“You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC is one of the Australian hard rock band’s most recognizable songs and a signature track from their landmark 1980 album Back in Black. Released on 15 August 1980 by Albert and Atlantic Records, the song was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson, and produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange. It was recorded between April and May 1980 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.

Musically, “You Shook Me All Night Long” is a classic hard rock song built around a memorable guitar riff, driving rhythm section, and Brian Johnson’s raspy lead vocal. The main instruments include lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, drums, and backing vocals. The recording features Brian Johnson on lead vocals, Angus Young on lead guitar, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Cliff Williams on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Phil Rudd on drums, with Mutt Lange also contributing production and backing vocals.

The song is especially important because it was AC/DC’s first single with Brian Johnson as lead singer, following the death of former vocalist Bon Scott in February 1980. As part of Back in Black, it helped introduce Johnson’s voice to the band’s global audience and became one of the most enduring songs from the post-Bon Scott era.

Compositionally, “You Shook Me All Night Long” is written in G major, with the main verse and riff following a simple but powerful G–C–D chord progression. That straightforward structure, combined with Angus Young’s sharp guitar work and the band’s tight groove, helped make the song accessible, memorable, and ideal for live performance.

Commercially, the song reached No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 and was later re-released internationally in 1986 after appearing on the soundtrack album Who Made Who. Over time, its popularity grew far beyond its original chart peak, and it has become a staple of AC/DC concerts.

One curiosity about “You Shook Me All Night Long” is the debate around its lyrics. Although the official writing credit goes to Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson, several people connected to Bon Scott have claimed that some lyrical ideas may have originated from Scott’s notebooks or earlier lines. The article presents these claims as part of the song’s long-running controversy, but the official credits remain unchanged.

Another interesting detail is that the song has two music videos. The first was made in the style of other Back in Black videos, while the second was directed by David Mallet and released around the 1986 Who Made Who reissue. The later video features Angus Young in his famous schoolboy outfit and includes a humorous storyline set in Huddersfield, England.

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She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman that I ever seen
She had the sightless eyes, telling me no lies
Knocking me out with those American thighs

Taking more than her share, had me fighting for air
She told me to come, but I was already there
'Cause the walls start shaking, the Earth was quaking
My mind was aching and we were making it

And you
Shook me all night long
Yeah, you
Shook me all night long

Working double-time on the seduction line
She's one of a kind, she's just a-mine, all mine
Wanted no applause, just another course
Made a meal outta me and come back for more

Had to cool me down to take another round
Now I'm back in the ring to take another swing
That the walls were shaking, the Earth was quaking
My mind was aching and we were making it

And you
Shook me all night long
Yeah, you
Shook me all night long

It knocked me out that you
Shook me all night long
It had me shaking and you
Shook me all night long

Yeah
You shook me
Well, you took me

You really took me and you
Shook me all night long
Ah, you
Shook me all night long

Yeah, yeah, you
Shook me all night long
You really got me and you
Shook me all night long

Yeah, you shook me
Yeah, you shook me
All night long

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