AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands, such as Def Leppard and Saxon, and were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned", according to critics.
AC/DC were founded by brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar), with Colin Burgess (drums), Larry Van Kriedt (bass guitar) and Dave Evans (lead vocals). They underwent several line-up changes before releasing their Australasian-only debut album, High Voltage (1975). Membership 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. Seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and English singer Brian Johnson was then recruited as their new frontman. With Johnson in the line-up, the band recorded one of the best-selling albums of all time, Back in Black (1980). Rudd was fired midway through the Flick of the Switch recording sessions in 1983. He was replaced by Simon Wright, who was also replaced by Chris Slade six years later.
AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of the album The 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 with Ballbreaker (1995). In 2014, Angus and Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm due to early-onset dementia, from which he died three years later, and debuted on the album Rock or Bust. On the accompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd due to his arrest for threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. In March 2016, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose replaced Johnson 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 the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020 for Power Up, which was released two months later. Drummer Matt Laug and bass guitarist Chris Chaney replaced Rudd and Williams on its supporting tour in 2024, though both remain official members.
AC/DC have been estimated to have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. In the US, they have also sold 84 million records according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and had five singles reach the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ten albums in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The band's accolades include two Grammy Awards, two Guinness World Records, one iHeartRadio Music Award, three ARIA Music Awards, eight APRA Awards – including the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, according to Forbes Celebrity 100, the band have earned $67.5 million.
History 1973–1974: Formation and name AC/DC were formed in the Australian pop music scene of the early to mid-1970s, which is described as the third wave of rock music in Australia. Many local 1960s artists – e.g., the Easybeats and the Masters Apprentices, had attempted to gain international recognition but achieved limited commercial success overseas and disbanded after returning to Australia. Newer artists and veterans of the 1960s beat boom developed a variety of genres, which included a harder blues rock style dubbed pub rock. Popular Australian bands – e.g., Sherbet and Skyhooks, played mainstream pop or adopted a glam rock approach.
In November 1973, brothers Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC in Sydney with drummer Colin Burgess from the Masters Apprentices, bass guitarist Larry Van Kriedt and vocalist Dave Evans. 1st edition [online]: . 2nd edition [print]: . Earlier, for two years, Malcolm and Evans had been members of a Newcastle-based band called Velvet Underground (not the American group of the same name), and Angus, who would only jam with his friends, had his own band called Tantrum. n.b. Incorrectly spells "Currenti" as "Kerrante". In 1973, the Young brothers had joined the studio-only band, Marcus Hook Roll Band and contributed towards the first recordings for its debut album, Tales of Old Grand-Daddy (1974), although the pair left before it was issued. The initial AC/DC formation was made up of Malcolm, Burgess and ex-Velvet Underground bass guitarist, Mick Sheffzick. Later, the rest of the members joined when Van Kriedt replaced Sheffzick, Evans responded to an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald and Angus passed an audition.
Upon formation, Malcolm and Angus developed the band's name after their sister Margaret pointed out the symbol "AC/DC" on the AC adapter of her sewing machine. A.C./D.C. is an abbreviation for alternating current/direct current electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy and the power-driven performances of their music. It is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as Acca Dacca in Australia. 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 of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Their logo was designed by American typographer Gerard Huerta in 1977 and first appeared on Let There Be Rock. Adam Behr of The Bulletin explained, "[its] type font conveyed the sense of electricity implicit in their name."
AC/DC's first official gig was at Chequers nightclub in Sydney on 31 December 1973. 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, and Superman. n.b. Click "6" to see Angus in the Superman costume and click "10" to see him in the Zorro costume. Their performances involved cover versions of the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, the Beatles and a "smattering of old blues standards" while trialling some original songs. Angus first wore his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit in April 1974 at Victoria Park, Sydney; the idea was Margaret's. He portrayed a boy "straight from school to play his guitar." On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced on lead vocals by their first manager, Denis Loughlin from Sherbet. In Paul Stenning's book AC/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.
The group recorded a session in January 1974 at EMI Studios in Sydney, with Vanda & Young – George Young and Harry Vanda – as the producers; both were former members of the Easybeats and Marcus Hook Roll Band. 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". A week after the session, Burgess was fired due to intoxication; he was unconscious during a performance. Subsequently, Van Kriedt was replaced; his recorded bass lines for the January session were re-recorded by George. Their replacements, Neil Smith on bass guitar and Noel Taylor on drums, lasted six weeks, replaced in turn by Rob Bailey and Peter Clack, respectively. The band signed with Albert Productions in June 1974. "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. The song reached the top 50 on Australia's Kent Music Report singles chart.
The group had developed a strong live reputation by mid-1974, which resulted in a supporting slot on Lou Reed's national tour in August. During that tour, Malcolm switched to rhythm guitar, leaving Angus on lead guitar – the roles the two guitarists played from then on. During 1974, on the recommendation of Michael Chugg, veteran Melbourne promoter Michael Browning booked them to play at his club, the Hard Rock Cafe. 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. Browning then received a call weeks after the Hard Rock gig from Malcolm: Loughlin had quit and they were stuck in Adelaide with no money. They hired Browning as their manager in November 1974, with the cooperation of George and Vanda. The Young brothers decided to abandon their glam rock image; instead, they pursued a pub rock sound. To this end, they agreed that Evans was no longer a suitable frontman.
1974–1976: Bon Scott joins
In September 1974, Bon Scott, a vocalist previously with the Valentines (1966–1970) and Fraternity (1971–1973), joined AC/DC after his former bandmate Vince Lovegrove introduced him to George during their stopover in Adelaide in August. Scott worked as a chauffeur for the group until an audition promoted him to lead singer. 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. 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 journalist Ian McFarlane. Scott's first concert for AC/DC was on 5 October 1974 at the Masonic Hall in Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales.
AC/DC recorded their first studio album, High Voltage, in November 1974 with Vanda & Young producing at Albert Studios in Sydney. 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 drummer Tony Currenti. George handled some bass parts and later redid others. Recording sessions took ten days and were based on instrumentals written by the Young brothers with lyrics added by Scott. They relocated to Melbourne that month. Both Bailey and Clack were fired in January 1975. Paul Matters took over bass duties briefly before being fired in turn and replaced temporarily by George or Malcolm for live duties. Matters had disagreements with the Young brothers' decisions. Meanwhile, on drums, Ron Carpenter and Russell Coleman had brief tenures before Phil Rudd, from Buster Brown, joined in that month. Bass guitarist Mark Evans was enlisted in March 1975, setting the line-up which lasted two years.
The band were scheduled to play at the 1975 Sunbury Pop music festival in January; however, they went home without performing following a physical altercation with the management and crew of headlining act Deep Purple. High Voltage was released exclusively in Australasia on 17 February 1975 via Albert Productions/EMI Music Australia, and reached the top 20 in Australia. It provided a single, their cover version of Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go".
McFarlane observed, "[their] initial achievement was to take the raw energy of Aussie pub rock, extend its basic guidelines, serve it up to a teenybop Countdown audience and still reap the benefits of the live circuit by packing out the pubs." They released their second studio album T.N.T. (1975), in Australasia only, 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. 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 the ABC-TV pop music programme Countdown, featuring the band miming the song on the back of a flatbed truck. The single reached the top ten in Australia. The title 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.