The Last in Line
The Last In Line is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Dio, released on July 2, 1984. It is the first Dio album to feature former Rough Cutt keyboardist Claude Schnell. It became the band's highest-charting album in both the UK and the U.S., reaching number 4 and number 23, respectively.
Reissues
The album, along with Holy Diver and Sacred Heart, was released in a new 2-CD Deluxe Edition on March 19, 2012 through Universal for worldwide distribution outside the U.S.Critical reception
In 2005, The Last In Line was ranked number 372 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.Track listing
All lyrics written by Ronnie James Dio, music as stated.Personnel
;Dio- Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals
- Vivian Campbell – guitar
- Jimmy Bain – bass
- Claude Schnell - keyboards
- Vinny Appice – drums, percussion
- Recorded at Caribou Ranch, Colorado, USA
- Produced by Ronnie James Dio
- Engineered by Angelo Arcuri
- Assistant engineering by Rich Markowitz
- Mixed on Westlake Audio BBSM6 monitors
- Originally mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York, USA
- Remastered by Andy Pearce
- Remastered by Steve Hoffman
- Illustration by Barry Jackson
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1984 | UK Albums Chart | 4 |
| 1984 | Swedish Albums Chart | 6 |
| 1984 | Norwegian Albums Chart | 7 |
| 1984 | GfK Dutch Charts | 11 |
| 1984 | German Albums Chart | 23 |
| 1984 | Billboard 200 | 23 |
| 1984 | RPM100 Albums | 51 |
| 2012 | Oricon Japanese Albums Charts | 154 |
;Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
| 1984 | "Mystery" | Mainstream Rock | 20 |
| 1984 | "Mystery" | UK Singles Chart | 34 |
| 1984 | "We Rock" | Mainstream Rock | 14 |
| 1984 | "We Rock" | UK Singles Chart | 42 |
| 1984 | "The Last in Line" | Mainstream Rock | 10 |
Certifications
It was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.In the UK, it attained Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as Holy Diver. To date, these are the only two Dio albums to be so certified.