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). 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, 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.

In Their Own Story

The headset locks in, and the world dissolves into darkness until the first guitar riff shatters the silence. Suddenly, the void is filled with the crackle of static and the roar of an unseen crowd. Red and blue blocks rush toward you from the abyss, synchronized to the thunderous rhythm of 'Thunderstruck.' You raise your sabers, feeling the phantom weight of the instruments in your hands. As the tempo climbs, the air seems to vibrate with electricity. Every slash is a strike against the void, every dodge a testament to survival. For three minutes and twenty seconds, you are not just playing a game; you are living inside the song.

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.

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.
• Bon Scott died of alcohol poisoning seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979).
• Back in Black (1980) is one of the best-selling albums of all time.
• The band's logo was designed by American typographer Gerard Huerta in 1977 and first appeared on Let There Be Rock.