AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973 in Sidney by two brothers of Scottish descent - Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music is described in various ways - as hard rock, blues rock or heavy metal, but the band prefers to simply call it rock and roll.
So was their lifestyle - in 1980 the band lost their first singer, Bon Scott, who died from choking on his own vomit after drinking a large amount of alcohol. After this tragic event, Brian Johnson took over the role of the band's frontman. Unfortunately, in 2016, due to hearing problems and the resulting inability to continue touring, Johnson left the group, not ruling out, however, returning after his health improved. His place to finish the tour was replaced by Axl Rose - the lead singer of Guns N 'Roses.
Who knows, maybe we'll hear AC/DC with Brian Johnson live one day? While waiting for this, we present you the Top 10 of AC/DC!
1. Highway to Hell
Opening track of the self-titled album of AC/DC from 1979. It was initially released as a single and is by far AC/DC's best known song. The guitar riff became a classic from the start. The band was known for their busy touring schedule promoting their previous releases which Angus Young, AC/DC's lead guitarist, called being on the Highway to Hell. Unfortunately, Bon Scott, the lead singer of the group, did not stay on this highway for too long because just 6 months after the premiere of the song his tragic death occurred. In 2019 the album celebrated its 40th anniversary.
2. You Shook Me All Night Long
The band's first single with a new singer, Brian Johnson. The song was listed on the 1980 album Back in Black and then on the 1986 album Who Made Who. The song is a staple on all AC/DC shows and is rarely excluded from the setlist. There were some controversies over the song including theories that (at least) some parts of the text were written by Bon Scott in 1976, four years before his death from alcohol intoxication. However, only brothers Young and Johnson are honored as authors of You Shook Me All Night Long. Two videos were made for the song - one in 1980, right after the song's premiere and the other in 1986 when the single was re-released on the Who Made Who album.
3. Back in Black
Title track from the group's seventh studio album from 1980 and the lead single from this album. The song is known for its opening guitar riff and is an introduction of a new AC/DC singer Brian Johnson. The song was written as a tribute to Scott who died few months earlier. The lyrics for the song were written by the new AC/DC frontman. The song was highly praised by critics all over the world, becoming a true classic of metal music.
4. Thunderstruck
The lead single from CD The Razors Edge from 1990. The song was created by the Young brothers and the title refers to their favorite childhood toy - ThunderStreak. Often in the band's logo the slash is replaced with a lightning which results from the expansion of the AC/DC abbreviation - alternating current / direct current. Hence the reference to the song - according to Angus Young "AC/DC = Power", this is the main idea. The audience appearing in the video even received T-shirts with the words "AC/DC - I was Thunderstruck".
5. T.N.T.
Title track from the band's second studio album from 1975 released only in Australia. Then the song appeared on High Voltage, the first international release of the group, containing songs from T.N.T. and High Voltage - the first two, exclusively Australian AC/DC albums. The title of the song alludes to the explosive properties of Trinitrotoluene (TNT). The song was covered by the legendary band Anthrax.
6. Hells Bells
Opening track and the second single from Back in Black. The song was also featured on the Who Made Who album, the soundtrack to Stephene King's 1986 film Maximum Overdrive. The song starts with ringing - a total of 13 times throughout the song’s intro. A 910 kg bell was used for the recording which is a replica of the Denison Bell from the Loughborough War Museum. Initially, the band wanted to use the original but the pigeons nesting in the tower occurred to be a problem.
7. Rock N Roll Train
Single from AC/DC's 15th studio album - Black Icefrom 2008. It achieved considerable commercial success. Rock N Roll Train and Thunderstruck are the only songs since For Those About to Rock (from the album We Salute You from 1981) that the band still performs live in concert (apart from the songs from the album, which is being promoted at the moment). The initial title of the song was "Runaway Train" and it opened every show from The Black Ice Tour.
8. Shoot To Thrill
The song from the album Back in Black which is also the soundtrack to the movie Iron Man 2. The video for the song combines shots of the movie and the AC/DC concert from 2009 in Buenos Aires. Explaining his lyrical inspiration for the song, Brian Johnson pointed to a British article about a dealer in the London suburbs selling drugs to bored, lonely and depressed housewives. These addicted housewives then stormed local clubs and bars looking for hot, extramarital relationships. The term "Shoot To Thrill .." most likely refers to some solutions such as diazepam (valium), which is often given by injection to treat anxiety and depression.
9. Whole Lotta Rosie
The eighth, closing track from the band's fourth studio album Let There Be Rock from 1977. The song was released as a single a year later. The song is about an obese woman from Tasmania, Rosie, with whom the singer of the time, Bon Scott, spent the night at a motel. In addition to emphasizing the size of the woman (120 kg), the singer considers her to be one of his most talented lovers. During live performances the song is accompanied by a giant, inflatable Rosie. The song was covered by Guns N 'Roses. Axl Rose certainly didn't think he would become the lead singer of AC/DC...
10. Touch Too Much
A track from the album Highway to Hell. Twelve days before Bon Scott's death, AC/DC performed this song on the BBC's Top of the Pops music show. Before Axl Rose joined the band for the Rock or Bust World Tour he admitted that Touch Too Much was his favorite AC/DC track. The song was first played live in 2016 in Prague.
As you can see, AC/DC has a very colorful but also intricate and sometimes even dramatic history. It's not the end, however – the band has just released a new album, Power Up at the end of 2020. So let’s hope we'll have the chance to hear AC/DC live!