AC/DC

Malcolm Young (guitar); Angus Young (guitar); Phil Rudd (drums); Cliff Williams (bass); Brian Johnston (vocals)

AC/DC are without doubt the best known and one of the most enduring of bands Australia has ever produced. Their record sales have been in the tens of millions since the early 1980s and since then the band's core members have lived the lives of bona fide millionaires in homes across the globe. Their music is instantly identifiable: heavy, chunky blues-based riffamania, split asunder at key moments by spitfire guitar work, air-raid siren vocals, driven by a simple but tight rhythmic pattern. Malcolm Young formed the band in 1973 with brother Angus, singer Dave Evans, drummer Peter Clack and Rob Bailey on bass and has maintained complete creative control over the band ever since. Within the year AC/DC's members had become the Youngs, Bon Scott (vocals), Rudd and Mark Evans on bass. Phil Rudd came from Buster Brown and Bon Scott was a seasoned performer with a pedigree which included the Valentines and Fraternity. The first album appeared about the same time, although High Voltage was recorded using George Young and Tony Kerrante as the rhythm section--though Bailey claims he and Clack worked on it.

With the release of TNT AC/DC found themselves the most popular band in the land and before the end of the year had moved to England in an attempt to crack the market there. TNT is an early classic with many of the tracks more than standing the tests of time. AC/DC spent most of the remainder of the decade overseas, and Williams replaced Evans in 1977. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was done quickly and is rather patchy but contains two absolute rippers in 'Jailbreak' and 'Ride On'. The next four albums represent AC/DC at the creative height: solid, heavy rocking songs laced with Scott's crafty wit and double entendre lyrics. Highway to Hell was the pinnacle, the album which opened the doors of the massive US record-buying public. Bon was probably just reaching his real potential as a lyricist, with some of his best work present on the album. Highway... also marked the beginnings of the stadium-rock type sound the band would adapt during the course of the next few albums. Scott died shortly afterwards, on February 19, 1980 as AC/DC prepared for the follow-up. With his body barely in the ground, the band moved on with former Geordie singer Brian Johnston taking the reins. Back in Black saw AC/DC push back the multi-platinum envelope like few bands before them, selling uncounted millions of units and touring the US constantly for almost a decade. For Those About to Rock was even bigger. In the first few months, this album sold more copies than AC/DC's entire back catalogue, yet after this the band fell into a slump from which it took over ten years to recover. The albums from 1983 were hit and miss affairs and the band went through several drummers. Simon Wright took over on Flick of the Switch and at the end of the 80s he opted for a position with Dio, making way for Chris Slade (ex-The Firm) for The Razor's Edge. Wright later joined Rhinobucket and has recently rejoined the revamped Dio line-up. The Razor's Edge was a more complete album than the four before it, and saw AC/DC usher in a new decade with renewed vitality, perhaps due to Malcolm Young's eighteen months Sabbatical from the band between 1988 and 1990.

Clinton Walker's controversial Bon Scott biography, Highway to Hell: The Life and Times of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott, appeared in 1994 and the following year AC/DC became the subject of a tribute album, Fusebox. Ballbreaker was a return to the raw, untainted rock of the mid-70s and saw the return of Rudd to the fold. Bonfire is a four-album boxed set featuring Back in Black plus a previously unavailable live album and two compilations featuring rarities and studio out-takes. Back in Black is now the fourth biggest selling rock album of all time. AC/DC continues into the new century unaffected by trends, as ever.

Discography:

Stiff Upper Lip (Sony) 2000

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
  1. Stiff Upper Lip
  2. Meltdown
  3. House of Jazz
  4. Hold Me Back
  5. Safe in New York City
  6. Can't Stand Still
  7. Can't Stop Rock n Roll
  8. Satellite Blues
  9. Damned
  10. Come and Get it
  11. All Screwed Up
  12. Give it Up

Bonfire (Atlantic) 1997

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Mark Evans (bass)

Tony Kerrante (drums)
George Young (bass)

Ballbreaker (Sony) 1995

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
  1. Hard as a Rock
  2. Cover You in Oil
  3. The Furor
  4. Boogie Man
  5. The Honey Roll
  6. Burnin' Alive
  7. Hail Caesar
  8. Love Bomb
  9. Caught With Your Pants Down
  10. Whiskey on the Rocks
  11. Ballbreaker

Live (Sony) 1992

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Chris Slade (drums)
  1. Thunderstruck
  2. Shoot to Thrill
  3. Back in Black
  4. Sin City
  5. Who Made Who
  6. Heatseeker
  7. Fire Your Guns
  8. Jailbreak
  9. The Jack
  10. The Razor's Edge
  11. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
  12. Moneytalks
  13. Hell's Bells
  14. Are You Ready
  15. That's the Way I Wanna Rock n Roll
  16. High Voltage
  17. You Shook Me All Night Long
  18. Whole Lotta Rosie
  19. Let There be Rock
  20. Bonny
  21. Highway to Hell
  22. TNT
  23. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
  24. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be

The Razor's Edge (Alberts) 1990

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Chris Slade (drums)
  1. Thunderstruck
  2. Fire Your Guns
  3. Moneytalks
  4. The Razor's Edge
  5. Mistress for Christmas
  6. Rock Your Heart Out
  7. Are You Ready
  8. Got You by the Balls
  9. Shot of Love
  10. Let's Make It
  11. Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bad Luck
  12. If You Dare

Blow Up You Video (Alberts) 1988

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Simon Wright (drums)
  1. Heatseeker
  2. That's the Way I Wanna Rock n Roll
  3. Meanstreak
  4. Go Zone
  5. Kissin' Dynamite
  6. Nick of Time
  7. Some Sin for Nothin'
  8. Ruff Stuff
  9. Two's Up
  10. This Means War

Who Made Who (Alberts) 1986

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Simon Wright (drums)
  1. Who Made Who
  2. You Shook Me All Night Long
  3. D.T.
  4. Sink the Pink
  5. Ride On
  6. Hell's Bells
  7. Shake Your Foundations
  8. Chase the Ace
  9. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

Fly on the Wall (Alberts) 1985

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Simon Wright (drums)
  1. Fly on the Wall
  2. Shake Your Foundations
  3. First Blood
  4. Danger
  5. Sink the Pink
  6. Playing With Girls
  7. Stand Up
  8. Hell or High Water
  9. Back in Business
  10. Send for the Man

Flick of the Switch (Alberts) 1983

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
  1. Rising Power
  2. This House is on Fire
  3. Flick of the Switch
  4. Nervous Shakedown
  5. Landslide
  6. Guns For Hire
  7. Deep in the Hole
  8. Bedlam in Belgium
  9. Badlands
  10. Brainshake

For Those About to Rock (Alberts) 1981

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
  1. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
  2. Put the Finger on You
  3. Let's Get it Up
  4. Inject the Venom
  5. Snowballed
  6. Evil Walks
  7. C.O.D.
  8. Breaking the Rules
  9. Night of the Long Knives
  10. Spellbound

Back in Black (Alberts) 1980

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
Brian Johnson (vocals)
  1. Hell's Bells
  2. Shoot to Thrill
  3. What do You do for Money Honey
  4. Givin' the Dog a Bone
  5. Let Me Put My Love Into You
  6. Back in Black
  7. You Shook Me All Night Long
  8. Have a Drink on Me
  9. Shake a Leg
  10. Rock N Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Highway to Hell (Alberts) 1979

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
  1. Highway to Hell
  2. Girl's Got Rhythm
  3. Walk All Over You
  4. Touch Too Much
  5. Beating Around the Bush
  6. Shot Down in Flames
  7. Get it Hot
  8. If You want Blood (You've Got It)
  9. Love Hungry Man
  10. Night Prowler

If You Want Blood You've Got It (Alberts) 1978

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
  1. Riff Raff
  2. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
  3. Bad Boy Boogie
  4. The Jack
  5. Problem Child
  6. Whole Lotta Rosie
  7. Rock N Roll Damnation
  8. High Voltage
  9. Let There Be Rock
  10. Rocker

Powerage (Alberts) 1978

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Cliff Williams (bass)
  1. Rock N Roll Damnation
  2. Down Payment Blues
  3. Gimme a Bullet
  4. Riff Raff
  5. Sin City
  6. What's Next to the Moon
  7. Gone Shootin'
  8. Up to My Neck in You
  9. Kicked in the Teeth

Let There Be Rock (Alberts) 1977

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Mark Evans (bass)
  1. Go Down
  2. Dog Eat Dog
  3. Let There Be Rock
  4. Bad Boy Boogie
  5. Overdose
  6. Crabsody in Blue
  7. Hell Ain't a Bad Place
  8. Whole Lotta Rosie

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Alberts) 1976

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Mark Evans (bass)
  1. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
  2. Ain't No Fun (Waitin' Round to be a Millionaire)
  3. There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'
  4. Problem Child
  5. Squealer
  6. Big Balls
  7. R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)
  8. Ride On
  9. Jailbreak

TNT (Alberts) 1975

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals, bagpipes)
Phil Rudd (drums)
Mark Evans (bass)
  1. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll)
  2. The Rock And Roll Singer
  3. The Jack
  4. Live Wire
  5. TNT
  6. Rocker
  7. Can I Sit Next to You Girl
  8. High Voltage
  9. School Days

High Voltage (Alberts) 1975

Angus Young (guitar)
Malcolm Young (guitar)
Bon Scott (vocals)

Tony Kerrante (drums)
George Young (bass)
  1. Baby Please Don't Go
  2. She's Got Balls
  3. Little Lover
  4. Stick Around
  5. Soul Stripper
  6. You Ain't Got a Hold On Me
  7. Love Song
  8. Show Business

This page is part of The Australian Metal Guide