“It kicks all those albums’ asses”: Jack Black picks his favourite AC/DC album
The significant difference between Christian rock festivals and standard rock festivals is that in the former, music is an accompaniment to religion, while in the latter, music is religion. The bearded actor and musician Jack Black is the last person one could envisage rocking out at a Christian rock fest, but the very first one can imagine headbanging to AC/DC with his tongue stuck out and the rock-on hand sign skyward.
When addressing his spirituality in a past interview, Black suggested that, beyond Black Sabbath Satanism, he lives a mostly secular lifestyle. “I don’t have any real spirituality in my life – I’m kind of an atheist – but when music can take me to the highest heights, it’s almost like a spiritual feeling,” he said. “It fills that void for me”.
Black is remembered for a broad range of roles, usually within the realm of comedy. Whether bringing Po to life in Kung-Fu Panda or wooing Kate Winslet in The Holiday, Black always brings his endearing charm to the fore. His characters may vary, but a crucial core of Black’s true personality always shines through.
Undoubtedly, Black’s most famous and widely applauded movie role was in Richard Linklater’s School of Rock. One could say Black was made for the role, but in reality, the reverse is more accurate. Mike White wrote the screenplay with Black in mind to play Dewey Finn, and the production team has suggested on several occasions that the movie wouldn’t have been made without him.
As Finn poses as a supply teacher, he begins training his students to play rock music in an attempt to win an upcoming Battle of the Bands competition. The character made his taste for classic hard rock apparent throughout, playing classic solos by Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, AC/DC and The Doors to a wall of initially unimpressed students.
White certainly did his research when creating the character for Black since the bands mentioned and played throughout mirror the actor’s real-life tastes. As a longtime fan of Black Sabbath, Black adores the early Ozzy Osbourne material, once picking out ‘War Pigs’ as an overall favourite by the band. However, he later admitted to being an even bigger fan of the band’s latter chapter, fronted by American vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2000, Black discussed some of his favourite albums of the 20th century. Alongside his love for more recent masterpieces by Radiohead and Pixies, he reaffirmed his adoration for Black Sabbath and AC/DC. Seemingly unable to pick a single Sabbath studio album, he wound up selecting a compilation, We Sold Our Souls for Rock ‘N’ Roll. That way, he could highlight moments with two of his favourite metal vocalists instead of one.
If selecting a compilation album shook up the system, which usually favours studio releases, Black made an even bigger impression at the end of his list. Having named his five favourites, he suddenly remembered that AC/DC existed. “I can’t believe I left out AC/DC’s Back in Black! It kicks all those albums’ asses,” he blurted out. “Can you make that five and a half? No, put it like fuckin’ zero — it comes ahead of one.”
Black’s love for Black Sabbath and Back in Black seems to suggest a deepened connection to any music that bears his family name. Either way, he has a fine taste in hard rock music. Back in Black, released in 1980, was AC/DC’s first album with Brian Johnson front and centre following the tragic death of Bon Scott. With enduring hits like ‘Back in Black’, ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ and ‘Hells Bells’, the album ensured a future for the band in a moment of uncertainty.
