:06 |
4. | "Through the Mists of Time" | 3:32 |
5. | "Kick You When You're Down" | 3:10 |
6. | "Witch's Spell" | 3:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
7. | "Demon Fire" | 3:30 |
8. | "Wild Reputation" | 2:54 |
9. | "No Man's Land" | 3:39 |
10. | "Systems Down" | 3:12 |
11. | "Money Shot" | 3:05 |
12. | "Code Red" | 3:31 |
Total length: | 41:03 |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [58]
AC/DC
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [118] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [119] | Platinum | 15,000‡ |
Canada | — | 38,000 [120] |
France (SNEP) [121] | 2× Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [122] | 2× Platinum | 400,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [123] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [124] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [125] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [126] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [127] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [128] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide (IFPI) | — | 1,400,000 [57] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. The band was founded by brothers Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and Angus Young on lead guitar. Their current line-up comprises Angus, bassist Cliff Williams, drummer Phil Rudd, lead vocalist Brian Johnson and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, nephew of Angus and Malcolm. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, but the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands, such as Def Leppard and Saxon. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980, by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature Brian Johnson as lead singer, following the death of Bon Scott, their previous vocalist.
Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 27 July 1979. It is the first of three albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and is the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980.
Flick of the Switch is the ninth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was deemed a commercial disappointment after it failed to match the sales figures of the band's two previous releases, 1980's Back in Black and 1981's For Those About to Rock, and its release represented the beginning of the band's commercial decline. The third AC/DC album to feature lead vocalist Brian Johnson, the album is also the last to feature drummer Phil Rudd before his return on Ballbreaker (1995). The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
Let There Be Rock is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was originally released on 21 March 1977 in Australasia, through Albert Productions label. A modified international edition was released on 25 July 1977, through Atlantic Records. It was the last AC/DC album to feature Mark Evans on bass.
Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 5 May 1978 in the United Kingdom and 20 May 1978 in the United States. This was the band's first album to feature Cliff Williams on bass guitar, and it was also the first AC/DC album not to have a title track and the first worldwide not to be released with a different album cover. Powerage was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
The Razors Edge is the twelfth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. Released on 24 September 1990, through Albert Productions/CBS Records International in Australasia and Atlantic Records in Europe, it was recorded in 1990 in Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn. It was a major comeback for the band, featuring the hits "Thunderstruck", "Are You Ready" and "Moneytalks". This is the only studio album to feature Welsh drummer Chris Slade, who was the drummer for AC/DC from 1989 to his dismissal in 1994.
Fly on the Wall is the tenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 1 July 1985 by Albert Productions, and Atlantic Records. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
Australian rock band AC/DC have released 18 studio albums, two soundtrack albums, three live albums, one extended play, 57 singles, 11 video albums, 52 music videos and two box sets. Although many AC/DC singles have been released, the band refused to issue any greatest hits albums. Who Made Who, which served as the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive, Iron Man 2 and the band's various live recordings are the closest they have issued to such a compilation.
Black Ice is the fifteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. First released in Europe on 17 October 2008 and released internationally on 20 October 2008, it was produced by Brendan O'Brien. It marked the band's first original recordings since Stiff Upper Lip (2000), with the eight-year gap being the longest between AC/DC's successive studio albums. Black Ice has the longest running time of any AC/DC studio album. The album was the band's final studio release to feature founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who left the band in September 2014 after being diagnosed with dementia, and died three years later.
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (shortened to For Those About to Rock on its cover) is the eighth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on 20 November 1981 in the United States and on 27 November 1981 in the United Kingdom.
Ballbreaker is the thirteenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released in 1995 and was re-released in 2005 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
High Voltage is the first internationally released album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It contains tracks completed from their first two previous Australia-only issued albums, High Voltage and T.N.T..
Who Made Who is a soundtrack album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Released on 26 May 1986, the album is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
Backtracks is a box set by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was announced on 29 September 2009 and was released on 10 November 2009. This is a collection of the band's studio and live rarities together in one boxset. There are two editions; a Deluxe Edition and a Standard Edition. All tracks have been remastered to match the sound of the 2003 album remasters and many songs appear on CD for the first time. It is the band's second box set of rarities, following the Bonfire release in 1997.
Iron Man 2 is a soundtrack album for the 2010 film of the same name consisting of music by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on April 19, 2010.
Stiff Upper Lip is the fourteenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on 28 February 2000. The album was produced by George Young, older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young. It was the last AC/DC album that George produced before his death in 2017.
Live at River Plate is a live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 19 November 2012.
Rock or Bust is the sixteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 28 November 2014. Rock or Bust is the group's first album to feature rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, replacing founding member Malcolm Young, who had retired from the band earlier in the year due to health concerns. It is the shortest studio album ever released by the band. At approximately 35 minutes, it is two minutes shorter than their previous shortest album, Flick of the Switch, which was released in 1983. It sold 2.8 million copies worldwide.
"Shot in the Dark" is a single by Australian rock band AC/DC from their seventeenth studio album Power Up. The song was recorded late 2018 to early 2019. It was released on 7 October 2020, and is the band's first single released since 2015's "Rock the Blues Away" from their album Rock or Bust. The song was used as the official theme for WWE Survivor Series and is part of the MLB The Show 21 soundtrack.