AC/DC

Lore & Background

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). 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 not Slade's only record with the band, as he also played on the live album 'Live' (1992) and the single 'Big Gun' (1993).

Rudd returned in 1994 and has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). In 2014, Malcolm retired due to early-onset dementia, from which he died three years later; additionally, Rudd was charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Angus and Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm and debuted on the album Rock or Bust. On the accompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd.

In 2016, Guns N' Roses singer Axl 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 the Rock 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 drummer Matt Laug and bass guitarist Chris Chaney replacing Rudd and Williams, though both remain official members.

Reader's Guide

AC/DC have been estimated to have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. They have also sold 84 million records in the US, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 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.

Did You Know?

• AC/DC were formed in Sydney in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young.
• The band's name was suggested by their sister Margaret after she saw 'AC/DC' on the AC adapter of her sewing machine.
• The band's logo was designed by Gerard Huerta in 1977 and first appeared on Let There Be Rock.