- Years Active: 1977-2007
- Band Members: Simon Wright, Mark Evans, Angus Young, Dave Evans, Dave Evans, Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd, Chris Slade, Malcolm Young
- Genre: Rock & Alternative
- Influenced by: The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds
- Followed By: Riot, Shellac, Beautiful Creatures, American Dog, The Casanovas, Lee Marvin Computer Arm, Hindu Love Gods, Angels, Y&T, Rhino Bucket, The Upper Crust, The Witnesses, The Muggs, Alabama Blacksnake, Eddie Spaghetti, Beowulf, Great White, Damn Personals, Throw Rag, Dead Moon, Black Stone Cherry, Kix, Soundgarden, Stone Rider, Jason Isbell, James Christopher Monger, Cheeseburger, Thunderlip, Fleshies, Drive-By Truckers, Callejeros, Niña, Danko Jones, Skid Row, Jackyl, Buckcherry, Extremoduro, The Cherry Valence, Live Wire, Britny Fox, Lamont, Electric Eel Shock, Betty Blowtorch, The Living End, Rascal Basket, Bullet Lavolta, Mammoth Volume, Andrew W.K., Brooke, G.G. Allin, The Datsuns, Bible of the Devil, Bracket, Fates Warning, Priestess, Groovy Aardvark, Black Market Baby, Angus Khan, Black Furies, Louis XIV, Waltham, All Wound Up, Stampede Queen, The Vacation, Smoking Popes, James Hetfield, Supagroup, Amplified Heat, Mardo, The All-American Rejects, Alice in Chains, Young Heart Attack, Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction, Foo Fighters, Babylon A.D., Pop*Star*Kids, Turbonegro, Metallica, Agression, Puffball, Let It Burn, Ten Benson, Didjits, Def Leppard, Norine Braun, Jet, The Compulsions, Wolfsbane, Puppies, Poets & Pornstars, Hondonero, Jettingham, Brings, Billy Duffy, Zakk Wylde, American Minor, The Midnight Evils, The Painted iD, Acer, Danielia Cotton, The Cult, Heavy Nopal, Sutra, Twisted Sister, Charm City Devils, Riverboat Gamblers, Southern Death Cult, Back in Spades, The Automatic Music Explosion, Sludgefeast, Accept, Nirvana, Just a Fire, Earl Greyhound, Brougham, John Schuller, Guns N' Roses, Fight Paris, Marion Raven, Backstreet Girls, Bonfire, Crash Kelly, Backwash, Darediablo, American Heartbreak, Poison, The Paperbacks, The Handful, Krokus, The Last Vegas, Killer Dwarfs
- Similar Artists: Aerosmith, Angels, The Angels, Blue Öyster Cult, Alice Cooper, The Cult, Grand Funk Railroad, Great White, Guns N' Roses, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett, Kiss, London Quireboys, Mötley Crüe, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Rainbow, Rhino Bucket, Thin Lizzy, Thunder, Twisted Sister, UFO, Whitesnake, Y&T, Brian Johnson, Cold Chisel, The Billion Dollar Babies, Jackyl, Van Halen, Fleshies
AC/DC's mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the '70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early '70s. AC/DC's rock was minimalist -- no matter how huge and bludgeoning the guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with Bon Scott's larynx-shredding vocals, the band spawned countless imitators over the next two decades. AC/DC were formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young's band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus as lead guitarist, the band played some gigs around Sydney. Angus was only 15 years old at the time and his sister suggested that he should wear his school uniform on-stage; the look became the band's visual trademark. While still in Sydney, the original lineup featuring singer Dave Evans cut a single called "Can I Sit Next to You," with ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young (Malcolm and Angus' older brother) producing.
The band moved to Melbourne the following year, where drummer Phil Rudd (formerly of the Coloured Balls) and bassist Mark Evans joined the band. The band's chauffeur, Bon Scott, became the lead vocalist when singer Dave Evans refused to go on-stage. Previously, Scott had been vocalist for the Australian prog rock bands Fraternity and the Valentines. More importantly, he helped cement the group's image as brutes -- he had several convictions on minor criminal offenses and was rejected by the Australian Army for being "socially maladjusted." And AC/DC were socially maladjusted. Throughout their career they favored crude double entendres and violent imagery, all spiked with a mischievous sense of fun.
The group released two albums -- High Voltage and TNT -- in Australia in 1974 and 1975. Material from the two records comprised the 1976 release High Voltage in the U.S. and U.K.; the group also toured both countries. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap followed at the end of the year. Mark Evans left the band at the beginning of 1977, with Cliff Williams taking his place. In the fall of 1977, AC/DC released Let There Be Rock, which became their first album to chart in the U.S. Powerage, released in spring of 1978, expanded their audience even further, thanks in no small part to their dynamic live shows (which were captured on 1978's live If You Want Blood You've Got It). What really broke the doors down for the band was the following year's Highway to Hell, which hit number 17 in the U.S. and number eight in the U.K., becoming the group's first million-seller.
AC/DC's train was derailed when Bon Scott died on February 20, 1980. The official coroner's report stated he had "drunk himself to death." In March, the band replaced Scott with Brian Johnson. The following month, the band recorded Back in Black, which would prove to be its biggest album, selling over ten million copies in the U.S. alone. For the next few years, the band was one of the largest rock bands in the world, with For Those About to Rock We Salute You topping the charts in the U.S. In 1982, Rudd left the band; he was replaced by Simon Wright.
After 1983's Flick of the Switch, AC/DC's commercial standing began to slip; they were able to reverse their slide with 1990's The Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Thunderstruck." While not the commercial powerhouse they were during the late '70s and early '80s, the '90s saw them maintain their status as a top international concert draw. In the fall of 1995, their 16th album, Ballbreaker, was released. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album received some of the most positive reviews of AC/DC's career. Ballbreaker entered the American charts at number four and sold over a million copies in its first six months of release. Stiff Upper Lip followed in early 2000 with similar results. The group signed a multi-album deal with Sony the following year that resulted in a slew of reissues and DVDs. The band returned to the studio in 2008 for Black Ice, an all-new collection of songs that was followed by the group's first world tour since 2001. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide