AC/DC

AC/DC
AC/DC
	AC/DC in 2015
Background information
Origin	Sydney, Australia
Genres	Hard rock; blues rock; rock and roll; heavy metal;
Years active	1973–present
Website	www.acdc.com
Members	Brian Johnson; Stevie Young; Angus Young; Cliff Williams; Phil Rudd
Past members	List of AC/DC members

AC/DC is a hard rock band from Australia. They formed in Sydney, Australia in November 1973. AC/DC has sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide,^[1] including 68 million in the United States of America.^[2] The two primary founders of the band, Malcolm Young and Angus Young, developed the idea for the band's name after their sister Margaret saw the initials "AC/DC" written on a sewing machine. "AC/DC" is an abbreviation for "alternating current/direct current," which refer to the two different types of charges used in electricity. The band chose the name because of their energetic “electrical” style of playing rock and roll. Even though AC/DC considers their music style simply as "rock and roll", AC/DC are often considered pioneers of heavy metal.^[3]^[4]

Band members

Current members

Brian Johnson - vocals
Stevie Young - guitar
Angus Young - guitar (1973—)
Cliff Williams - bass (1977—)
Phil Rudd - drums and percussion (1975–1983 and 1994—)

Past members

Malcolm Young - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973–2014; died 2017)
Bon Scott - vocals (1974–1980; his death)
Dave Evans - vocals (1973–1974)
Colin Burgess - drums and percussion (1973–1974; substituted 1975; died 2023)
Rob Bailey II - bass (1973–1974)
Noel Taylor - drums and percussion (1974)
Paul Matters - bass (1975; died 2020)
Larry van Kriedt - Bass, saxophone (1973–1975)
Peter Clack - drums and percussion (1974–1975)
Mark Evans II - bass (1974–1975)
Simon Wright - drums and percussion (1984–1989)
Chris Slade - drums and percussion (1989–1994, 2015–2016)

Discography

Albums

High Voltage (Australia only) (1975)
T.N.T. (Australia only) (1975)
High Voltage (1976)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) (released in the United States in 1981)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
If You Want Blood You've Got It (Live Album) (1978)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)
For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
Flick of the Switch (1983)
'74 Jailbreak (1984) (Five tracks from the Australian releases of High Voltage and one track from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap)
Fly on the Wall (1985)
Who Made Who (1986) (soundtrack to the Stephen King movie Maximum Overdrive)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razor's Edge (1990)
Live (1992) (released as both a double and a single album)
- Live: Collector's Edition (1992)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Bonfire (1997) (boxed set tribute to Bon Scott)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)
Backtracks (2009) (boxed set)
Iron Man 2 (2010) (soundtrack to the movie Iron Man 2)
Rock or Bust (2014)
Power Up (2020)

Video

Family Jewels (2005)
Live At Donington (1991)
Plug Me In (2007)
No Bull (1996)
Stiff Upper Lip Live (2001)
Live at River Plate (2011)

AC/DC Media

The band's logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta. It first appeared on the international version of Let There Be Rock.
Bon Scott (pictured in 1979) joined as the lead singer in 1974.
Scott (centre) pictured with Angus (left) and bass guitarist Cliff Williams (back), performing in Belfast in 1979
Cliff Williams (pictured in 1981) joined as bass guitarist in 1977.
A bronze statue of Bon Scott in Fremantle, Western Australia
Brian Johnson (pictured in 2008) joined as a lead singer in 1980.
Phil Rudd performing in Seattle in 1996
Stevie Young (pictured in 2016) joined as a touring rhythm guitarist in 1988, then joined as a permanent member in 2014.
Malcolm performing for the "Thunderstruck" music video in 1990
Angus performing in Munich in 2001