AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of albumThe Razors Edge (1990); it was their only record to feature Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting withBallbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album,Black Ice, was the second highest-selling record of 2008 and their highest chart peak sinceFor Those About to Rock, eventually reaching number one worldwide. The band's line-up remained the same for 20 years until 2014, when Malcolm retired due to early-onsetdementia, from which he died three years later; additionally, Rudd was charged with threatening to kill and possession ofmethamphetamine andcannabis. Angus and Malcolm's nephew,Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm and debuted on the albumRock or Bust (2014). On theaccompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016,Guns N' Roses singerAxl Rose replaced Johnson for the rest of the tour dates due to a risk of hearing loss. Williams retired at the end of the tour and the band entered a two-year hiatus. A reunion of theRock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020; the band's seventeenth studio album,Power Up, was released two months later.Its supporting tour was announced in February 2024, with drummerMatt Laug and bassistChris Chaney replacing Rudd and Williams, though both remain official members.
History
1973–1974: Formation and name
AC/DC were formed in the Australian pop music scene of the early to mid-1970s,[1] which is described as thethird wave of rock music.[2] Many local 1960s artists – e.g.,the Easybeats andthe Masters Apprentices, had attempted to gain international recognition but achieved limited commercial success overseas and disbanded after returning to Australia.[3][4] Newer artists and veterans of the 1960sbeat boom developed a variety of genres, which included a harder blues rock style dubbedpub rock.[2] Popular Australian bands – e.g.,Sherbet andSkyhooks, played mainstream pop or adopted aglam rock approach.[5][6]
In November 1973, brothersMalcolm andAngus Young formed AC/DC inSydney with drummerColin Burgess from the Masters Apprentices, bass guitaristLarry Van Kriedt and vocalistDave Evans.[1][7] Earlier, Malcolm and Evans had been members of a band called Velvet Underground – notthe American group of the same name – based inNewcastle for two years,[1] and Angus started his own band called Tantrum – he would only jam with his friends.[8] The Young brothers had joinedMarcus Hook Roll Band, astudio-only band, in 1973,[9] which provided their first recordings for their debut album,Tales of Old Grand-Daddy (1974),[10] although the pair left before it was issued. Before formation, Malcolm teamed with ex-Velvet Underground bass guitarist Mick Sheffzick and Burgess for his proposed group. Van Kriedt took over from Sheffzick for bass guitar,[11] then Evans responded to an ad inthe Sydney Morning Herald and then Angus joined after passing an audition.[12]
The band's logo was designed in 1977 byGerard Huerta. It first appeared on the international version ofLet There Be Rock.
Upon formation, Malcolm and Angus developed the band's name after their sister Margaret pointed out the symbol "AC/DC" on theAC adapter of her sewing machine.[7]A.C./D.C. is an abbreviation foralternating current/direct current electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy and the power-driven performances of their music.[13] It is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as Acca Dacca in Australia.[1][14] The AC/DC band name is stylised with a lightning bolt separating the AC from DC and has been used on all studio albums, except the international version ofDirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Their logo was designed by American typographerGerard Huerta in 1977 and first appeared onLet There Be Rock. Adam Behr ofThe Bulletin explained, "[its] type font conveyed the sense of electricity implicit in their name."[15]
AC/DC's first official gig was at Chequers nightclub in Sydney on 31 December 1973.[7] For about 18 months, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit. Angus tried various costumes:Zorro, a gorilla, andSuperman.[16][17] Their performances involvedcover versions ofthe Rolling Stones,Chuck Berry,the Beatles and "smattering of old blues standards" while trialling some original songs.[7] Angus first wore his characteristicschool-uniform stage outfit in April 1974 atVictoria Park, Sydney; the idea was Margaret's.[1][16] He portrayed a boy "straight from school to play his guitar."[8] On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced on lead vocals by their first manager, Denis Loughlin from Sherbet.[1] InPaul Stenning's bookAC/DC: Two Sides to Every Glory, he states that Evans and Loughlin were clashing and as a consequence, other members developed bitter feelings towards Evans.[18]
The group recorded a session in January 1974 atEMI Studios in Sydney, withVanda & Young –George Young andHarry Vanda – as the producers; both were former members of the Easybeats and Marcus Hook Roll Band.[7][19] George is Angus and Malcolm's older brother. Several songs were recorded, including "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl", "Rockin' in the Parlour" and an early version of "Rock 'n' Roll Singer".[20] A week after the session, Burgess was fired due to intoxication; he was unconscious during a performance.[1][21] Subsequently, Van Kriedt was replaced;[1][22] his recorded bass lines for the January session were re-recorded by George.[1] Their replacements, Neil Smith on bass guitar and Noel Taylor on drums, lasted six weeks, replaced in turn byRob Bailey andPeter Clack, respectively.[7][23] The band signed withAlbert Productions in June 1974.[1] "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl", backed with "Rockin' in the Parlour", taken from the January session, was released on 22 July 1974 as the band's first single.[24] The song reached the top 50 on Australia'sKent Music Report singles chart.[25]
The group had developed a strong live reputation by mid-1974, which resulted in a supporting slot onLou Reed's national tour in August.[7] During that tour, Malcolm switched to rhythm guitar, leaving Angus on lead guitar – the roles the two guitarists played from then on.[26] During 1974, on the recommendation ofMichael Chugg, veteran Melbourne promoter Michael Browning booked them to play at his club, the Hard Rock Cafe.[27] He was not pleased with their glam rock image and felt that Evans was the wrong singer, but he was impressed by the Young brothers' guitar playing.[28] Browning then received a call weeks after the Hard Rock gig from Malcolm: Loughlin had quit and they were stuck inAdelaide with no money.[29] They hired Browning as their manager in November 1974, with the cooperation of George and Harry Vanda.[1][30] The Young brothers decided to abandon their glam rock image; instead, they pursued a pub rock sound.[31] To this end, they agreed that Evans was no longer a suitable frontman.[18]
1974–1976: Bon Scott joins
Bon Scott (pictured in 1979) joined as the lead singer in 1974.
In September 1974,Bon Scott, a vocalist previously withthe Valentines (1966–1970) andFraternity (1971–1973),[7] joined AC/DC after his former bandmateVince Lovegrove introduced him to George during their stopover in Adelaide in August.[8][32] Scott worked as a chauffeur for the group until an audition promoted him to lead singer.[33] Like the Young brothers, Scott was born in Scotland, emigrated to Australia in his childhood and had a passion for blues music. Scott also had experience as a songwriter and drummer.[8] Their debut single's tracks were re-written and the vocals were re-recorded by Scott. With Scott's inclusion, "[their] working-class style,boogie-rock sound and earthy humour fell into place", according to music journalistIan McFarlane.[7] Scott's first concert for AC/DC was on 5 October 1974 at the Masonic Hall inBrighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales.[34]
AC/DC recorded their first studio album,High Voltage, in November 1974 with Vanda & Young producing atAlbert Studios in Sydney.[1] Bailey and Clack were still in the band during its recording, but Clack played on only one track, and the rest were provided by session drummerTony Currenti. George handled some bass parts and later redid others.[1][8] Recording sessions took ten days and were based on instrumentals written by the Young brothers with lyrics added by Scott.[35] They relocated to Melbourne that month.[1] Both Bailey and Clack were fired in January 1975.[1]Paul Matters took over bass duties briefly before being fired in turn and replaced temporarily by George or Malcolm for live duties.[7] Matters had disagreements with the Young brothers' decisions.[22] Meanwhile, on drums, Ron Carpenter and Russell Coleman had brief tenures beforePhil Rudd, fromBuster Brown, joined in that month.[1] Bass guitaristMark Evans was enlisted in March 1975, setting the line-up which lasted two years.[7]
McFarlane observed, "[their] initial achievement was to take the raw energy of Aussie pub rock, extend its basic guidelines, serve it up to a teenybopCountdown audience and still reap the benefits of the live circuit by packing out the pubs."[7] They released their second studio albumT.N.T. (1975), in Australasia only,[7] its tracks were recorded with Evans and Rudd except for two tracks, which used Currenti and George. It peaked at number two in Australia and the top 40 in New Zealand.[25][38] Its second single, "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (December 1975), had a well-known promotional video made for theABC-TV pop music programmeCountdown,[39] featuring the band miming the song on the back of a flatbed truck.[40] The single reached the top ten in Australia.[25] Thetitle track was issued as a single in March 1976 and includes the lyric "so lock up your daughter", which was modified into their first United Kingdom tour's name.[41]
1976–1977: Initial success and record deal
Scott (centre) pictured with Angus (left) and bass guitaristCliff Williams (back), performing inBelfast in 1979
Browning sent promo material to contacts in London, which came to the attention ofPhil Carson ofAtlantic Records. AC/DC signed an international deal with Atlantic in 1976.[7] On their arrival in London in April,[8] their scheduled tour withBack Street Crawler was cancelled due to the death of that group's guitarist,Paul Kossoff.[1] As a result, AC/DC returned to playing smaller venues to build a local following until their label organised the Lock Up Your Daughters tour sponsored bySounds magazine, starting in June 1976.[41] At the time,punk rock was breaking and came to dominate the pages of major British music weeklies, includingNME andMelody Maker. AC/DC were sometimes identified with the punk rock movement by the British press, but they hated punk rock, believing it to be a passing fad. Browning wrote that "it wasn't possible to even hold a conversation with AC/DC about punk without them getting totally pissed off".[42]
The first AC/DC album to have worldwide distribution was a 1976 combination of tracks taken from theHigh Voltage andT.N.T.LPs.[7] Also titledHigh Voltage, it was released through Atlantic in May 1976,[7] eventually going on to sell over three million copies in the US by 2005.[43] The track selection was heavily weighted towards the more recentT.N.T., including only two songs from their first LP.[44] Their third studio album,Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in September–November 1976,[b] in both Australian and European versions.[47][48] Track listings varied worldwide; the international version of the album included theT.N.T. track "Rocker", which had previously not been released internationally.[49] The original Australian version included "Jailbreak". This was later more readily available on the 1984 compilationextended play'74 Jailbreak,[50] or as a live version on 1992'sLive.[51]Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was not released in North America until 2 April 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.[52]
After a brief tour of Sweden, they returned to London, where they set new attendance records during their residency at theMarquee.[1][53] They continued to tour throughout Europe and then Australia. In January 1977, they started recording their fourth studio album,Let There Be Rock.[c] Early the same year, they returned to Britain and began a European tour withBlack Sabbath. While Scott andOzzy Osbourne quickly became friends, other members of each group were less cordial. In one incident,Geezer Butler allegedly pulled aswitchblade at Malcolm during their show in Sweden in April. Accounts of the incident differ, but AC/DC were taken off the rest of the tour.[56]
1977–1980: Cliff Williams joins and death of Bon Scott
Cliff Williams (pictured in 1981) joined as bass guitarist in 1977.
In May 1977, Mark Evans was fired. This was due to "musical differences" and personality clashes with Angus.[1] He was replaced on bass guitar byCliff Williams, a former member of the UK bandsHome (1970–1974) andBandit (1976).[7] Scott explained that Williams was more experienced, while Malcolm wanted a bass guitarist and backing vocalist.[57] Evans' autobiography,Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC/DC.[58]
AC/DC's first American radio exposure was through Bill Bartlett at Jacksonville stationWPDQ-FM/WAIV-FM in 1975.[59] Two years later, they played their first concert there, as a support act for Canadian groupMoxy in Austin, Texas, on 27 July 1977.[60] From booking agent Doug Thaler of American Talent International and the management of Leber-Krebs, they experienced the country's stadium circuit, supporting rock actsTed Nugent,Aerosmith,Kiss,Styx,UFO andBlue Öyster Cult; they co-headlined withCheap Trick. AC/DC released their fifth studio album,Powerage, on 5 May 1978.[61] The sole single fromPowerage was "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" (June 1978).[7] An appearance atThe Apollo, Glasgow, during the Powerage Tour was recorded and released asIf You Want Blood You've Got It (1978).[62]
A bronze statue of Bon Scott inFremantle, Western Australia
In 1979, the group recorded their sixth studio album,Highway to Hell, with producerRobert John "Mutt" Lange,[63] which was issued on 27 July 1979.[64] It became their first album to reach the top 20 theBillboard 200, eventually peaking at number 17,[65] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[66]Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical towards more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featuring AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving back-beats.[67]
In February 1980, the members began to work on their seventh studio album,Back in Black, with Scott on drums instead of vocals.[68] On 18 February, Scott passed out in a car driven by his friend Alistair Kinnear after a night of drinking atThe Music Machine inCamden Town, London.[69] According to police, Kinnear left Scott in the car overnight to sleep off the alcohol effects.[70] Unable to wake Scott early on the evening of 19 February, Kinnear rushed him toKing's College Hospital, Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival.[69] The official cause of death was "acute alcohol poisoning".[71] Scott's family buried him inFremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[72]
1980–1983: Brian Johnson joins and rebirth
Brian Johnson (pictured in 2008) joined as a lead singer in 1980.
Following Scott's death, the members briefly considered quitting. Scott's parents advised the members that he would have wanted them to carry on, so they decided to continue and sought a new vocalist.[73]Fat Lip vocalist Allan Fryer, ex-Rick Wakeman vocalistGary Pickford-Hopkins,[74] and the Easybeats' singerStevie Wright were touted by the press as possible replacements.[1][75] Various other candidates were considered by the group: ex-Moxy memberBuzz Shearman, who was unable to join due to voice issues,[76]Slade vocalistNoddy Holder,[77] and ex-Back Street Crawler vocalistTerry Slesser.[78] During their auditions, the group brought in ex-Geordie singerBrian Johnson, who impressed the group.[68][79] Johnson sangIke & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits" and then "Whole Lotta Rosie" fromLet There Be Rock.[80][81] After they worked through the rest of the applicants in the following days, Johnson returned for a second audition.[82] Angus later recalled that Scott himself had praised Johnson's singing.[83]
On 29 March 1980, Malcolm offered Johnson a place in the band, much to the singer's surprise.[84] Out of respect for Scott, the band wanted a vocalist who would not be an imitator. In addition to his distinctive voice, demeanour and love of classic soul and blues music, the group were impressed by Johnson's engaging personality.[1][7] Johnson was officially announced as the lead singer of AC/DC on 1 April.[85] With Johnson, the group completed the songwriting previously begun with Scott forBack in Black. Recording took place atCompass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. Produced by Lange and recorded byTony Platt, it became thesecond best-selling album of all time and a hard rock landmark. Its singles are "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" andthe title track. The album peaked at number one in the UK,[86] and number four in the US, where it spent 612 weeks on theBillboard 200 chart.[65] It also reached the top spot in Australia,[25] Canada,[87] and France.[88]
AC/DC released their first theatricalconcert film,AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, which was recorded on 9 December 1979 in Paris during theirHighway to Hell Tour on 1 September 1980. It was produced and directed by Eric Dionysius and Eric Mistler and distributed byWarner Bros.[89] The band's eighth studio album,For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was released on 23 November 1981.[90] It was their first number-one album on theBillboard 200,[65] and it also reached the top three in Australia and Germany.[25][91] It received mixed reviews from critics.[92] Two singles were issued: "Let's Get It Up" andthe title track, which peaked at number 13 and number 15 in the UK, respectively.[86]
Instead of Lange, their ninth studio album,Flick of the Switch (1983), was produced by the group's members themselves.[93] It was a return to the rawness and simplicity of their early albums, but received mixed reviews and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable;[94] one critic stated that they "had made the same album nine times".[95]Flick of the Switch eventually reached number four on the UK charts,[86] and the top five in Australia,[25] and Finland.[96] AC/DC had minor success with the single "Guns for Hire", reaching number 84 on theBillboard Hot 100.[97] Rudd has had long-term drug and alcohol addictions.[98] His friendship with Malcolm had deteriorated and eventually escalated into a physical confrontation, after which Rudd was fired partway through theFlick of the Switch sessions in mid-1983.[99] Rudd was replaced by ex-A II Z drummerSimon Wright in July 1983, after they held over 700 auditions in the US and UK.[100]Simon Kirke andPaul Thompson were two drummers who auditioned.[101]
The band's tenth studio album,Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985,[19] was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[102] A concept music video ofthe same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.[103] In 1986, the group returned to the top 20 on singles charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who", reaching number nine in Australia and number 16 in the UK.[104] The associated albumWho Made Who is the soundtrack toStephen King's filmMaximum Overdrive;[105] it brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long", with a few new songs – the title track and two instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".[106]
Stevie Young (pictured in 2016) joined as a touring rhythm guitarist in 1988, then joined as a permanent member in 2014.
In February 1988, both AC/DC and Vanda & Young were inducted into theAustralian Recording Industry Association's inauguralHall of Fame.[107] The group's eleventh studio album,Blow Up Your Video, released in 1988, was recorded atStudio Miraval inLe Val, France, with Vanda & Young as producers.[19][108] The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive "filler",[109] it was a commercial success:Blow Up Your Video reached number two on the UK charts and Australia, AC/DC's highest position sinceBack in Black in 1980.[25][86] It provided an Australian top-five and UK top-twenty single, "Heatseeker", and "That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll".[25][86]
Malcolm performing for the "Thunderstruck" music video in 1990
TheBlow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988 inPerth, Australia. In April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm announced that he was taking time off from the North American legs of the tour, principally to deal with his alcoholism. Angus and Malcolm's nephew,Stevie Young, temporarily replaced Malcolm on guitar.[7] In 1989, Wright left the group to work on British heavy metal bandDio's fifth studio album,Lock Up the Wolves (1990); he was replaced by drummerChris Slade, who has played with ex-Thin Lizzy guitaristGary Moore, before joining.[7][19] Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce, so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases throughPower Up in 2020.[110]
Several shows on the 1991Razors Edge World Tour were recorded for the 1992 live album,AC/DC Live. It was produced by Fairbairn and was called one of the best live albums of the 1990s by Barry Weber ofAllMusic.[122] AC/DC headlined theMonsters of Rock show during this tour, which was released as a video album,Live at Donington, in 1992. During the tour, three fans were killed at a concert at theSalt Palace inSalt Lake City on 18 January 1991, when they were crushed and fell to the floor at the beginning of the show.[123] It took 26 minutes before venue security and group members understood the severity of the situation and halted the concert. AC/DC settled out of court with the victims' families.[124][125] In September 1991, AC/DC performed in Moscow for the Monsters of Rock festival in front of 1.6 million people. It was the first open-air rock concert to be held in the formerSoviet Union.[126]
AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" in 1993 for the soundtrack ofArnold Schwarzenegger's filmLast Action Hero. Released as a single, it reached number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band's first number-one single on that chart.[118] Pacific Gameworks proposed abeat 'em up video game for theAtari Jaguar CD in 1994,AC/DC: Defenders of Metal, which would have featured the group's crew; however, production never started.[127] Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to severaljam sessions during 1994; he was eventually rehired due to Slade resigning.[128] Recording began in October 1994 atRecord Plant Studios in New York City. After 10 weeks of recording, they moved toOcean Way Studios in Los Angeles, in February 1995,[129][130] and finished recording in May.[129] On 22 September, their thirteenth studio album,Ballbreaker, was released,[131][129] which reached number one in Australia,[132] Sweden,[133] and Switzerland.[133]
In November 1997, a box set,Bonfire, was released.[134] It contained four albums: aremastered version ofBack in Black,Volts – a disc with alternative takes, outtakes and stray live cuts recorded with Scott – and two live albums,Live from the Atlantic Studios andLet There Be Rock: The Movie.Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at theAtlantic Studios in New York.Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in December 1979 at thePavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack ofAC/DC: Let There Be Rock (1980).[135][136]
AC/DC recorded their fourteenth studio album,Stiff Upper Lip, in 1999, which was produced by George atThe Warehouse Studio in Vancouver. Released in February 2000, it was better received by critics thanBallbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[137][138] Thetitle track was issued as a single in January 2000, which remained at number one on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[118] The other singles, "Satellite Blues" and "Safe in New York City", reached number one and number seven, respectively, on the same chart.[118] The band signed a long-term, multi-album deal withSony Music in December 2002,[139] which issued their remasters series.[140] In 2003, the entire back catalogue – exceptBallbreaker andStiff Upper Lip – was remastered and reissued.[141]Ballbreaker andStiff Upper Lip were reissued in the UK in 2004.[142] Later in 2003, AC/DC were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band's 2003 lineup (Johnson, Williams, Rudd, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young), in addition to Scott, were the inductees. Notably, former bassist Mark Evans (who appeared on four albums in the 1970s) was initially announced as an inductee, but six weeks after the announcement, his inclusion was quietly omitted.[143][144]
The group performed atMolson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, supporting the Rolling Stones, withRush and other artists, on 30 July 2003. The benefit concert assisted the city's tourism industry, which was negatively impacted by the 2003severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. The audience of 450,000 set a record for the largest paid music event in Canadian history.[145] The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[146] and sixth in the following year.[147]Verizon made all the albums, including theLive at Donington video, available for digital download in 2007.[148] AC/DC released video compilationsFamily Jewels on 28 March 2005,[149] andPlug Me In on 16 October 2007.[150]No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensiveBlu-ray and DVD of the band's July 1996Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[151]
Black Ice, their fifteenth studio album, was released in Australia on 18 October 2008,[152] and issued worldwide two days later.[153] Produced byBrendan O'Brien and mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser, its 15 tracks were their first studio recordings in eight years. LikeStiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.[154] It was sold in the US exclusively at Wal-Mart,Sam's Club and the band's official website.[153]Black Ice reached number one in 29 countries,[155] including Australia,[156] the UK,[86] and the US.[65] "Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August.[157]
TheBlack Ice World Tour was announced on 11 September 2008 and began on 28 October inWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[158] It then concluded with its final show inBilbao, Spain, on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which the band went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated total audience of over 4.9 million.[159] On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted onSirius Channel 19 and XM Channel 53, which plays their music along with band member interviews.[160][161]
On 29 September 2009, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities,Backtracks, which was released on 10 November as a 2×CD and DVD standard edition, or 3×CD, 2×DVD and LP deluxe edition box set.[162] On 4 November, AC/DC were announced as theBusiness Review Weekly top Australian earner in entertainment for 2009, with earnings of $105 million. This displacedthe Wiggles from the number-one spot for the first time in four years.[163] On 19 April 2010, AC/DC releasedIron Man 2, the soundtrack for theeponymous film, which compiled earlier tracks from the band's studio albums.[164]
In June 2011, AC/DC reissued their concert film,AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, on DVD and Blu-ray.[169] The entire catalogue – excludingT.N.T. (1975) and the Australian versions ofHigh Voltage (1975),Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) andLet There Be Rock (1977), became available on theiTunes Store the same day.[170] At the conclusion of the Black Ice World Tour in 2010, Malcolm had been diagnosed with lung cancer. It was treated at an early stage and surgery was successful with cancerous tissue removed. He also had an unspecified heart problem and had apacemaker fitted.[171]
Malcolm became seriously ill in April 2014 and was unable to continue performing; fans speculated that the group could disband.[172] However, Johnson stated that despite Malcolm's absence, they would return to Vancouver to record their sixteenth studio album,Rock or Bust.[173] In July, AC/DC announced that they had finished recording it and that Stevie had replaced Malcolm in the studio.[174] On 23 September, AC/DC members confirmed that Malcolm had officially retired from performing.[175] Malcolm's last show with the group had been on 28 June 2010 in Bilbao, Spain;[176] he died on 18 November 2017 at the age of 64 due to hisdementia.[177] Rudd confirmed that there would be another AC/DC tour and that they had no intention of retiring.[178]
On 23 September 2014, The band revealed thatRock or Bust, featuring eleven tracks, would be released on 28 November as the first AC/DC album in the band's history without Malcolm on the recordings,[175] nevertheless all its compositions were credited to Angus and Malcolm.[179] The album reached number one in Australia,[180] Canada,[181] Germany,[182] and the UK.[86] The band also announced theirsupporting world tour, with Stevie as Malcolm's replacement.[183]
Rudd was charged with threatening to kill, possession ofmethamphetamine and possession ofcannabis following a police raid on his home on 6 November 2014.[184] AC/DC's members issued a statement clarifying that the tour promotingRock or Bust would continue but did not indicate whether or not Rudd would participate or whether he was still a member.[185] At a charity signing before theGrammy Awards, the band were photographed together with Slade. It was later confirmed that he had rejoined for the Grammys and tour.[186] In April 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to drug and threatening to kill charges.[187] Shortly thereafter, the band's website showed that Rudd was replaced by Slade on drums.[188] On 9 July 2015, Rudd was sentenced to eight months ofhome detention.[189]
AC/DC withAxl Rose (centre and top left), performing in Washington, D.C., in 2016
On 7 March 2016, the band announced that the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust World Tour would be rescheduled as Johnson's doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately; he risked complete deafness if he persisted. The ten cancelled dates were to be rescheduled, "likely with a guest vocalist" later in the year, leaving Johnson's future in touring with the group uncertain.[190] On 16 April 2016,Guns N' Roses frontmanAxl Rose was announced as the lead vocalist for the remainder of their 2016 tour dates.[191]
Williams indicated he was leaving AC/DC during an interview withGulfshore Life's Jonathan Foerste on 8 July 2016. "It's been what I've known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I'm backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with [Rudd] and now with [Johnson], it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing."[192] At the end of the Rock or Bust World Tour, he released a video statement confirming his departure.[193] His last show with AC/DC before the hiatus was inPhiladelphia on 20 September 2016.[194] After completing the tour in 2016, AC/DC went on hiatus. George Young died on 22 October 2017, aged 70.[195]
2018–present: Reunion andPower Up
In August 2018, speculation grew that former members Johnson and Rudd were back working with the band. A fan living near The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver claimed to have observed them in the outdoor area of the studio from an apartment window.[196] Shortly afterwards, a photograph of Johnson with Williams at the gymnasium of theLiving Shangri-La hotel in Vancouver in December 2018 surfaced, indicating that Williams had also rejoined.[197] AC/DC then confirmed on 30 September 2020 the return of Johnson, Rudd and Williams to the line-up alongside Angus and Stevie, reuniting theRock or Bust line-up.[198]
On 28 September 2020, the band updated their social media accounts posting a teaser video, which led to speculation of their "comeback, possibly as early as this week or next week."[199] On 1 October, AC/DC released a snippet of their new song "Shot in the Dark".[200] On 7 October, the band confirmed the upcoming release on 13 November of their next studio album,Power Up and issued "Shot in the Dark" as its lead single from the album.[201] The album's track listing was revealed on their website the same day.[202] They had recorded it in August–September 2018 with O'Brien producing at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, with some tweaking in Los Angeles in 2019.[203][204]
AC/DC launched adive bar on 2 October 2023, located at Club 5 Bar in Indio, called the High Voltage Dive Bar.[206] AC/DC performed a co-headlining act for thePower Trip music festival at theEmpire Polo Club inIndio, California, on 7 October, which was their first show in seven years,[207] with Williams being part of the line-up after coming out of retirement,[208] and American drummerMatt Laug, who had previously played forSlash's Snakepit andAlice Cooper, replacing Rudd.[209] The band hinted at another tour to occur in 2024;[210] themayor of Munich,Dieter Reiter, confirmed that they had booked a show in theOlympic Stadium for 12 June 2024.[211] Founding drummer Colin Burgess died on 16 December 2023, aged 78.[21][212]
On 6 February 2024, the band published a teaser on their social media accounts, showing the band's lightning bolt symbol flickering before the words "Are You Ready" appear and theirsong of the same name plays.[213] This led to fans speculating that they would come back to touring after eight years.[214] On 12 February, thePower Up Tour was announced, with formerJane's Addiction bass guitaristChris Chaney replacing Williams.[215] The European leg of the tour began on 17 May and concluded on 17 August, with American bandthe Pretty Reckless as their support act for all twenty-four performances.[205] AC/DC reissued their entire catalogue on goldvinyl for their 50th anniversary on 15 March 21 June and 27 September 2024, as part of theAC/DC 50 series.[216][217][218] They have also reissued two Australasia-only albums –High Voltage andT.N.T. (both 1975), only available at the High Voltage Dive Bar.[219] On 2 December 2024, the band announced a second leg of the Power Up Tour in North America for thirteen shows, with the Pretty Reckless as their support act.[220] On 23 June 2025, the band announced an Australian leg for five shows in November and December, including a show for theBP Adelaide Grand Final, withAmyl and the Sniffers as the opening act.[221]
Musical style
Aside from an early flirtation with glam rock, the group's sound and performance style are based onAustralian pub rock.[1][7][222] That style was pioneered byLobby Loyde ofBilly Thorpe's early 1970s group,the Aztecs.[223] Vanda noted "the pub crowd as an audience demanded blood—'or else'." He described wanting to "recreate the real Australian pub sound—'not like that American sound, smooth and creamy, nicey, nicey.'"[224]Glenn A. Baker felt they played "rib-crushing, blood-curdling, brain damaging, no bullshit, thunder rock".[225]
The Canberra Times' Tony Catterall reviewedT.N.T., in which "[they] wallow in the lumpen proletarianism that's the home of punk rock" while comparing them with rivals Buster Brown, which are "more imaginative and musically better".[226] Music journalistEd Nimmervoll summarised, "If we tried to isolate what has characterised Australian rock and roll from the rest of the world's it would be music that's made to be played live, and gets right down to basics with a minimum of distraction. [...] AC/DC captured that essence not long after it crystallised, and they have continued to carry that creed around the world as their own."[8]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic said AC/DC utilizes "dirty"guitar riffs, "snarling" singing, and "catchy,anthemic"hooks.[227] According toVulture music journalistDavid Marchese, the instrumental foundation of the band's simple sound was the drummer—Rudd, Wright, or Slade—striking thekick drum on the first and third beat of everymeasure and thesnare drum on the second and fourth beat; bass guitarist Williams consistentlydown-picking aneighth note; Angus performing lead parts that possessed "a clear architecture and even sort of swing, in a frenzied, half-demented way"; and Malcolm's "propulsive" yet nuanced rhythm guitar featuring "littlechuks, stutters, and silences that give the monstrous riffs life."[228]
For the majority of Malcolm's tenure in AC/DC, he used aMarshallSuper Bass head to amplify his rhythm guitar while recording in the studio. According to Chris Gill ofGuitar World, this amplifier helped define his signature guitar tone: "clean but as loud as possible to ride on the razor's edge of power amp distortion and deliver the ideal combination of grind, twang, clang and crunch, with no distorted preamp 'hair,' fizz or compression", as heard on songs such as "Let There Be Rock", "Dirty Deeds", "For Those About to Rock" and "Thunderstruck". During 1978 to 1980, Malcolm used a Marshall 2203 100-watt master volume head, which Gill speculates may have contributed to a "slightly more distorted and dark" guitar tone on the albums from that period, includingPowerage andBack in Black.[229]
In a comparison of AC/DC's vocalists,Robert Christgau said Scott exhibited a "blokelike croak" and "charm", often singing about sexual aggression under the guise of fun: "LikeIan Hunter orRoger Chapman though without their panache, he has fun being a dirty young man".[230] Johnson, in his opinion, possessed "three times the range and wattage" of a vocalist while projecting the character of a "bloke as fantasy-fiction demigod".[230] By the time Johnson had fully acclimated himself to 1981'sFor Those About to Rock We Salute You, Christgau said he defined "an anthemic grandiosity more suitable to [the band's] precious-metal status than [Scott]'s old-fashioned raunch", albeit in a less intelligent manner.[230]
Influences
AC/DC's influences include the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Billy Thorpe, the Easybeats and Vanda & Young.[1][7][231] The impact of Australian pub rock on AC/DC was documented on ABC'sLong Way to the Top (2001).[232] Angus reflected on his playing style: "A lot of it was nerves at first. It was George that told me if you get on stage and play guitar you want to let people know you are doing something. When I started in the band I was shy and had to push myself forward. [...] [Patrons] would be throwing beer cans and I thought 'just keep moving' and that's how it all started."[232] George had taught both Malcolm and Angus "how to play guitar, and playing them classic rock and roll and blues records until that music was like blood in their veins."[8] According toLong Way to the Top's writers, "[t]he hardships of the Australian road would complete AC/DC's training. [Scott] revelled in the lifestyle. Somehow he rose above all the substance abuse to become the ultimate rock and roll front man."[232]
Genres
AC/DC's music has been variously described ashard rock,[233]blues rock,[234] andheavy metal,[235] but they have referred to themselves as "arock and roll band, nothing more, nothing less".[66] Malcolm recalled honing their craft. "We'd been playing up to four gigs a day. That really shaped the band... It was a mix of screw you, Jack, and having a good time and all being pretty tough guys... The training ground was Melbourne."[236] In the opinion ofStephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic, they are "one of the defining acts of '70s hard rock" and reactionary to the period'sart rock andarena rock excesses. "AC/DC's rock was minimalist – no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint."[237] According toAlexis Petridis, their music is "hard-edged, wilfully basic blues-rock," featuring humorous sexual innuendo and lyrics about rock and roll.[238] Music academic Robert McParland described the band's sound as being defined by the heavy rock guitar of the Young brothers, layeredpower chords and forceful vocals.[234] "For some, AC/DC are the ultimate heavy metal act,"Tim Jonze wrote inThe Guardian, "but for others, AC/DC aren't a heavy metal act at all, they're a classic rock band – and calling them heavy metal is an act of treachery."[239] On the controversy of categorising their music, McParland wrote:[234]
AC/DC will assert that they are not specifically a metal band. Their music—loud, hard, and guitar-driven—may best be described as hard rock. However, there are people who will say that they are indisputably metal. Therein lies the ongoing problem of categorisation. While AC/DC has referenced the underworld and they have given their listeners 'Highway to Hell' and 'Hell's Bells,' their songs are constructed on straightforward major and minor power chords. They are not modally developed as are a good deal of heavy metal compositions. Their sound is loud and crisp, not muddy or down-tuned.
With the recording ofBack in Black in 1980, rock journalist Joe S. Harrington believed the band had departed further from the blues-oriented rock of their previous albums and toward a more dynamic attack that adopted punk rock's "high-energy implications" and transmuted their hard rock/heavy metal songs into "more pop-oriented blasts". The band would remain faithful to this "impeccably ham-handed" musical style for the remainder of their career: "the guitars were compacted into a singular statement of rhythmic efficiency, the rhythm section provided the thunderhorse overdrive and vocalist Johnson bellowed and brayed like the most unhinged practitioner of bluesy top-man dynamics since vintageRobert Plant."[240]
Legacy
AC/DC themed pinball machine, pictured inSeattle in 2024
Several musicians have credited AC/DC for reasserting hard rock's popularity after it had ceded mainstream attention to other musical genres in the late 1970s.[241][242]Tom Morello ofRage Against the Machine andAudioslave noted ofBack in Black's release: "Disco was huge and punk and new wave were ascendant, and along came this AC/DC record which just destroyed everybody. It put hard rock music back on the throne, where it belongs!"[242]
Gene Simmons of hard rock contemporaries Kiss remarked, "a lot of people look the same and act the same and do the same thing. Every once in a while you see a band like AC/DC. Nobody's like them. We'd like to think we're unique in that way too."[258]Slash of Guns N' Roses called them "with the exception of the [Rolling] Stones, the greatest rock 'n' roll band ever."[259] "I always liked them," said Australian compatriot and singer-songwriterNick Cave. "We had this TV show calledCountdown and they were often on and they were always a riot and absolutely unique. They were a heavy rock band, but Bon Scott would go onCountdown dressed as a schoolgirl and stuff like that. They were always very anarchic and never took the thing too seriously."[260]
AC/DC and other artists (seeFilthy Fifteen) ran afoul of theSatanic panic of the 1980s. This general fear of modern hard rock and heavy metal was greatly increased in the band's case when serial killerRichard Ramirez was arrested. Ramirez, nicknamed the "Night Stalker" by the press, told police that "Night Prowler" fromHighway to Hell had driven him to commit murder.[261] Police also claimed that Ramirez was wearing an AC/DC shirt and left an AC/DC hat at one of the crime scenes.[262] Accusations that AC/DC were devil worshippers were made, the lyrics of "Night Prowler" were analysed and some newspapers attempted to link Ramirez's Satanism with AC/DC's name,[263] concluding that AC/DC stood for Anti-Christ/Devil's Child or Devil's Children.[264]
Lyrics assessment
Throughout the band's career, their songs have been criticised as simplistic,[265] monotonous,[266] deliberately lowbrow and sexist.[267] David Marchese fromVulture wrote that "regardless of the lyricist, whether it was Scott (who was capable of real wit and colour), Johnson, or the Young brothers, there's a deep strain ofmisogyny in the band's output that veers from feeling terribly dated to straight-up reprehensible."[228] According to Christgau in 1988, "the brutal truth is that sexism has never kept a great rock-and-roller down—fromMuddy toLemmy, lots of dynamite music has objectified women in objectionable ways. But rotely is not among those ways", in regards to AC/DC.[230]
Fans of the band have defended their music by highlighting its "bawdy humour",[268] while members of the group have generally been dismissive of claims that their songs are sexist, arguing that they are meant to be in jest.[228] In an interview withSylvie Simmons forMojo, Angus called the band "pranksters more than anything else," while Malcolm said, "We're not like some macho band. We take the music far more seriously than we take the lyrics, which are just throwaway lines."[268] Marchese regarded the musical aspect of the Youngs' songs as "strong enough to render the words a functional afterthought" as well as "deceptively plain, devastatingly effective, and extremely lucrative."[228]
For the bookUnder My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them,The Guardian arts critic Fiona Sturges contributed an essay evaluating her love for AC/DC. While acknowledging she is a feminist and that the band's music is problematic for her, she believed it would be "daft as opposed to damaging" for female listeners if they could understand the band to be "a bunch of archly sex-obsessed idiots with sharp tunes and some seriously killer riffs". Despite the "unpleasant sneering quality" of "Carry Me Home"'s claims about a woman who "ain't no lady", the "rape fantasy" of "Let Me Put My Love into You" and the generally one-dimensional portrayals of women, Sturges said songs such as "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" demonstrated that the female characters "are also having a good time and are, more often than not, in the driving seat in sexual terms. [...] [I]t's the men who come over as passive and hopeless, awestruck in the presence of sexual partners more experienced and adept than them."[268]
The band's first ever nomination at an award show was from theAmerican Music Awards of 1982 forFavorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group.[269] In 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.[107] The municipality ofLeganés, nearMadrid, named a street in honour of the band "Calle de AC/DC" (English: "AC/DC Street") on 22 March 2000. Malcolm and Angus attended the inauguration with many fans.[270] The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.[271]
On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamedACDC Lane in honour of the band. TheCity of Melbourne forbade the use of theslash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[272] The lane is nearSwanston Street, where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[273]
AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[143] During the ceremony, the band performed "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", with guest vocals provided by hostSteven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band's power chords as "the thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body."[274] During the acceptance speech, Johnson quoted their 1977 song "Let There Be Rock".[275] In May 2003, the Young brothers accepted aTed Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at theAPRA Music Awards of 2003, during which Malcolm paid special tribute to Scott, who was also a recipient of the award.[276]
In 2003,Rolling Stone's500 Greatest Albums of All Time list includedBack in Black at number 73,[277] andHighway to Hell at number 199.[278] They also ranked number 72 on the100 Greatest Artists of All Time, as American record producerRick Rubin wrote an essay calling them the "greatest rock & roll band of all time."[279] In 2004, on their500 Greatest Songs of All Time list,Rolling Stone included "Back in Black" at number 187[280] and "Highway to Hell" at number 254.[281] They ranked number four onVH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock,[282] and number seven onMTV's Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time.[283] They ranked number 23 onVH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2010.[284] On 20 November 2015, the band were inducted into theMusic Victoria Awards 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Angus offered a statement, in which he declared it was "an absolute honour" to be recognised in the tenth year of the Hall of Fame.[285]
They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007.[286] In 50 years of the band's career, they have sold over 200 million records worldwide,[287] and 84 million in the US, according to theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which made AC/DC the fourth best-selling band in US history and the eighth best-selling artist, selling more albums thanElton John andMariah Carey.[288] The RIAA also certifiedBack in Black as 27× Platinum, for 27 million in US sales, which made it the fourth best-selling album of all time in the US.[289]
^The album was released on 20 September 1976 in Australasia,[45] and released in Europe on 12 November 1976.[46]
^The album was released less than 2 months later on 21 March 1977 in Australasia,[54] and internationally on 23 June 1977.[55]
References
^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxKimball, Duncan."AC/DC". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions.Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved7 May 2024.
^abKimball, Duncan."An Overview". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions.Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved7 May 2023.
^abcdefghNimmervoll, Ed."AC/DC".Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. Archived fromthe original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved26 September 2023.n.b. Incorrectly spells "Currenti" as "Kerrante".
^Donovan, Patrick (17 May 2004)."Tracker to Acca Dacca".The Age. Melbourne, Australia.Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved18 October 2008.
Harrington, Joe S. (2003). "Back in Black". In Hoye, Jacob (ed.).VH-1's 100 Greatest Albums.Simon & Schuster.ISBN0743448766.
Jenkins, Jeff;Meldrum, Ian (2007). "AC/DC".Molly Meldrum Presents 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 140–142.ISBN978-1-921332-11-1.
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