AC/DC's 'Back in Black' smashes one billion views barrier on YouTube

It's the second most popular AC/DC video

AC/DC's Brian Johns and Angus Young in 1982
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 1st Feb 2024

Back in Black’ has become the second AC/DC video to surpass the one billion views landmark on YouTube.

AC/DC’s timeless 1980 anthem hit one billion views on YouTube yesterday (31st January) and, at the time of writing, it’s been seen exactly 1,000,201,346 times.

‘Back in Black’ was uploaded to YouTube on 7th November 2012 – 31 years after the song was originally released – and it took 11 years and two months for the video to hit the ten-figure tally.

It’s the second most-watched AC/DC video on YouTube following ‘Thunderstruck’, which has a whopping 1.4 billion views.

Linkin Park’s ‘Numb’ is currently the most popular rock video on YouTube with 2,168,034,032 views, and it’s followed by twenty one pilots’ ‘Heathens’ (2,137,866,530) and Guns N’ Roses’ ‘November Rain’ (2,129,891,258).

‘November Rain’ hit two billion views in February 2023 when it became the most-watched hard rock video on the platform.

Less than five years earlier in July 2018, ‘November Rain’ became the first music video from the 1990s to hit one billion views on YouTube.

The lavish nine-minute video, which reportedly cost $1.5million to make back in 1992, was also the first music video from the pre-YouTube era and the 20th Century to reach the one billion milestone.

In October 2019, Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ became the first 1980s music video to smash the one billion YouTube views barrier. It has currently been watched more than 1.6 billion times.

It’s widely rumoured that AC/DC will be announcing more live shows in 2024 following their comeback at Power Trip festival last October.

See incredible photos of Power Trip festival:

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses perform on Friday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest


Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Judas Priest

Judas Priest perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

AC/DC

AC/DC perform on Saturday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

Metallica

Metallica perform on Sunday at Power Trip festival in Indio, California

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