"Are You Ready"
Single by AC/DC
from the album The Razors Edge
B-side"Got You by the Balls"
Released28 March 1991 (1991-03-28)
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
AC/DC singles chronology
"Moneytalks"
(1990) 		"Are You Ready"
(1991) 		"Highway to Hell (live)"
(1992)
Music video
"Are You Ready" on YouTube

"Are You Ready" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is featured on the band's 1990 album The Razors Edge. A live version of the song recorded on the tour of the same name appeared on one of AC/DC's two live albums of 1992, Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition. The song peaked at number one in New Zealand, becoming the band's only number-one hit there, and has been certified gold for sales exceeding 5,000. The song also peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, number six in Ireland, number 14 in Finland, and number 18 in Australia. Music & Media magazine called the song "the best example of a rhetorical question".[1] "Are You Ready" was used as the official theme for WWE SmackDown on Fox.[2]

Music video

The music video to this song, directed by David Mallet,[3] shows prisoners attending an AC/DC mini-concert at their prison. One prisoner is being dressed up to get ready for the band to play the song. Guards shave his head nearly bald, leaving hairs that make up AC/DC's logo, the one similar to the cover of the band's music video tape, Clipped. The video was filmed at Bray Studios (UK), with those portraying the prisoners having responded to an open invitation broadcast by Tommy Vance during his Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1 a few days earlier. Respondents were instructed to make their way to Baker Street in London, where they were issued their 'uniforms' and transported by coach to Bray.

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single[4][5]

  1. "Are You Ready"
  2. "Got You by the Balls"

Australian 12-inch and CD single[8][9]

  1. "Are You Ready" – 4:10
  2. "Got You by the Balls" – 4:29
  3. "D.T." – 2:59
  4. "Chase the Ace" – 3:00

European 12-inch and CD single[10][11]

  1. "Are You Ready" – 4:10
  2. "Got You by the Balls" – 4:29
  3. "The Razors Edge" – 4:22

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[21] Gold 5,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 28 March 1991 Limited-edition 7-inch single ATCO [12]
15 April 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [22]
Australia 26 April 1991 CD [12]

References

  1. ^ "New Releases – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 17. 27 April 1991. p. 12. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  2. ^ "WWE reveals new logos, graphics and theme songs for Raw and SmackDown shows". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. ^ mvdbase.com – AC/DC – "Are you ready?"
  4. ^ Are You Ready (UK 7-inch single sleeve). AC/DC. ATCO Records. 1991. B 8830, 7567-98830-7.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Are You Ready (Australian cassette single sleeve). AC/DC. Albert Productions. 1991. 656810 4.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Are You Ready (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). AC/DC. ATCO Records. 1991. B8830X, 7567-98825-7.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Are You Ready (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). AC/DC. ATCO Records. 1991. B8830W, 7567-98825-9.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Are You Ready (Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). AC/DC. Albert Productions. 1991. 656810 6.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Are You Ready (Australian CD single disc notes). AC/DC. Albert Productions. 1991. 656810 2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Are You Ready (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). AC/DC. ATCO Records. 1991. B8830T, 7567-96361-0.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Are You Ready (European CD single liner notes). AC/DC. ATCO Records. 1991. B8830CD, 7567-96361-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ a b c "AC/DC – Are You Ready". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 19. 11 May 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  14. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  15. ^ "AC/DC – Are You Ready" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Are You Ready". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  17. ^ "AC/DC – Are You Ready". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  19. ^ "AC DC Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  20. ^ "End of Year Charts 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  21. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – AC/DC – Are You Ready". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  22. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 13 April 1991. p. 19.
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