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Hard as a Rock

"Hard as a Rock" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in September 1995 by Elektra as the first single from their thirteenth studio album, Ballbreaker (1995). The song became their second No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, following 1993's "Big Gun". Live performances are also included on three of AC/DC's live concert DVDs, 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".

"Hard as a Rock"
Single by AC/DC
from the album Ballbreaker
B-side"Caught with Your Pants Down"
ReleasedSeptember 1995
StudioOcean Way (Los Angeles)
GenreHard rock
Length4:31
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
AC/DC singles chronology
"Big Gun"
(1993) 		"Hard as a Rock"
(1995) 		"Hail Caesar"
(1996)
Music video
"Hard as a Rock" on YouTube

Critical reception

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Paul Moody from 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."[1]

Music video

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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

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

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 14
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[2] 30
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[2] 1
France (SNEP)[2] 26
Germany (Official German Charts)[3] 25
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 28
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[5] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Single Tip)[6] 7
New Zealand (RIANZ)[2] 16
Norway (VG-lista)[2] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[2] 19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[2] 28
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 33
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[8] 1

References

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  1. ^ Moody, Paul (23 September 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 44. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Hard as a Rock", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 14 April 2009)
  3. ^ German Singles Chart Musicline.de (Retrieved 14 April 2009)
  4. ^ Irish Singles Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 14 April 2009)
  5. ^ "AC/DC – Hard As A Rock" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  6. ^ "AC/DC – HARD AS A ROCK" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  7. ^ UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 14 April 2009)
  8. ^ Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved 14 April 2009)
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