Here's Why The Song In Applebee's Irresist-A-Bowls Commercial Is So Familiar
Applebee's marketing department really knows what they're doing. They've created new ads to announce the return of their Irresist-A-Bowls entrees, five dishes with flavors like Chicken and Spinach Alfredo, Crispy Orange Chicken, and Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl, and they smartly used an instantly recognizable, hugely popular, and iconic riff to get ears buzzing and taste buds salivating. Any classic rock fan would recognize the song immediately, from the very first note.
But if you're a younger music fan or you're not so familiar with the classic rock genre... get yourself a music education, stat! Just kidding. But seriously, you're missing out. There's so much great music in classic rock, and this song is from one of its major players — and a band that is still releasing new music, long after starting their career in the early 1970s.
Even if you're not a rock music fan, chances are pretty high that you've heard this famous song. It's been played in lots of commercials, movies, and TV shows for decades — especially if they're announcing the return of something or if someone is coming back, and wearing the color black — since it hit the charts in 1980. Let's take a look at a few of the myriad reasons why you might recognize this famous song.
AC/DC's rock anthem shows up in many places
No rock music fan worth their salt would admit to not knowing this song. It's the classic "Back in Black" from Australian band AC/DC. The 5-person group formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, the latter in his iconic schoolboy uniform. They've had lots of massive hits, from "Highway to Hell" to "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," to their latest song, "Shot in the Dark," from their 2020 album, "Power Up."
"Back in Black" is the title track from their seventh studio album, released in July 1980 as an homage to former-lead-singer Bon Scott, who died from alcohol poisoning only five months earlier. As Guitar World put it, the title track was "a statement of invincibility" that became an instant hit. The record is the fourth best-selling album of all time, per Business Insider, and its title track is the band's most-streamed song, according to Official Charts.
The list of commercial ventures where the rock anthem appears is extensive. Teams like the Iowa Hawkeyes and events like World Championship Boxing and World Championship Snooker have all used the track. It's heard in everything from superhero movies to family fare, like "Iron Man," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Megamind," "School of Rock," even "The Muppets" and "The Smurfs." It's been seen in television episodes of "The Sopranos," "Cobra Kai" (whose episode title matches), "Supernatural," and even "VeggieTales." The Beastie Boys even sampled it, without permission, in their 1984 song "Rock Hard." Now you know!