AC/DC is an Australian rock band and
considered pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal music. The group was formed in
Sydney, Australia in December, 1973. Their
albums have sold in colossal numbers - the total is now estimated to be around
100 million copies worldwide.
AC/DC
is generally divided into 'Bon Scott era (1974-80)' and 'Brian Johnson era
(1980-present)'. 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 cl 555l1110f ear 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 was 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 their lead vocalist when their
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 was 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. 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 their 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, the band'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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Band:
Brian
Johnson, voc
Angus
Young, g
Cliff
Williams, b
Malcolm
Young, g
Phil
Rudd, dr
