AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in November 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. Although the band are variously described as hard rock, blues rock; and heavy metal, its members have referred to themselves as "a rock and roll band, nothing more, nothing less". AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership subsequently stabilised after the release of Let There Be Rock (1977), with the Young brothers, Phil Rudd on drums, Cliff Williams on bass guitar and Bon Scott on lead vocals. 1st edition [online]: 2nd edition [print]: Seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning, and was replaced by English singer Brian Johnson, with whom AC/DC released their second best-selling album, Back in Black.
The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was also highly successful and was their first album to reach number one in the Billboard 200. Rudd left AC/DC and was replaced by Simon Wright, who was himself replaced by Chris Slade six years later. AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only record to feature Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994 and has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice was the second-highest-selling record of 2008. Malcolm retired in 2014 due to early-onset dementia and was replaced by the Young brothers' nephew Stevie Young, who debuted on the album Rock or Bust; Malcolm died three years later. Slade was replaced by Rudd on the Rock or Bust World Tour, due to legal troubles against Rudd. In 2016, Axl Rose replaced Johnson for the rest of the tour due to hearing loss, and Williams retires at the end of the tour. The band's seventeenth studio album Power Up was released on 13 November 2020.
In 1982, AC/DC's first ever nomination at an award show was from the American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group. The group received several nominations from the Grammy Awards, including Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance – Vocal or Instrumental for Blow Up Your Video in 1989, Best Hard Rock Performance for one album and three songs in different years: The Razors Edge in 1991, "Moneytalks" in 1992, the live version of "Highway To Hell" in 1994 and "War Machine" in 2010, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for 'Rock 'n' Roll Train" in 2009, Best Rock Album for two albums in different years: Black Ice in 2010 and Power Up in 2022, and Best Rock Song and Music Video for "Shot in the Dark" in 2022. The band also received a nomination for Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Video for "Thunderstruck" in 1991 from the MTV Video Music Awards. In 2009, AC/DC received four nominations for their 2008 album Black Ice in the ARIA Music Awards which included Best Rock Album, Highest Selling Album, Best Group and Best Album. They won the awards for Best Rock Album and Highest Selling Album. Overall, AC/DC have received 51 nominations and has won 18 awards.
Awards and nominations
+ List of awards and nominations, showing award, year, recipient(s), category and result Award Year Recipient(s) Category Result American Music Awards AC/DC Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Iron Man 2 Top Soundtrack APRA Awards 1982 "Highway to Hell" (Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young) Gold Award 1995 "Big Gun" Most Played Australian Work Overseas 2003 Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott (posthumously) Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music 2006 "Highway to Hell" Most Played Australian Work Overseas 2007 2009 2010 "Rock 'n' Roll Train" Angus Young, Malcolm Young Songwriters of the Year 2011 "Highway to Hell" Most Played Australian Work Overseas 2022 "Shot in the Dark" Most Performed Rock Work ARIA Music Awards 2009 AC/DC Best Group Black Ice Album of the Year Best Rock Album Highest Selling Album 2011 Live at River Plate Best Music DVD 2015 AC/DC Best Group 2021 Power Up Best Rock Album Billboard Music Awards 2021 AC/DC Top Duo/Group Top Rock Artist Power Up Top Rock Album Brit Awards 2009 Black Ice International Album AC/DC International Group Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards 2008 Plug Me In DVD of the Year 2009 Black Ice Album of the Year 2010 AC/DC Band of the Year 2015 Rock or Bust Album of the Year AC/DC Band of the Year Grammy Awards 1989 Blow Up Your Video Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental 1991 The Razors Edge Best Hard Rock Performance 1992 "Moneytalks" 1994 "Highway to Hell" (live) 2009 "Rock 'n' Roll Train" Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 2010 "War Machine" Best Hard Rock Performance Black Ice Best Rock Album 2022 Power Up Best Rock Album "Shot in the Dark" Best Rock Performance Best Music Video Helpmann Awards 2010 Black Ice World Tour Best International Contemporary Music Concert iHeartRadio Music Awards 2021 Power Up Rock Album of the Year AC/DC Rock Artist of the Year "Shot in the Dark" Rock Song of the Year Juno Awards 2009 Black Ice International Album of the Year Metal Storm Awards 2008 Best Hard Rock Album 2014 Rock or Bust 2020 Power Up MTV Video Music Awards "Thunderstruck" Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Video Rock on Request Awards 2008 AC/DC Best Reunion UK Music Video Awards 2009 Black Ice Best Music Ad AC/DC Rocks the Office Innovation Award
Other honours World records + List of world records, showing publication, year, recipient, description and status Publication Year Recipient Description Status Guinness World Records 2008 AC/DC Most Albums on the US Pop Catalogue Album Chart 2013 Back in Black Best-Selling Album by an Australian Group
Listicles + List of listicles, showing publisher, year, description and rank Publisher Year Description Rank Forbes 2009 The Celebrity 100 47 2010 38 2016 17 MTV 2006 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands of All Time 23 Rolling Stone 2010 100 Greatest Artists 72 VH1 2000 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock 4 2010 100 Greatest Artists of All Time 23
Hall of fame inductions + Name of the organisation, year presented and the title of honour Organisation Year Honour ARIA Hall of Fame 1988 Inducted Grammy Hall of Fame 2013 Back in Black – inducted Music Victoria Awards Hall of Fame 2015 Inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2003 Inducted
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