AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal,[1][2] they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".[3]
History[]
AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977. The band recorded their highly successful album Highway to Hell in 1979. Lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but soon ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their best-selling album, Back in Black.
The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and was replaced by future Dio drummer Simon Wright. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 (after Chris Slade was asked to leave in favor of him) and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well received by critics. The band's most recent album, Black Ice, was released on 20 October 2008.[4]
As of 2008, AC/DC has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide,[5] including 71 million albums in the United States.[6] Back in Black has sold an estimated 45 million units worldwide,[7] 22 million in the US alone, where it is the fifth-highest-selling album.[8] AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"[9][10] and was named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV.[11] In 2004, the band was ranked number 72 in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[12]
Band members[]
Brian Johnson (left) and Angus Young (right) in St. Paul, Minnesota, on 23 November 2008
- Brian Johnson – lead and backing vocals (1980–2016, 2018–present)
- Angus Young – lead guitar, occasional backing vocals (1973–present)
- Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals (1988, 2014–present)
- Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (1977–2016, 2018–present)
- Phil Rudd – drums (1975–1983, 1994–2015, 2018–present)
Main former members[]
- Bon Scott – lead vocals (1974–1980, died 1980)
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973–2014, died 2017)
- Dave Evans – lead vocals (1973–1974)
- Simon Wright – drums (1983–1989)
- Chris Slade – drums (1989–1994, 2015–2018)
- Mark Evans – bass guitar (1975–1977)
- Colin Burgess - drums (1973-1974, substituted 1975, died 2023)
- Larry Van Kriedt - bass guitar (1973 - 1975)
- Peter Clack - drums (1974 - 1975)
- Rob Bailey - bass guitar (1974 - 1975)
- George Young - bass guitar, rhythm guitar, drums, backing vocals (1974 - 1975, died 2017)
- Denis Loughlin – lead vocals (1974, died 2019)
- Bruce Howe – bass guitar (1975)
- Paul Greg – bass guitar (1991)
- Axl Rose – lead vocals (touring, 2016)[129][137]
- Matt Laug - drums (touring, 2023)
- Chris Chaney - bass guitar (touring, 2024)
Songs in Rock Band[]
All Track Pack:
| Song title | Decade | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| "Back in Black" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Fire Your Guns" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Heatseeker" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Hells Bells" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "High Voltage" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Highway to Hell" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Jailbreak" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Let There Be Rock" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Moneytalks" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Shoot to Thrill" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "T.N.T." (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "The Jack" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Thunderstruck" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "Whole Lotta Rosie" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
| "You Shook Me All Night Long" (Live) | 1990s | Classic Rock |
Let There Be Rock - Rock Band 2
Shot in the Dark - Rock Band 4
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- High Voltage (Australia) (1975)
- T.N.T. (1975)
- High Voltage (international) (1976)
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
- Let There Be Rock (1977)
- Powerage (1978)
- Highway to Hell (1979)
- Back in Black (1980)
- For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
- Flick of the Switch (1983)
- Fly on the Wall (1985)
- Who Made Who (1986)
- Blow Up Your Video (1988)
- The Razors Edge (1990)
- Ballbreaker (1995)
- Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
- Black Ice (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Rock or Bust (2014)
- Power Up (2020)
Awards and nominations[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Dale Hoiberg, ed (2007-09-24). "AC/DC". Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite (2008 ed.). ISBN 1-59339-292-3.
- ↑ Dale Hoiberg, ed (2007-09-24). "heavy metal". Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite (2008 ed.). ISBN 1-59339-292-3.
- ↑ Engleheart, Murray (1997-11-18). AC/DC — Bonfire.
- ↑ "AC/DC Completes Recording New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 2008-04-22. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BLABBERMOUTH.NET/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=95431. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ↑ "Back to roots for AC/DC". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/22/1066631502999.html. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ↑ "Top Selling Artists". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ "AC/DC, fuoco alle polveri: <<Lasciate che ci sia il rock!>>". Gazzetta di Parma. http://www.gazzettadiparma.it/primapagina/dettaglio/4/16119/ACDC_fuoco_alle_polveri:_%C2%ABLasciate_che_ci_sia_il_rock%C2%BB.html. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ "100 Greatest artists of hard rock". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/62188/episode_wildcard.jhtml?wildcard=/shows/dynamic/includes/wildcards/the_greatest/hardrock_list_full.jhtml&event_id=862769&start=81. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/vh1hardrock.htm
- ↑ "The Greatest Metal Bands of All Time". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal/greatest_metal_bands/071406/index8.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7248603/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_72_acdc
External links[]
| File:Commons-logo.svg | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AC/DC |
- ACDC.com Official website
- ACDCRocks.com Official website
- AC/DC at the Open Directory Project
- Complete Discography of AC/DC
- AC/DC discography at MusicBrainz
- official Youtube profile
- ACDC Timeline