Now in our series on directions we come to ‘back’ which will undoubtedly prove to be a rich source of songs. Indeed I am already planning for ‘Back 2’ as tomorrow’s post. So then let’s see what our researches can uncover.
“Back in the U.S.A.” is a song written by Chuck Berry that was released in 1959 and was a top 40 hit. A cover version in 1978 by Linda Ronstadt was also a hit. Chuck Berry first issued the song on Chess Records as a single which reached number 37 in the Billboard. It also reached number 16 on the R&B chart.
“Back in the U.S.S.R.” is a song by the Beatles and the first track of the 1968 White Album. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, the song is a parody of Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA.” and the Beach Boys’ “California Girls”. The lyrics subvert Berry’s patriotic sentiments about the United States, as the narrator expresses relief upon returning home to the Soviet Union, formally the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
“Don’t Look Back” is a song written by Tom Scholz that was first released by Boston in 1978 as the title track to their second album, Don’t Look Back. It reached #4 on the Billboard, making it one of the band’s biggest hits. Although the first song on the album, “Don’t Look Back” was the final song to be written and recorded.
“Back in Black” is a song by Australian band AC/DC. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album of the same name in 1980 through Atlantic Records. It is notable for its opening guitar riff. The song was written as a tribute to their former singer Bon Scott, who died in February 1980. In 1981, it reached number 37 on the Billboard. In 2012, it reached number 65 in Australia and number 27 in the United Kingdom. It is the band’s first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott.
“Back on the Chain Gang” is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and originally recorded by her band the Pretenders, and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. The song also was included on the Pretenders’ next album, Learning to Crawl, in January 1984. “Back on the Chain Gang” reached No. 5 on the Billboard, becoming the band’s biggest hit in the U.S. It also reached No. 17 in the UK. The single’s flip side, “My City Was Gone”, later became a substantial hit in the U.S., with lyrics about Ohio.
“I Won’t Back Down” is a song by American rock musician Tom Petty. It was released in April 1989 as the lead single from his first solo album, Full Moon Fever. The song was co-written by Petty and Jeff Lynne, also his writing partner for the album. It reached number 12 on the Billboard and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks, starting the album’s road to multi-platinum status.
