Shoot to Thrill

"Shoot to Thrill" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the second track on the 1980 album Back in Black. This song is also the second track of AC/DC Live and AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition, and is included on the Iron Man 2 soundtrack.[1] Although the studio version was never released as a single, the song is a fan favourite and a staple on classic rock radio stations.

"Shoot to Thrill"
Song by AC/DC
from the album Back in Black
Released25 July 1980
Recorded1980
GenreHard rock
Length5:17
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Music video

On 26 January 2010, a new music video for "Shoot to Thrill" was released with exclusive footage from the film Iron Man 2. The live concert footage used in the video was filmed in December 2009 at a concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Estadio Monumental, from which the Live at River Plate DVD was filmed.[1]

Live recordings

"Shoot to Thrill (live)"
Single by AC/DC
B-side"War Machine (live)"
Released16 April 2011
RecordedDecember 2009
VenueRiver Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
GenreHard rock
Length5:47
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson
Producer(s)AC/DC
AC/DC singles chronology
"Money Made"
(2009)
"Shoot to Thrill (live)"
(2011)
"Play Ball"
(2014)

Several different live recordings of "Shoot to Thrill" have been released officially. One version, recorded from the Razors Edge World Tour, was released on the 1992 Live album. Another version, recorded from the 1991 Donington show, was released on the deluxe edition of the 2009 box set Backtracks. Another performance, recorded at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires in December 2009, was released as a limited edition 7-inch single (backed with a live performance of "War Machine" from the aforementioned show) for Record Store Day 2011, promoting the live DVD Live at River Plate, which was released in May 2011.

Meaning

When explaining his lyrical inspiration for the song, lead singer and then-songwriter Brian Johnson recalled reading a British article about a neighbourhood pusher who made daily rounds (almost like a milkman) throughout the London suburbs, selling narcotics to bored, lonely and depressed housewives. These substance-effected homemakers would then peruse the local clubs and bars, seeking out torrid, extra-marital relationships. The term "Shoot to thrill.." most likely refers to certain solutions such as diazepam (valium), which is often administered via injection to treat anxiety and depression.

Lead guitarist Angus Young has recently commented that the song's 'break-down', which occurs soon after the main solo (a muted and repeating three chord sequence of A Major triad, G Major triad, and a D power-chord leading up to a bombastic outro-solo), was inspired by the trio gun-battle climax from Sergio Leone's classic, Italian western 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". In this seminal scene, gun-fighters Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach stare one another down in the centre of a Civil-War cemetery for minutes-on-end to an eventual shoot-out. Young said this sequence in the song was designed to mirror the actual soundtrack selection 'Il Triello' by composer Ennio Morricone. Both compositions feature a slow quiet build-up, increasing in tension to a thunderous, cataclysmic finale.

Personnel

Plus

Charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
US Billboard Top Tracks[2] 60
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs[2] 75

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON)[3] Platinum 60,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[4] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[5] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

The song has also been recorded by Halestorm on their EP Reanimate 2.0: The Covers.

Uses in media

This song has been used in several film and television programs including:

References

  1. "AC/DC's Music To Be Featured In 'Iron Man 2'". Blabbermouth.net. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  2. "Back in Black – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 10 October 2020. Type AC/DC in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Shoot to Thrill in the box under TÍTULO
  4. "British single certifications – AC/DC – Shoot to Thrill". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 November 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Shoot to Thrill in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  5. "American single certifications – AC/DC – Shoot to Thrill". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  6. http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/exclusives/acdc
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