AC/DC is a popular Australian rock band known for its loud, hard-driving music and rowdy, energetic live performances. AC/DC’s albums are among the best-selling in music history. The band’s name was inspired by the abbreviation for _a_lternating _c_urrent/_d_irect _c_urrent, two types of electrical currents .
AC/DC was formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia, by the Scottish -born Australian brothers Malcolm (1953-2017) and Angus (1955-…) Young. Malcolm played rhythm guitar and sang backup vocals. Angus played lead guitar. His short-pants schoolboy uniform has become a band trademark. The brothers co-wrote AC/DC’s songs.
In 1974, AC/DC released its first single, “Can I Sit Next to You,” featuring the Australian singer Dave Evans (1953-…). Evans was replaced later that year by the Scottish-born Australian singer Bon Scott (1946-1980). Scott also co-wrote a number of the group’s songs. AC/DC recorded its first album, High Voltage, with the Australian musicians Phil Rudd (1954-…) on drums and Mark Evans (1956-…) on bass. The album became a hit when it was released in Australia in 1976. The band’s lineup has changed often since the late 1970’s. Other musicians in the band have included, in chronological order, English bassist Cliff Williams (1949-…); English singer Brian Johnson (1947-…); English drummer Simon Wright (1963-…); Welsh drummer Chris Slade (1946-…); Stevie Young (1956-…), nephew of Malcolm and Angus Young; and Axl Rose (1962-…), lead singer of the American rock band Guns N’ Roses.
AC/DC gained popularity with the release of its next four studio albums: T.N.T. (1975), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), Let There Be Rock (1977), and Powerage (1978). The group had continued success with the live album If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978) and the studio album Highway to Hell (1979). AC/DC’s next album, Back in Black (1980), became one of the best-selling albums ever released. It was dedicated to Bon Scott, who died in 1980. The next album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981), became the band’s first to reach number one in the United States.
AC/DC’s other notable albums include Blow Up Your Video (1988); The Razor’s Edge (1990); Stiff Upper Lip (2000); and Black Ice (2008). The band’s music was also featured on the sound track album for the popular action motion picture Iron Man 2 (2010). AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
