You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC - 1980
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AC/DC's
mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock
sounds of the '70s, and is now one of the defining sounds of rock and
metal. 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 their guitar chords
were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with
Bon Scott's larynx-shredding
vocals, the band spawned countless
imitators over the next two decades and enjoyed commercial success
well into the 2000s, scoring their biggest hits after Brian Johnson
replaced the departed Scott.
AC/DC were formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his previous band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young's band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus serving 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 lineup. The band's chauffeur, Bon Scott, became the lead vocalist when 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 were socially maladjusted.
Throughout their career they favored crude double entendres and
violent imagery, all spiked with a mischievous sense of fun.
High Voltage The group released two albums -- High Voltage and T.N.T. -- 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. In the fall of 1977, AC/DC
released Let There Be Rock, which became their first album to
chart in the U.S. Mark Evans left the band soon after, with Cliff
Williams taking his place. 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.
Back
in BlackAC/DC's train was derailed when Bon Scott died on February
19, 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 its 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 1983, Rudd left the band
after the recording of Flick of the Switch; he was replaced by Simon
Wright.
The
Razor's Edge With Flick of the Switch, AC/DC's commercial standing
began to slip,
and they weren't able to reverse their slide until
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 AC/DC 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; it also
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 with similar results. AC/DC signed a multi-album
deal with Sony the following year that resulted in a slew of reissues
and DVDs, and they returned to the studio in 2008 for Black Ice, an
all-new collection of songs
that was followed by the group's first
world tour since 2001. Two years later, the band's music was featured
heavily in the action movie Iron Man 2, and a compilation was
released in conjunction with the film under the title Iron Man 2.
Rock
or Bust As AC/DC began work on a new album with producer
Brendan O'Brien in 2014, they announced that Malcolm Young was
suffering from dementia and had left the band; his nephew Stevie
Young took his place at the recording sessions and the
accompanying
40th anniversary tour. Just prior to the December release of Rock or
Bust, drummer Phil Rudd was arrested under charges of attempting to
procure a murder, threatening to kill, and possession of cannabis and
methamphetamine. Although the
arranged murder charges were dropped,
the other charges remained and the drummer's future with the band was
uncertain. Nevertheless, AC/DC marched forward with the
release of Rock or Bust and plans for a 2015 tour.
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