Hard as a Rock

"Hard as a Rock" is a song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in September 1995 as the first single from their 13th studio album, Ballbreaker. The song reached number one in Finland and number four in Norway whilst entering the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. In the United States, it became AC/DC's second number-one hit on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, after "Big Gun" in 1993.

Performances of the track have been included on three of AC/DC's live concert DVDs. These include No Bull (of which an audio version is found on the Australian tour edition of Stiff Upper Lip), Stiff Upper Lip Live and Live at the Circus Krone, which is featured in the Deluxe Edition of the 2009 boxset Backtracks. A live version recorded during the band's Stiff Upper Lip World Tour in 2001 at the Stade de France in Paris appears on the 2007 Plug Me In three-disc DVD. It is also featured on the 2012 film Battleship, along with "Thunderstruck".

Critical reception Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted upon the release of the single, "Like their inbetweenie 'Big Gun', it's produced by fan Rick Rubin, which marks a return to the original dry blues rock sound after a "pompous" period with Bruce Fairbairn." Music journalist Paul Moody of the British publication NME wrote, "What can Angus and co mean? 'Hard as a Rock' finds the DC, deliriously, back to the sort of form that made them high priests of gonzo rock several million years ago. Angus clunks out the sort of riff Billy Duffy spent ten years looking for in The Cult. 'Uncle' Brian Johnson starts howling the title in a manner not dissimilar to a castrated wildebeest and, erm, that's it, full throttle to the brain-scrambled mega-orgy of your choice. Not quite as testicle-crunchingly mega as 'Highway to Hell' or ultra-subtle 'live fave' 'The Jack', but no worries."

Music video The music video for "Hard as a Rock" was directed by British director David Mallet, and set at the Bray Studios in Windsor, Berkshire. Many fans gathered to be a part of this video, and can be seen in front of the stage, and also seen behind the bars which surrounds the stage the band plays on. Also, in the video, lead guitarist Angus Young is seen playing his Gibson SG on a wrecking ball, which destroys a building. Angus Young had stated in the documentary that he had a fear of heights when doing this before. The video can be seen on the 2000 DVD version of No Bull (which also includes the documentary on how the video was made) and the Backtracks box set.

Track listings CD single "Hard as a Rock" – 4:30 "Caught with Your Pants Down" – 4:14

7-inch single "Hard as a Rock" (LP version) – 4:30 "Caught with Your Pants Down" (LP version) – 4:14

Personnel Brian Johnson – lead vocals Angus Young – lead guitar Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals Phil Rudd – drums, percussion

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1995)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)11Germany (Media Control)25Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)16Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade)7New Zealand (RIANZ)16Sweden (Topplistan)19US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)1

Year-end charts Chart (1995)PositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)97US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)38 Chart (1996)PositionUS Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)70

Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United States12 September 1995Rock radioEastWestAustralia18 September 1995United KingdomEastWestUnited States7 November 1995Contemporary hit radio

Hard as a Rock

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