How Much Music

Song

Back in Black

AC/DC · Back in Black · 1980

low confidence

editorial meaning/overview is present + related listening context is present. Why?

Back in Black by AC/DC

Short Answer

How much money does Back in Black make?

Back in Black by AC/DC earns an estimated $800K-$2.5M/year per year from streaming, licensing, and long-tail catalog replay value.

The song still reads as an evergreen catalog asset roughly 46 years after release.

Back in Black remains a perpetual rock-catalog earner because the riff is still one of the most reusable in sports and media culture.

Did You Know?

  • Currently ranks around the top 16% of tracked songs by modeled artist-side earnings
  • Released in 1980 and still shows earnings power roughly 46 years later
  • Ranks #1 among 2 tracked songs for AC/DC
  • 2 tracks on the linked album page
  • External listening links available
  • low confidence estimate

Back in Black sits in the top 16% of tracked songs on the site by modeled artist-side earnings.

Last updated: April 2026

Back in Black vs Similar Songs

Song Artist Estimated yearly midpoint
Back in Black AC/DC $1,650,000
You Shook Me All Night Long
same artist · same album
AC/DC $1,150,000
Sweet Child O' Mine
same genre · similar earnings band
Guns N' Roses $1,850,000
November Rain
same genre · similar earnings band
Guns N' Roses $1,400,000

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Amazon Music

Why It Still Works

  • classic-rock streaming
  • sports and media use
  • playlist longevity

AC/DC benefits when one recording stays useful across streaming, memory, and licensing contexts long after the release campaign ends.

More Questions About Back in Black

How much did Back in Black make in total?

Back in Black does not have a public lifetime total, so this page stays focused on modeled annual earnings instead of claiming an audited career total.

How much does Back in Black make per stream?

Back in Black does not have a single public per-stream rate because payouts vary by platform, territory, subscription tier, and contract structure. The estimate here is modeled from aggregate streaming, licensing, and catalog behavior instead.

Who owns Back in Black?

Back in Black by AC/DC is modeled from the best available catalog and platform signals, but the exact master and publishing splits are not fully public.

Show ownership and assumptions

Back in Black by AC/DC is modeled from the best available catalog and platform signals, but the exact master and publishing splits are not fully public.

Supporting Revenue Context

  • classic-rock streaming
  • sports and media use
  • playlist longevity
  • Lifetime estimate: The strongest catalog songs can continue to earn for many years if they remain easy to place, easy to remember, and easy to replay.

Modeled top-line estimate

The headline number is a modeled annual revenue range because a specific artist-side split is not available yet.

  • Gross track revenue is not shown separately here, so the page emphasizes the best available directional estimate.
  • Ownership context is incomplete here, so the estimate should be treated as directional rather than contract-precise.
  • All figures are annual modeled ranges based on streaming behavior, cultural replay value, sync potential, and available ownership information, not public royalty statements.

Read the full site methodology.