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AC/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
clear 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 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 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.
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