Which AC/DC album is the second best-selling album of all time?

AC/DC’s Back in Black is commonly recognized as the second best-selling album of all time. Released in 1980, it is generally ranked behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller and is estimated to have sold about 50 million copies worldwide.

The album was AC/DC’s first to feature Brian Johnson, who joined after the death of original singer Bon Scott in February 1980. Rather than ending the band, Scott’s death led the remaining members to recruit Johnson and record a tribute shaped by grief. The album’s all-black cover was designed as a sign of mourning.

Recorded in the Bahamas with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, Back in Black produced enduring songs including “Hells Bells,” “Shoot to Thrill,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and its title track. Its success transformed AC/DC from a major hard-rock act into a global stadium band.

The ranking can vary slightly because worldwide album sales are estimates and historical certification systems differ by country. Still, in standard music-history references and quiz settings, Back in Black is the canonical answer to the “second best-selling album” question. The other options are important AC/DC albums, but none approaches its reported worldwide sales.