AC / DC - Wikipedia AC / DC This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 11 August 2018. Not to be confused with ACxDC. This article is about the band. For other uses, see AC / DC ( disambiguation ). AC / DC AC / DC, from left to right : Brian Johnson, Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Cliff Williams, performing at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma on 31 August 2009. Background information Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Genres Hard rock blues rock rock and roll Years active 1973 ( 1973 ) -- present Labels Albert EMI Columbia Epic Atlantic Atco Elektra East West Associated acts Marcus Hook Roll Band Website acdc.com Members Angus Young Chris Slade Stevie Young Axl Rose Past members Malcolm Young Dave Evans Larry Van Kriedt Colin Burgess Bon Scott Phil Rudd Mark Evans Cliff Williams Brian Johnson Simon Wright AC / DC are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been described by music journalists as hard rock, blues rock, and controversially, heavy metal, although the group have called themselves `` a rock and roll band, nothing more, nothing less ''. AC / DC underwent several line - up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership subsequently stabilised until Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans as bassist in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group considered disbanding, but buoyed by support from Scott 's parents, decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist. The band eventually tapped Geordie singer Brian Johnson to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their new album Back in Black, which they dedicated to Scott 's memory. The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all - time best - seller. The band 's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. The band fired Phil Rudd as drummer in 1983, and ex-A II Z drummer Simon Wright filled in Rudd 's place. In 1989, Wright would himself leave the band so he could join Dio. The band experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 after Chris Slade, who had been with the band from 1989 to 1994, was asked to leave in his favour, and contributed to the band 's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip, released in 2000, was well received by critics. The band 's studio album Black Ice, released in 2008, was the second highest - selling album of that year, and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No. 1 on all charts worldwide. The band 's line - up remained the same until 2014 with Malcolm Young 's retirement due to early - onset dementia and Rudd 's legal troubles. In 2016, Johnson was advised to stop touring on due to worsening hearing loss, and Guns N ' Roses frontman Axl Rose stepped in as the band 's vocalist for the remainder of that year 's dates. Long - term bass player and background vocalist Cliff Williams retired from the band at the end of their 2016 Rock or Bust world tour. AC / DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States, making them the tenth highest - selling artist in the United States and the 14th best selling artist worldwide. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second - highest - selling album by any artist -- and the highest - selling album by any band. The album has sold 22 million units in the US, where it is the sixth - highest - selling album of all time. AC / DC ranked fourth on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' and were named the seventh `` Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time '' by MTV. In 2004, AC / DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ''. Producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list, referred to AC / DC as `` the greatest rock and roll band of all time ''. In 2010, VH1 ranked AC / DC number 23 in its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ''. Contents 1 History 1.1 Background and name 1.2 Early years 1.3 Bon Scott era ( 1974 -- 1980 ) 1.3. 1 Beginnings ( 1974 -- 1975 ) 1.3. 2 International success ( 1976 -- 1980 ) 1.3. 3 Scott 's death ( 1980 ) 1.4 Brian Johnson era ( 1980 -- 2016 ) 1.4. 1 Rebirth ( 1980 -- 1983 ) 1.4. 2 Departure of Rudd and commercial decline ( 1983 -- 1987 ) 1.4. 3 Back to commercial success ( 1987 -- 1990 ) 1.4. 4 Popularity regained ( 1990 -- 1994 ) 1.4. 5 Popularity confirmed ( 1994 -- 2008 ) 1.4. 6 Black Ice ( 2008 -- 2011 ) 1.5 Multiple lineup changes, Rock or Bust ( 2011 -- 2017 ) 1.5. 1 Malcolm Young 's retirement and death 1.5. 2 `` Rock or Bust '' 1.5. 3 Phil Rudd 's replacement 1.5. 4 Brian Johnson 's hearing loss and departure 1.5. 5 Axl Rose joins 1.5. 6 Departure of Cliff Williams 1.5. 7 Future of band 2 Musical style 3 Accolades 4 Band members 4.1 Current members 4.2 Former members 5 Awards and nominations 6 Discography 6.1 Studio albums 7 Tours 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links History Background and name Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland living at 6 Skerryvore Road in the Cranhill area. The Big Freeze of 1963 was the worst winter on record in Scotland with snow eight feet deep. A TV advertisement at the same time offered assisted travel for families for a different life in Australia. 15 members of the Young family left Scotland by aeroplane in late June 1963. Before moving into a house at 4 Burleigh Street in the suburb of Burwood they initially stayed at Villawood Migrant Hostel ( a site later developed as Villawood Immigration Detention Centre ) in Nissen huts, where George Young met and became friends with another migrant, Harry Vanda. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of the Easybeats, one of Australia 's most successful bands of the 1960s. In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song `` Friday on My Mind ''. Malcolm followed in George 's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground ( not to be confused with the New York - based Velvet Underground ). Their older brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests. In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London - based band Grapefruit -- initially called `` The Grapefruit '' -- with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham. The band 's logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta. It first appeared on the international version of Let There Be Rock. Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band 's name after their sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials `` AC / DC '' on a sewing machine. `` AC / DC '' is an abbreviation meaning `` alternating current / direct current '' electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band 's raw energy, power - driven performances of their music. `` AC / DC '' is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as `` Acca Dacca '' in Australia. The AC / DC band name is stylised with a high voltage sign separating the `` AC '' and `` DC '' and has been used on all studio albums, with the exception of the international version of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Early years In November 1973, Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC / DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer. Pushing hard for the band 's success were Australia 's roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. Gene Pierson booked the band to play at Chequers nightclub on New Year 's Eve, 1973. By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school - uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret 's. Angus had tried other costumes : Spider - Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang. In its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit. On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band 's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with Sherbet prior to Daryl Braithwaite. In Paul Stenning 's book AC / DC : Two Sides To Every Glory it is stated that Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band 's ill feeling toward Evans. By the middle of 1974, the band had built up a strong live reputation which led to a support slot for the visiting Lou Reed. Some time in 1974, on the recommendation of Michael Chugg, veteran Melbourne promoter Michael Browning booked the band to play at his club, the Hard Rock. Browning had previously managed Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, unsuccessfully trying to break them into the UK market. He did not like their glam rock image and felt that Evans was the wrong singer for the band, but was impressed by the Young brothers ' guitar playing. Shortly afterwards, he received a call from the band ; Laughlin had quit as manager, and they were stuck in Adelaide with no money. Browning agreed to bail them out and booked them for another gig at the Hard Rock. Following the gig, they agreed to take him on as their new manager, with the co-operation of their older brother George and Harry Vanda. The Young brothers decided to abandon the glam rock image which had already been adopted by Melbourne band The Skyhooks and pursue a harder blues - rock sound. To this end they agreed that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group. Around this time, they also moved their base to Melbourne, where they frequently played at the Hard Rock. Bon Scott era ( 1974 -- 1980 ) Beginnings ( 1974 -- 1975 ) In September 1974, Ronald Belford `` Bon '' Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans after friend Vince Lovegrove recommended him to George Young. Scott 's appointment coincided with him working as a chauffeur for the band at the time until an audition promoted him to lead singer. Like the Young brothers, Scott was born in Scotland and emigrated to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, `` Can I Sit Next To You, Girl '' / `` Rockin ' in the Parlour '' ; eventually, the song was re-written and re-recorded with Bon Scott as `` Can I Sit Next to You Girl '' ( Track 7 on the Australian album TNT ( 1975 ), and Track 6 on the international release of High Voltage ( 1976 ) ). `` It 's a Long Way to the Top '' ( 1975 ) The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of the bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band. Problems playing this file ? See media help. By October 1974, the Australia - only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band 's line - up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans, and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single `` It 's a Long Way to the Top '', for which a well - known promotional video was made for the program Countdown, featuring the band miming the song on the back of a flatbed truck. The song is regarded as their perennial rock anthem. It was included on their second album, T.N.T. ( 1975 ), which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. T.N.T. featured the song `` High Voltage '', which was the first song written and recorded for the album. Because `` High Voltage '' was released as a single before T.N.T. was released, some people thought it was the title track to AC / DC 's debut album. AC / DC were scheduled to play at the 1975 Sunbury music festival ; however, they went home without performing following an altercation with the management of headlining act Deep Purple. Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum 's Countdown, the ABC 's nationally broadcast pop - music television show, AC / DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years. International success ( 1976 -- 1980 ) Former vocalist Bon Scott ( centre ) pictured with guitarist Angus Young ( left ) and bassist Cliff Williams ( back ), performing at the Ulster Hall in August 1979 Browning sent promo material to contacts in London, which came to the attention of Phil Carson of Atlantic Records. In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records. On arrival in London, their scheduled tour with Back Street Crawler was cancelled following the death of Paul Kossoff. As a result, they went back to playing smaller venues to build a local following until their label organized the `` Lock Up Your Daughters '' tour sponsored by Sounds magazine, the only major music magazine which was still relatively receptive to traditional rock music. At the time, punk rock was breaking out in London and came to dominate the pages of the major music weeklies, NME and Melody Maker. AC / DC were sometimes identified with the punk rock movement by the British press, however, in reality, they hated punk rock, believing it to be a passing fad -- according to manager Michael Browning `` it was n't possible to even hold a conversation with AC / DC about punk without them getting totally pissed off ''. Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time. Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances. The first AC / DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album has to date sold three million copies worldwide. The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., and included only two songs from their first LP. The band 's next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured the T.N.T. track `` Rocker '', which had previously not been released internationally. The original Australian version included `` Jailbreak '' ( now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP ' 74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album ). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity. After a brief tour of Sweden, they returned to London where they set new attendance records during their residency at the Marquee. However, their appearance at the 1976 Reading Festival failed to get a response from the crowd. They toured extensively throughout Europe, then returned to tour Australia in late 1976 to rebuild their finances and record the Let There Be Rock album. In early 1977 they returned to Britain and began a European tour with Black Sabbath. While Bon Scott and Ozzy Osbourne quickly became friends, relations were less than cordial between the other members of the respective bands. In one incident, Geezer Butler pulled a knife on Malcolm Young. Later in the year they toured with Rainbow. Towards the end of 1977, bassist Mark Evans was fired ; purportedly to find someone who could sing backup vocals. Evans described disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor. He was replaced by Cliff Williams. Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC / DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, `` You knew Mark was n't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy. '' Mark Evans ' autobiography, DIRTY DEEDS : My Life Inside / Outside of AC / DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC / DC, including being fired. Bronze statue of Bon Scott, unveiled in Fremantle, Western Australia, in October 2008 AC / DC were a somewhat formative influence on new wave of British heavy metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s hard rock bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC / DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions, and Judas Priest, were among `` the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned. '' AC / DC 's first American radio exposure was through Bill Bartlett at Jacksonville station WPDQ / WAIV in 1975, two years before they played their first US concert as support band for Canadian group Moxy in Austin, Texas, on 27 July 1977. Under the guidance of booking agent Doug Thaler of American Talent International and later the management of Leber - Krebs, they gained invaluable experience of the US stadium circuit, supporting leading rock acts such as Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with bands such as Cheap Trick. The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock. Only one single was released from Powerage, `` Rock ' n ' Roll Damnation / Sin City ''. An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You 've Got It, featuring such songs as `` Whole Lotta Rosie '', `` Problem Child '', and `` Let There Be Rock '', as well as lesser - known album tracks like `` Riff Raff ''. Powerage was the last album produced by Harry Vanda and George Young that had lead vocals by Bon Scott, and is claimed to be AC / DC 's most under - rated album. The major breakthrough in the band 's career came in their collaboration with producer `` Mutt '' Lange on the album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC / DC record, along with Powerage. It became the first AC / DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching No. 17, and it propelled AC / DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts. Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC / DC 's signature sound : loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats. The final track, `` Night Prowler '', has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing. Scott 's death ( 1980 ) As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see it finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear 's house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King 's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott 's death, and the official cause was listed as `` acute alcohol poisoning ''. Scott 's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy. Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott 's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist. Scott 's asthma has also been cited as playing a role in his death, but this has been challenged more recently. Brian Johnson era ( 1980 -- 2016 ) Rebirth ( 1980 -- 1983 ) Brian Johnson live with AC / DC in 2008 Following Scott 's death the band briefly considered quitting, but encouraged by the insistence from Scott 's parents that he would have wanted them to go on, they eventually decided to continue and went about finding a new frontman. Various candidates were considered for his replacement, including : Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems, ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and then Slade vocalist, Noddy Holder. The remaining AC / DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson. Angus Young later recalled, `` I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian 's ( Johnson ) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said ' Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard. ' And that was Bon 's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was ' Well he 's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about. ' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him. '' Cliff Williams in 1981 during the For Those About to Rock Tour For the audition, Johnson sang `` Whole Lotta Rosie '' from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner 's `` Nutbush City Limits ''. He was hired a few days after the audition. With Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Scott for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott 's death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest - selling album and a hard - rock landmark ; hits include `` Hells Bells '', `` You Shook Me All Night Long '', `` Rock and Roll Ai n't Noise Pollution '' and the title track. The album reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart. The follow - up album, 1981 's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band 's most popular singles : `` Let 's Get It Up '' and the title track, `` For Those About to Rock '', which reached No. 13 and No. 15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self - produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums. Departure of Rudd and commercial decline ( 1983 -- 1987 ) `` Back in Black '' ( 1980 ) `` Back in Black '' 's riff is one of the most recognised in hard rock history. The song ranked No. 187 on Rolling Stone ' s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reached No. 37 in the US. Problems playing this file ? See media help. After having problems with drugs and alcohol, drummer Phil Rudd 's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation after which Rudd was fired. Former Procol Harum drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used, as Rudd had already completed his drum parts. Rudd was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held over 700 auditions in the US and UK. Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company fame, and Paul Thompson of Roxy Music were two of the drummers auditioned. Later in the year, AC / DC released the self - produced album Flick of the Switch, which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable. One critic stated that the band `` had made the same album nine times ''. AC / DC were voted the eighth - biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang ! readers ' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached No. 4 on the UK charts, and AC / DC had minor success with the singles `` Nervous Shakedown '' and `` Flick of the Switch ''. Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless. A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album 's ten songs. In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made - for - radio `` Who Made Who ''. The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King 's film Maximum Overdrive ; it brought together older hits, such as `` You Shook Me All Night Long '' and `` Ride On '', with newer songs such as title track `` Who Made Who '', and two new instrumentals, `` D.T. '' and `` Chase the Ace ''. In February 1988, AC / DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association 's Hall of Fame. Back to commercial success ( 1987 -- 1990 ) AC / DC 's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val, France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release ; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive `` filler '', it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching No. 2 on the UK charts -- AC / DC 's highest position since `` Back in Black '' in 1980. The album featured the UK top - twenty single `` Heatseeker '' and popular songs such as `` That 's the Way I Wanna Rock ' n ' Roll ''. The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm 's place. Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce, so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Rock or Bust in 2014. Popularity regained ( 1990 -- 1994 ) Phil Rudd performs at the KeyArena in Seattle on 12 August 1996 during the Ballbreaker World Tour The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major comeback for the band, and included the hits `` Thunderstruck '' and `` Are You Ready '', which reached No. 5 and No. 16 respectively on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and `` Moneytalks '', which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten. Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s. AC / DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show during this tour, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. During The Razors Edge tour three fans were killed at a concert at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in January 1991. When the concert began fans rushed the stage crushing the three and injuring others. It took 20 minutes before venue security and the group understood the severity of the situation and stopped the concert. AC / DC settled with the victims ' families out of court. As a result of this incident, the Salt Palace eliminated festival seating from future events. A year later, AC / DC recorded `` Big Gun '' for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, and was released as a single, reaching No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band 's first No. 1 single on that chart. Popularity confirmed ( 1994 -- 2008 ) In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band 's strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles by the reunited 1980 -- 83 line - up and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was `` Hard as a Rock ''. Two more singles were released from the album : `` Hail Caesar '' and `` Cover You in Oil ''. In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums ; a remastered version of Back in Black ; Volts ( a disc with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts ) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock : The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock : The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC / DC : Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two - sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick. Angus Young performs in Cologne, Germany in 2001 during the Stiff Upper Lip Tour In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas. The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached No. 1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany ; No. 2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland ; No. 3 in Australia ; No. 5 in Canada and Portugal ; and No. 7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, `` Stiff Upper Lip '', remained at No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks. The other singles released also did very well ; `` Satellite Blues '' and `` Safe in New York City '' reached No. 7 and No. 31 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively. In 2002, AC / DC signed a long - term, multi-album deal with Sony Music, who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC / DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes. In 2003, the entire back - catalogue ( except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip ) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005 ; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007. Also in 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history. The band came second in a list of Australia 's highest - earning entertainers for 2005, and sixth for 2006, despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC / DC 's full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008. On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC / DC at a high school performing `` School Days '', `` TNT '', `` She 's Got Balls '', and `` It 's a Long Way to the Top ''. As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector 's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews. AC / DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with `` Let There Be Rock '' included as a playable track. The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal - Mart - exclusive retail disc titled AC / DC Live : Rock Band Track Pack. No Bull : The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu - ray and DVD of the band 's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008. Black Ice ( 2008 -- 2011 ) `` Rock ' n ' Roll Train '' Sample of Black Ice 's lead single `` Rock ' n ' Roll Train ''. The song is built on guitar riffs and elemental drum beats, and features harmonic backing vocals during the chorus. Problems playing this file ? See media help. On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15 - track album was the band 's first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Walmart and Sam 's Club and the band 's official website. AC / DC performs at Rogers Centre in Toronto on 7 November 2008 during their Black Ice World Tour `` Rock ' n ' Roll Train '', the album 's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC / DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video. Black Ice debuted at No. 1 on album charts in 29 countries and also was Columbia Records ' biggest debut album ( since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991 ). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries ( Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand ) and Gold status in four countries ( The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil ). The 18 - month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania. On 15 September 2008, AC / DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC / DC music along with interviews with the band members. Angus Young on 18 June 2010 at the Stade de France ( Paris ). With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created `` Rock Again AC / DC Stores '' to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created `` AC / DC Rock Band Stores '' in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. `` Black Ice '' trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC / DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise. In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers. On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3 - CD / 2 - DVD / 1 - LP box - set. On 4 November AC / DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner ( entertainment ) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years. On 19 April 2010, AC / DC released Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the eponymous film which compiled earlier tracks from the band 's studio albums. One month later, the band headlined Download Festival at Donington Park, and closed the Black Ice World Tour in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which AC / DC went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated audience of over five million people. Three concerts in December 2009 at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina were released as the DVD Live at River Plate on 10 May 2011. An exclusive single from the DVD, featuring the songs `` Shoot to Thrill '' and `` War Machine '', was issued on Record Store Day. In 2011, the band also issued on DVD and Blu - ray the concert movie AC / DC : Let There Be Rock, which had its theatrical release in 1980. Multiple lineup changes, Rock or Bust ( 2011 -- 2017 ) Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying, `` Now we 're thinking, ' How can we ever better the ' Black Ice ' world tour ? ' But we will. '' At the band 's Live at River Plate DVD premiere on 6 May 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, Angus said that there were plans for the group to release a new studio album `` within the next couple of years '', which the tour would support. In May 2012, Malcolm Young confirmed that the band were working on a potential follow - up to 2008 's Black Ice. But he warned that fans were in for a longer wait than expected, after lead singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material the next year. Malcolm stated, `` You know what Brian 's like. He just says things and then walks away. It 'll be a little while -- a year or two anyway. I 've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more. '' On 19 November 2012, AC / DC released Live at River Plate, their first live album in 20 years. Malcolm Young 's retirement and death On 16 April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young being seriously ill and unable to perform, Brian Johnson commented that AC / DC are not retiring, stating `` We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We 're going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we 'll record it. '' AC / DC subsequently announced in an official statement on their Facebook page that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his ill health. It ended : `` The band will continue to make music. '' In June, Johnson announced that AC / DC are `` very likely '' to be on the road again before the end of 2014. In July 2014, AC / DC confirmed that they had finished recording their next album and that Malcolm 's nephew, Stevie Young replaced Malcolm in the studio. Drummer Phil Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job, on 29 August 2014. He confirmed that there would be another AC / DC tour, and stated that the band had no intention of retiring, adding, `` We 'll all have to be dead before it stops. '' Malcolm died on 18 November 2017 at the age of 64. `` Rock or Bust '' AC / DC performs at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona on 29 May 2015 during their Rock or Bust Tour On 23 September 2014, Alberts management confirmed that founder member Malcolm Young had officially departed from the band and revealed that their new record entitled Rock or Bust featuring eleven new tracks would be released on 28 November 2014 as the first AC / DC album in the band 's history without Malcolm Young on the recordings. The band also announced plans for a world tour to promote the new album with Malcolm and Angus ' nephew Stevie Young as Malcolm 's replacement. Phil Rudd 's replacement On 6 November 2014 Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of cannabis, following a police raid on his home. The charge of attempting to procure a murder was withdrawn the following day, but the other charges remained. AC / DC released a statement clarifying that the tour promoting Rock or Bust would continue, but did not say whether or not Rudd would participate, or if he was still a member of the band. In an interview on 13 November, Angus Young stated that the band had experienced problems with Rudd earlier in the year when recording Rock or Bust, and that his situation had taken the band by surprise. Rudd had also missed video and photo shoots, and with reference to Rudd 's future in the band, Young added, `` So, at this stage, it 's a pretty tough call for us. '' He also said the band would continue : `` He 's got to sort himself out I think... At this point it 's kind of a question mark. But if we 're touring, there will be a drummer in place, put it that way. '' At the charity signing before the Grammy Awards, the band was photographed together with former drummer Chris Slade. It was later confirmed that he had rejoined the band for the Grammys and upcoming tour. In April 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant. Shortly thereafter, the band 's web site removed Rudd as the band 's drummer and replaced him with Slade. On 9 July 2015 Rudd was denied a discharge without conviction and sentenced to eight months ' home detention. Brian Johnson 's hearing loss and departure On 7 March 2016, the band announced that the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust World Tour would be rescheduled as Johnson 's doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately, as his hearing loss had accelerated and he risked complete deafness if he persisted on the road. The ten cancelled dates would be performed `` likely with a guest vocalist '' later in the year, leaving Johnson 's future in touring with the group uncertain. Johnson himself later stated on The Howard Stern Show that his hearing loss did n't come from having performed for 36 years with AC / DC, but rather his love of auto racing and having forgotten to put in ear plugs during one race that left him with a ruptured ear drum in his left ear. However, on 15 March 2016, American comedian Jim Breuer ( a friend of Johnson ) revealed on his podcast that Johnson had received a second opinion on his hearing and it was not as bad as initially thought. Nonetheless, Breuer mentioned that Johnson told him that he was essentially fired from AC / DC and that he had n't heard from the band since the announcement of the tour being postponed, adding that Angus Young wants to continue the band for at least another ten years and do at least one more studio album and world tour. Breuer later clarified his comments on Facebook that did not end speculation on Johnson 's future with the band. On 19 April 2016, Johnson made an official statement regarding his health problems and inability to tour. In the statement, he acknowledged his ongoing hearing difficulties but stated his intentions to continue recording and potentially resume touring if his health improves sufficiently. He also specifically thanked Angus Young and Cliff Williams for their support during his AC / DC tenure. Axl Rose Joins AC / DC performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on 17 September 2016 during their Rock or Bust Tour On 16 April 2016, AC / DC released a statement announcing the addition of Guns N ' Roses frontman Axl Rose as the band 's lead vocalist for the remainder of their 2016 tour dates. The statement reads : `` AC / DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures. As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian 's decision to stop touring and save his hearing. We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments to everyone that has supported us over the years, and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment. AC / DC will resume their Rock or Bust World Tour with Axl Rose joining on vocals. '' Departure of Cliff Williams On 8 July 2016, Cliff Williams indicated he was retiring from the band in an interview with Gulfshore Life, saying `` It 's been what I 've known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I 'm backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it 's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it 's the right thing. '' At the end of the Rock or Bust Tour he released a video statement confirming his retirement. Future of band Following the band 's final show with Williams on 21 September 2016 in Philadelphia it was reported that Axl Rose would be joining the band full - time and that he and Angus would continue AC / DC with different musicians. Young 's friend Angry Anderson said in a March 2018 interview that Young intended to make a new album with Rose. In August 2018, however, several sources speculated that both Johnson and Rudd are working with the band again, as the pair were photographed at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada, where the band had previously recorded their last three studio albums. Musical style AC / DC have referred to themselves as `` a rock and roll band, nothing more, nothing less ''. In the opinion of Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, they were `` one of the defining acts of ' 70s hard rock '' and reactionary to the period 's art rock and arena rock excesses : `` AC / DC 's rock was minimalist -- no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. '' According to Alexis Petridis, their music was `` hard - edged, wilfully basic blues - rock '' featuring humourous sexual innuendo and lyrics about rock and roll. Music academic Robert McParland described the band 's sound as being defined by the heavy rock guitar of the Young brothers, layered power chords, and forceful vocals. `` For some, AC / DC are the ultimate heavy metal act '', Tim Jonze wrote in The Guardian, `` but for others, AC / DC are n't a heavy metal act at all, they 're a classic rock band -- and calling them heavy metal is an act of treachery. '' On the controversy of categorizing their music, McParland wrote : `` AC / DC will assert that they are not specifically a metal band. Their music -- loud, hard, and guitar driven -- may best be described as hard rock. However, there are people who will say that they are indisuputably metal. Therein lies the ongoing problem of categorization. While AC / DC has referenced the underworld and they have given their listeners ' Highway to Hell ' and ' Hell 's Bells, ' their songs are constructed on straightforward major and minor power chords. They are not modally developed as are a good deal of heavy metal compositions. Their sound is loud and crisp, not muddy or down - tuned. '' According to Vulture music journalist David Marchese, the instrumental foundation of the band 's simple sound was the drummer -- Rudd, Wright, or Slade -- striking the kick drum on the first and third beat of every measure, and the snare drum on the second and fourth beat ; bassist Williams consistently downpicking an eighth note ; Angus Young performing lead parts that possessed `` a clear architecture and even sort of swing, in a frenzied, half - demented way '' ; and Malcolm Young 's `` propulsive '' yet nuanced rhythm guitar featuring `` little chuks, stutters, and silences that give the monstrous riffs life ''. For the majority of Malcolm Young 's tenure in AC / DC, he used a Marshall Super Bass head to amplify his rhythm guitar while recording in the studio. According to Chris Gill of Guitar World, the amplifier helped define his signature guitar tone : `` clean but as loud as possible to ride on the razor 's edge of power amp distortion and deliver the ideal combination of grind, twang, clang and crunch, with no distorted preamp ' hair, ' fizz or compression '', as heard on songs such as `` Let There Be Rock '', `` Dirty Deeds '', `` For Those About to Rock '', and `` Thunderstruck ''. During 1978 to 1980, however, Young used a Marshall 2203 100 - watt master volume head, which Gill speculates may have contributed to a `` slightly more distorted and dark '' guitar tone on the albums from that period, including Powerage and Back in Black. With the recording of Back in Black in 1980, rock journalist Joe S. Harrington believed the band had departed further from the blues - oriented rock of their previous albums, and toward a more dynamic attack that adopted punk rock 's `` high - energy implications '' and transmuted their hard rock / heavy metal songs into `` more pop - oriented blasts ''. The band would remain faithful for the remainder of their career, to this `` impeccably ham - handed '' musical style : `` the guitars were compacted into a singular statement of rhythmic efficiency, the rhythm section provided the thunderhorse overdrive, and vocalist Johnson belowed and brayed like the most unhinged practitioner of bluesy top - man dynamics since vintage Robert Plant. '' In a comparison of AC / DC 's vocalists, Robert Christgau said Bon Scott exhibited a `` blokelike croak '' and `` charm '', often singing about sexual aggression in the guise of fun : `` Like Ian Hunter or Roger Chapman though without their panache, he has fun being a dirty young man ''. Johnson, in his opinion, possessed `` three times the range and wattage '' as a vocalist while projecting the character of a `` bloke as fantasy - fiction demigod ''. By the time Johnson had fully acclimated himself with 1981 's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, Christgau said he defined `` an anthemic grandiosity more suitable to ( the band 's ) precious - metal status than Bon Scott 's old - fashioned raunch '', albeit in a less intelligent manner. Throughout the band 's career, their music has been criticized as simplistic, monotonous, deliberately lowbrow, Satanic, and sexist. David Marchese from Vulture wrote that, `` regardless of the lyricist, whether it was Scott ( who was capable of real wit and color ), Johnson, or the Young brothers, there 's a deep strain of misogyny in the band 's output that veers from feeling terribly dated to straight - up reprehensible. '' According to Christgau in 1988, `` the brutal truth is that sexism has never kept a great rock - and - roller down -- from Muddy to Lemmy, lots of dynamite music has objectified women in objectionable ways. But rotely is not among those ways '', in regards to AC / DC. Fans of the band have defended their music by highlighting its `` bawdy humour '', while members of the group have generally been dismissive of claims that their songs are sexist, arguing that they are meant to be in jest. In an interview with Sylvie Simmons for Mojo, Angus called the band `` pranksters more than anything else '', while Malcolm said `` we 're not like some macho band. We take the music far more seriously than we take the lyrics, which are just throwaway lines. '' Marchese regarded the musical aspect of the Youngs ' songs `` strong enough to render the words a functional afterthought '', as well as `` deceptively plain, devastatingly effective, and extremely lucrative ''. The Guardian 's Fiona Sturges said that while she is a feminist, and AC / DC are a problematic group for her, she nonetheless loves their music, believing it would be `` daft as opposed to damaging '' for female listeners if they can understand the band to be `` a bunch of archly sex - obsessed idiots with sharp tunes and some seriously killer riffs ''. In spite of `` Carry Me Home '' 's disdain for its female subject, the rape fantasy of `` Let Me Put My Love in You '', and the generally one - dimensional portrayals of women, Sturges believed songs such as `` Whole Lotta Rosie '' and `` She Shook Me All Night Long '' demonstrated that the female characters `` are also having a good time and are, more often than not, in the driving seat in sexual terms... it 's the men who come over as passive and hopeless, awestruck in the presence of sexual partners more experienced and adept than them. '' Accolades The street sign for ACDC Lane, Melbourne AC / DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003. During the ceremony the band performed `` Highway to Hell '' and `` You Shook Me All Night Long '', with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band 's power chords as `` the thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body. '' During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song `` Let There Be Rock ''. On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés ( near Madrid ) named a street in honour of the band as `` Calle de AC / DC '' ( `` AC / DC Street '' ). Malcolm and Angus attended the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque. In May 2003, the Young brothers accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which Malcolm paid special tribute to Bon Scott, who was also a recipient of the award. On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. The City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined. The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit `` It 's a Long Way to the Top ''. They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2000 at that point. Additionally, the group 's commercial success continues to flourish despite their choice to refrain from selling albums in digital online formats for many years. However, in November 2012, the entire catalogue ( excluding the TNT album and the Australian versions of the High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock albums ) became available on the iTunes Store. In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group 's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC / DC the fifth - best - selling band in US history and the tenth - best - selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna and Mariah Carey. The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond ( 20 million ) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which made it the fifth - best - selling album of all - time in the US. Band members Main article : List of AC / DC band members Current members Angus Young -- lead guitar ( 1973 -- present ) Chris Slade -- drums ( 1989 -- 1994, 2015 -- present ) Stevie Young -- rhythm guitar, backing vocals ( 2014 -- present ) Axl Rose -- lead vocals ( 2016 -- present ) Former members Malcolm Young -- rhythm guitar, backing vocals ( 1973 -- 2014 ; died 2017 ) Dave Evans -- lead vocals ( 1973 -- 1974 ) Bon Scott -- lead vocals ( 1974 -- 1980 ; died 1980 ) Phil Rudd -- drums ( 1975 -- 1983, 1994 -- 2015 ) Mark Evans -- bass guitar ( 1975 -- 1977 ) Cliff Williams -- bass guitar, backing vocals ( 1977 -- 2016 ) Brian Johnson -- lead vocals ( 1980 -- 2016 ) Simon Wright -- drums ( 1983 -- 1989 ) Note : Before their debut album, High Voltage ( 1975 ), AC / DC had several line up changes. For a more comprehensive list of members that were part of the band before 1975, see List of AC / DC band members. Awards and nominations Main article : List of awards and nominations received by AC / DC Discography Main articles : AC / DC discography and List of songs recorded by AC / DC Studio albums High Voltage ( 1975 ) ( Australia only ) T.N.T. ( 1975 ) ( Australia only ) High Voltage ( 1976 ) ( international version ) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap ( 1976 ) Let There Be Rock ( 1977 ) Powerage ( 1978 ) Highway to Hell ( 1979 ) Back in Black ( 1980 ) For Those About to Rock We Salute You ( 1981 ) Flick of the Switch ( 1983 ) Fly on the Wall ( 1985 ) Blow Up Your Video ( 1988 ) The Razors Edge ( 1990 ) Ballbreaker ( 1995 ) Stiff Upper Lip ( 2000 ) Black Ice ( 2008 ) Rock or Bust ( 2014 ) Tours Date Tour 1973 -- 1975 Australian Clubs Tour 1975 High Voltage Australian Clubs Tour 1975 -- 1976 TNT / Lock Up Your Daughters Summer Vacation Tour 1976 Lock Up Your Daughters 1976 -- 1977 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / A Giant Dose of Rock and Roll 1977 Let There Be Rock Tour 1978 Powerage Tour 1978 -- 1979 If You Want Blood Tour 1979 -- 1980 Highway to Hell Tour 1980 -- 1981 Back in Black Tour 1981 -- 1982 For Those About to Rock Tour 1983 -- 1984 Flick of the Switch Tour / Monsters of Rock Tour 1985 -- 1986 Fly on the Wall Tour 1986 Who Made Who Tour 1988 Blow Up Your Video World Tour 1990 -- 1991 The Razors Edge World Tour 1996 Ballbreaker World Tour 2000 -- 2001 Stiff Upper Lip World Tour 2003 Club Dates / Rolling Stones Tour 2008 -- 2010 Black Ice World Tour 2015 -- 2016 Rock or Bust World Tour See also AC / DC portal Book : AC / DC AC / DShe, an all - female tribute band who covers Bon Scott - era material Hell 's Belles -- another all - female tribute band Hayseed Dixie, a parody band performing bluegrass - inspired renditions of songs by AC / DC and others References ^ Jump up to : `` AC / DC ' ROCK OR BUST ' ''. 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Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008. Jump up ^ ACDC.com news. news Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine... Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived 25 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC tops BRW entertainment rich list, ahead of Kylie Minogue and the Wiggles ''. Herald Sun. 11 April 2009. Jump up ^ `` ' AC / DC : Iron Man 2 ' Album Forthcoming ''. acdc.com. 26 January 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Jump up ^ Downloadfestival.co.uk Archived 19 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Black Ice World Tour ''. AC / DC.com. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2011. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC Live at River Plate Available May 10 -- NEW YORK, 7 March 2011 ''. New York : Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` Shoot To Thrill : Exclusive Record Store Day 7 '' Single, The Official AC / DC Site ``. Acdc.com. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC Let There Be Rock Blu - ray Announced ''. Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC Planning New World Tour ''. Blabbermouth.net. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC To Release New Album ' Within The Next Couple of Years ' ''. Blabbermouth.net. 7 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC : ' Our new album is a year or two away ' News ''. Nme.Com. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` LIVE AT RIVER PLATE -- FIRST LIVE ALBUM IN 20 YEARS The Official AC / DC Site ''. Acdc.com. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Jump up ^ Peter Vincent, Martin Boulton. `` AC / DC to split over sick band member, according to rumours ''. Sydney Morning Herald. Jump up ^ `` Brian Johnson : AC / DC not retiring yet ''. Metal Hammer. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC deny split rumors but confirm Malcolm is taking a break ''. Classic Rock. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC could tour by end of year ''. The Telegraph. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014. Jump up ^ Korina Lopez, USA TODAY ( 10 July 2014 ). `` AC / DC finishes album ; Malcolm Young hospitalized ''. Usatoday.com. Retrieved 7 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` ' We 'll all have to be dead before it stops ' : AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd says legendary Aussie band will NEVER retire as they prepare for their 40th anniversary tour ''. Daily Mail. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014. Jump up ^ Korina Lopez, USA TODAY ( 18 November 2017 ). `` Malcolm Young, AC / DC Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dead at 64 ''. rollingstone.com. Retrieved 18 November 2017. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC to release new album Rock Or Bust as guitarist Malcolm Young retires from band ''. News.com.au. Retrieved 7 January 2015. Jump up ^ Tony Wall ( 6 November 2014 ). `` AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd on procuring murder charge ''. Fairfax Media. Jump up ^ `` BBC News -- AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd on New Zealand murder plot charge ''. BBC News. Retrieved 7 January 2015. Jump up ^ Katie Kenny ( 7 November 2014 ). `` AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd : Procuring murder charge dropped ''. Fairfax Media. Jump up ^ `` What now for AC / DC, after Phil Rudd 's arrest and Malcolm Young 's retirement ? ''. The Guardian. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC bandmates shun Phil Rudd ''. The Australian. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC ' had issues ' with drummer Phil Rudd ''. BBC. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC confirm Chris Slade will replace Phil Rudd on their 2015 tour Music ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( 21 April 2015 ). `` AC / DC Drummer Phil Rudd Pleads Guilty to Drugs, Threatening to Kill Charges ''. RollingStone.com. Rolling Stone magazine. Retrieved 29 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Band, The Official AC / DC Website ''. ACDC.com. Sony Music Entertainment. 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015. Jump up ^ Shedden, Iain ( 9 July 2015 ). `` AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd sentenced to home detention for drugs, kill threats ''. The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 9 July 2015. Jump up ^ Roffman, Michael ( 2016 - 03 - 07 ). `` AC / DC frontman Brian Johnson ordered `` to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss '' ``. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ Sutton, Candace. `` AC / DC 's Brian Johnson says he has gone deaf due to his love of fast cars ''. Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC 's Brian Johnson feels betrayed by band mates over hearing issues ''. Mail Online. 15 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Brian Johnson downplays hearing issues, says he was `` kicked to the curb '' by AC / DC ``. Consequence of Sound. Jump up ^ Wilkening, Matthew ( 19 April 2016 ). `` AC / DC 's Brian Johnson Issues Statement on Departure From Group ''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Jump up ^ `` Rock Or Bust World Tour Continues With Axl Rose ''. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( 16 April 2016 ). `` AC / DC Confirm Axl Rose Is New Lead Singer, Joining Band on Tour ''. RollingStone.com. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Jump up ^ Foerste, Jonathan ( July 2016 ). `` Still Rockin ' in Southwest Florida ''. Gulfshore Life. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 08. Jump up ^ Blistein, Jon ( 20 September 2016 ). `` AC / DC Bassist Cliff Williams Confirms Retirement in Heartfelt Video ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ Buchanan, Brett. `` Huge Update On If AC / DC Will Continue With Axl Rose -- AlternativeNation.net ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Major Update on AC / DC 's Future : What the Band Will Do Now That Cliff 's Retired -- Music News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com ''. Jump up ^ INTERVIEW : Angry Anderson -- Rose Tattoo, The Rockpit, March 18, 2018 Jump up ^ Johnson returns as lead singer ( Norwegian ) Jump up ^ `` BRIAN JOHNSON And PHIL RUDD Appear To Be Back In Studio With AC / DC : Photographic Proof ''. Blabbermouth. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas ( n.d. ). `` AC / DC ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 7 August 2018. Jump up ^ Petridis, Alexis ( 26 October 2008 ). `` Things really must be bad -- AC / DC are No 1 again ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2018. Jump up ^ Jonze, Tim ( 14 April 2009 ). `` A handy guide to heavy metal ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2018. ^ Jump up to : Marchese, David ( 16 September 2016 ). `` AC / DC Has Improbably Become the Most Poignant Story in Rock ''. Vulture. Retrieved 10 August 2018. Jump up ^ Gill, Chris ( 2 January 2018 ). `` The Secrets Behind Malcolm Young 's Guitar Sound on AC / DC 's ' Thunderstruck ' ''. Guitar World. Retrieved 9 August 2018. Jump up ^ Harrington, Joe S. ( 2003 ). `` Back in Black ''. In Hoye, Jacob. VH - 1 's 100 Greatest Albums. Simon & Schuster. pp. 81 -- 82. ISBN 0743448766. ^ Jump up to : Christgau, Robert ( 1990 ). `` AC / DC ''. Christgau 's Record Guide : The ' 80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 067973015X. Retrieved 10 August 2018. ^ Jump up to : Sturges, Fiona ( 2 October 2017 ). `` Songs that hate women and the women who love them : why I 'm still a fan of AC / DC ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2018. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC ''. Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Rock and Roll Hall of Fame open doors ''. CNN. 3 November 2003. Archived from the original on 3 October 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2008. Jump up ^ Johnson, Billy ( 3 November 2003 ). `` AC / DC, The Clash, The Police And Others Inducted into Hall of Fame ''. Yahoo ! Music. Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2008. Jump up ^ `` 2003 Music Winners Awards Announced ''. Australasian Performing Right Association. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008. Jump up ^ `` Next stage in AC / DC Lane proposal wins in - principle support ''. City of Melbourne. 8 July 2004. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008. Jump up ^ Levine, Robert ( 10 October 2008 ). `` Ageless and Defiant, AC / DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2008. Jump up ^ Sisario, Ben ( 19 November 2012 ). `` AC / DC Joins iTunes, as Spotify Emerges as Music 's New Disrupter ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` AC / DC Confirm Axl Rose Is New Lead Singer ''. Further Reading Bunton, Richard ( 1983 ). AC / DC : Hell Ai n't No Bad Place to Be. Omnibus Books. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 0082 - 5. Dome, Malcolm ( 1982 ). AC / DC. Proteus Books. ISBN 0 - 86276 - 011 - 9. Engleheart, Murray ( 2006 ). AC / DC : Maximum Rock & Roll. Harper Collins. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7322 - 8964 - 5. Fink, Jesse ( 2017 ). Bon : The Last Highway : The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC / DC 's Back In Black. Ebury Australia. ISBN 978 - 0 - 85798 - 892 - 8. Fink, Jesse ( 2013 ). The Youngs : The Brothers Who Built AC / DC. Ebury Australia. ISBN 978 - 1 - 74275 - 979 - 1. Holmes, Tim ( 1986 ). AC / DC ( Monsters of Metal ). Ballantine. ISBN 0 - 345 - 33239 - 3. Huxley, Martin ( 1996 ). AC / DC : The World 's Heaviest Rock. Lightning Source Inc. ISBN 0 - 312 - 30220 - 7. Lageat, Philippe, Brelet, Baptiste ( 2014 ). AC / DC Tours De France 1976 -- 2014. Éditions Point Barre. p. 712. ISBN 978 - 2 - 7466 - 7071 - 6. Putterford, Mark ( 1992 ). AC / DC : Shock to the System. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 71192 - 823 - 7. Stenning, Paul ( 2005 ). AC / DC : Two Sides to Every Glory. Chrome Dreams. ISBN 1 - 84240 - 308 - 7. Sutcliffe, Phil ( 2010 ). AC / DC High - Voltage Rock ' n ' Roll : The Ultimate Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7603 - 3832 - 2. Walker, Clinton ( 1994 ). Highway to Hell : The Life and Death of Bon Scott. Verse Chorus Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 891241 - 23 - 9. Wall, Mick ( 2012 ). AC / DC : Hell Ai n't a Bad Place to Be. Orion Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4091 - 1535 - 9. External links Find more aboutAC / DCat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Data from Wikidata Official website AC / DC at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) AC / DC discography at MusicBrainz hide AC / DC Angus Young Chris Slade Stevie Young Axl Rose Studio albums High Voltage T.N.T. High Voltage ( International ) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Let There Be Rock Powerage Highway to Hell Back in Black For Those About to Rock We Salute You Flick of the Switch Fly on the Wall Blow Up Your Video The Razors Edge Ballbreaker Stiff Upper Lip Black Ice Rock or Bust Compilations ' 74 Jailbreak Bonfire Volts Backtracks Live albums If You Want Blood You 've Got It AC / DC Live Live from the Atlantic Studios Let There Be Rock : The Movie -- Live in Paris Live at River Plate Soundtracks Who Made Who Iron Man 2 Video albums AC / DC : Let There Be Rock Fly on the Wall Who Made Who AC / DC Clipped Live at Donington For Those About to Rock No Bull Stiff Upper Lip Live Family Jewels Plug Me In Live at River Plate Tours If You Want Blood Tour Highway to Hell Tour Back in Black Tour For Those About to Rock Tour Flick of the Switch / Monsters of Rock Tour Fly on the Wall Tour Who Made Who World Tour Blow Up Your Video World Tour Razors Edge World Tour Ballbreaker World Tour Stiff Upper Lip World Tour Club Dates / Rolling Stones Tour Black Ice World Tour Rock or Bust World Tour Former members Guitarists Malcolm Young Vocalists Dave Evans Bon Scott Brian Johnson Bassists Larry Van Kriedt Rob Bailey George Young Paul Matters Mark Evans Cliff Williams Drummers Colin Burgess Peter Clack Tony Currenti Phil Rudd Simon Wright Related articles Discography Songs Awards and nominations ACDC Lane Gerard Huerta Angus Bucks Tribute albums AC / DC Live : Rock Band Track Pack Maximum Overdrive Book Category Portal show AC / DC singles discography High Voltage `` Can I Sit Next to You, Girl '' ( Australia ) `` Baby, Please Do n't Go '' ( Australia ) T.N.T. `` High Voltage '' ( Australia ) `` It 's a Long Way to the Top ( If You Wanna Rock ' n ' Roll ) '' ( Australia ) `` T.N.T. '' ( Australia ) High Voltage ( International ) `` It 's a Long Way to the Top ( If You Wanna Rock ' n ' Roll ) '' ( international ) `` High Voltage '' ( international ) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap `` Jailbreak '' `` Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap '' `` Love at First Feel '' Let There Be Rock `` Dog Eat Dog '' `` Let There Be Rock '' `` Whole Lotta Rosie '' Powerage `` Rock ' n ' Roll Damnation '' Highway to Hell `` Highway to Hell '' `` Girls Got Rhythm '' `` Touch Too Much '' Back in Black `` You Shook Me All Night Long '' `` Hells Bells '' `` Back in Black '' `` Rock and Roll Ai n't Noise Pollution '' For Those About to Rock We Salute You `` Let 's Get It Up '' `` For Those About to Rock ( We Salute You ) '' Flick of the Switch `` Guns for Hire '' `` Nervous Shakedown '' `` Flick of the Switch '' Fly on the Wall `` Danger '' `` Sink the Pink '' `` Shake Your Foundations '' Who Made Who `` Who Made Who '' Blow Up Your Video `` Heatseeker '' `` That 's the Way I Wanna Rock ' n ' Roll '' The Razors Edge `` Thunderstruck '' `` Moneytalks '' `` Are You Ready '' Live `` Highway to Hell '' ( live ) `` Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap '' ( live ) Ballbreaker `` Hard as a Rock '' `` Hail Caesar '' `` Cover You in Oil '' Stiff Upper Lip `` Stiff Upper Lip '' `` Safe in New York City '' `` Satellite Blues '' Black Ice `` Rock ' N Roll Train '' `` Big Jack '' `` Anything Goes '' `` Money Made '' Rock or Bust `` Play Ball '' `` Rock or Bust '' Non-album single `` Big Gun '' Book : AC / DC Category : AC / DC songs Portal : AC / DC show Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2003 Performers AC / DC ( Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, Bon Scott, Cliff Williams, Angus Young, Malcolm Young ) The Clash ( Terry Chimes, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer ) Elvis Costello & the Attractions ( Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve, Bruce Thomas, Pete Thomas ) The Police ( Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers ) The Righteous Brothers ( Bobby Hatfield, Bill Medley ) Non-performers ( Ahmet Ertegun Award ) Mo Ostin Sidemen Benny Benjamin Floyd Cramer Steve Douglas Authority control WorldCat Identities BNF : cb13901479r ( data ) GND : 1221288 - X ISNI : 0000 0001 2271 298X LCCN : n78011846 MusicBrainz : 66c662b6 - 6e2f - 4930 - 8610 - 912e24c63ed1 SUDOC : 176216073 VIAF : 144189738 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AC/DC&oldid=854455562 '' Categories : AC / DC 1973 establishments in Australia APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Atco Records artists Atlantic Records artists Australian hard rock musical groups Australian heavy metal musical groups Blues rock groups Echo ( music award ) winners Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1973 Musical groups from Sydney Musical quintets Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Sibling musical groups Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia pending changes protected pages Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Featured articles Use Australian English from July 2013 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English Use dmy dates from October 2014 Articles with hCards Articles with hAudio microformats Articles with Curlie links MusicBrainz artist same as Wikidata Articles with MusicBrainz artist links Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Article Talk More Contents About Wikipedia In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Afrikaans Akan العربية Asturianu Azərbaycanca Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Boarisch Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego ગુજરાતી 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Lumbaart Magyar Македонски Malagasy მარგალური Монгол Nāhuatl Nederlands नेपाली नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Саха тыла Scots Shqip Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Ślůnski کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt West - Vlams Winaray 中文 70 more Edit links This page was last edited on 11 August 2018, at 13 : 53 ( UTC ). 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Question: what does ac dc stand for in the rock band
Answer: alternating current/direct current