For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) is the eighth album by
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
band
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
, released in 1981. The album was a follow-up to their highly successful album
Back in BlackBack in Black is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980. Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980 at the age of 33...
.
For Those About to Rock has sold over 4 million copies in the US. It was AC/DC's first and only No. 1 album in the USA until the release of
Black IceBlack Ice is the fifteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, produced by Brendan O'Brien and released worldwide between 17 and 22 October 2008. AC/DC were known to be working on the album as early as January 2006, with it being delayed because of an injury to bassist Cliff Williams and a...
in October 2008. In their original 1981 review,
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine declared it to be their best album.
The album was the third and final produced for the band by
Robert John "Mutt" LangeRobert John "Mutt" Lange is a record producer and songwriter, usually known by his nickname "Mutt" Lange. He is one of the most successful producers in rock history. He has produced albums for artists such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, Savoy Brown and The...
.
The name of the album was inspired by a book
Angus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
read, entitled
For Those About To Die, We Salute You, about
RomanAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
gladiatorA Gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
s.
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) is the eighth album by
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
band
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
, released in 1981. The album was a follow-up to their highly successful album
Back in BlackBack in Black is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980. Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980 at the age of 33...
.
For Those About to Rock has sold over 4 million copies in the US. It was AC/DC's first and only No. 1 album in the USA until the release of
Black IceBlack Ice is the fifteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, produced by Brendan O'Brien and released worldwide between 17 and 22 October 2008. AC/DC were known to be working on the album as early as January 2006, with it being delayed because of an injury to bassist Cliff Williams and a...
in October 2008. In their original 1981 review,
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine declared it to be their best album.
The album was the third and final produced for the band by
Robert John "Mutt" LangeRobert John "Mutt" Lange is a record producer and songwriter, usually known by his nickname "Mutt" Lange. He is one of the most successful producers in rock history. He has produced albums for artists such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, Savoy Brown and The...
.
The name of the album was inspired by a book
Angus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
read, entitled
For Those About To Die, We Salute You, about
RomanAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
gladiatorA Gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
s. The gladiators' final words to the emperor were "
Ave Caesar morituri te salutantAve, Caesar, morituri te salutant is traditionally the Latin phrase that the gladiators addressed to the emperor before the beginning of a gladiatorial match...
" - or, "Hail Caesar, we who are about to die, salute you." The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the
AC/DC Remasters series.
Track listing
- "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
"For Those About to Rock " is a song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The song was released onto AC/DC's 8th studio album For Those About to Rock We Salute You in 1981. The cannons fired in the song are mixed with exploding fireworks. The video to this song was filmed live in Landover,...
" – 5:44
- "Put the Finger on You" – 3:25
- "Let's Get It Up
"Let's Get It Up" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, first released on their 1981 album For Those About to Rock We Salute You, and later as its first single....
" – 3:54
- "Inject the Venom" – 3:30
- "Snowballed" – 3:23
- "Evil Walks" – 4:23
- "C.O.D." – 3:19
- "Breaking the Rules" – 4:23
- "Night of the Long Knives" – 3:25
- "Spellbound" – 4:39
- All songs composed by Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
, Malcolm YoungMalcolm Mitchell Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of AC/DC...
and Brian JohnsonBrian Johnson is a English singer and songwriter who, since 1980, has been the lead singer for the Australian rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
.
Video
For Those About to Rock was also the name of a movie including live performances by AC/DC, as well as
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
,
The Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard rock jam band that has sold over 20 million albums. They were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone named it the 'Best New American Band'...
, and
PanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell , then known as Diamond Darrell, in 1981. Bassist Rex Brown then known as Rex Rocker would join in 1982, with vocalist Terry Glaze...
.
Personnel
- Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is a English singer and songwriter who, since 1980, has been the lead singer for the Australian rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
- lead vocals
- Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
- lead guitarA lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays...
- Malcolm Young
Malcolm Mitchell Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of AC/DC...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is the use of a guitar to provide rhythmic chordal accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a musical ensemble. In ensembles or "bands" playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres , a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition supports the...
, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams
Clifford Williams is an English bassist, best known for his membership in the Australian hard rock band AC/DC since June 1977, and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of AC/DC...
- bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
, backing vocals
- Phil Rudd
Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer, best known for his membership in rock band AC/DC. He held the position from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bassist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
- drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
, percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
Billboard top 200 |
1 |
Singles - UK (United Kingdom)
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
"For Those About To Rock We Salute You" |
UK Pop Singles |
15 |
| 1981 |
"Lets Get It Up" |
UK Pop Singles |
13 |
Certification
| Country | Sales | Certification |
|---|
| United States |
4,000,000 |
4x Platinum |