AC/DC

Sydney and Bon Scott

AC/DC formed in Sydney in November 1973. Brothers Angus and Malcolm Young started the band with drummer Colin Burgess, bassist Larry Van Kriedt and singer Dave Evans. The name came from their sister Margaret, who pointed out the symbol AC/DC on the AC adapter of her sewing machine. She also suggested the school-uniform outfit that Angus first wore on stage in April 1974.

In September 1974 Bon Scott, who had sung with the Valentines and Fraternity, joined as lead singer. Like the Youngs he was born in Scotland and had emigrated to Australia as a child. With the producers Harry Vanda and George Young, the Youngs' older brother, the band recorded High Voltage in ten days in November 1974. T.N.T. followed in 1975, and it reached number two in Australia.

Atlantic and Mutt Lange

An international deal with Atlantic Records came in 1976, and the band arrived in London that April. Their third album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was rejected by Atlantic's American staff and did not appear in the United States until 1981. The rejection made the band determined to prove the label wrong, and they answered with Let There Be Rock in 1977 and Powerage in 1978, their first record with bassist Cliff Williams. Vanda and George Young produced all of them.

By 1979 Atlantic believed the band could break America with a radio-friendly sound and pressed for a new producer. Eddie Kramer, the first choice, did not suit them. Robert John "Mutt" Lange took over, and Highway to Hell was recorded at the Roundhouse in north London between 24 March and 14 April 1979. Lange worked them for fifteen hours a day, taught Scott to control his breathing, sang backing vocals himself and sat beside Angus to shape the solo of the title track. It became their first album in the American top 20.

Back in Black

Scott died in London on 19 February 1980. The band considered quitting, then auditioned singers, and on 29 March Malcolm offered the job to Brian Johnson, formerly of Geordie. With Lange producing again, they recorded Back in Black at Compass Point Studios in Nassau in April and May. In Angus's words, the all-black sleeve was a sign of mourning for Scott. The album reached number one in Britain and number four in the United States, and has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.

Its songs include Hells Bells, Back in Black and You Shook Me All Night Long. When Atlantic finally released Dirty Deeds in the United States in 1981, it reached number three.

Changes and returns

The Young brothers produced Flick of the Switch themselves in 1983, and drummer Phil Rudd was fired midway through the sessions. The band's comeback was The Razors Edge in 1990, produced by Bruce Fairbairn and led by Thunderstruck. It reached number two on the Billboard 200.

Malcolm Young left the band in 2014 because of dementia, and his nephew Stevie Young took his place. Malcolm died on 18 November 2017, aged 64. In 2016 doctors ordered Johnson to stop touring, Axl Rose sang the remaining dates, and Williams left after the tour. In September 2020 the band confirmed that Johnson, Rudd and Williams were back, and Power Up was released in November.

Reach

AC/DC are cited as a formative influence on British heavy metal bands such as Def Leppard and Saxon, and Dave Grohl and Josh Homme are among the musicians who name them as an influence. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. The band describe their music simply as rock and roll. Critics have faulted the lyrics as sexist, and Angus has called the band pranksters more than anything.