Bon Scott era (1974–1980)

International success (1976–1978)

U.S. success (1977–1979)

Bon Scott's death (1980)

Brian Johnson era (1980–present)

Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983-1987)

Renewed popularity (1988–present)

Recent events (2000–present)

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AC/DC are a hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The band are considered pioneers of heavy metal, alongside bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Its members, however, have always classified their music as "rock 'n' roll".

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans in 1977. In 1979, the band recorded their highly successful album, Highway to Hell. Lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but soon ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was selected as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their biggest-selling album, Back in Black.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was also highly successful and was the first hard rock album to reach #1 in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after the departure of drummer Phil Rudd in 1983. Poor record sales continued until the release of The Razors Edge in 1990. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well-received by critics. A new album was announced in 2004 and is expected sometime in 2008.

AC/DC have sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide, including 68 million albums in the U.S. Back in Black has sold an estimated 42 million units worldwide and 21 million in the U.S. alone, making it the 5th highest-selling album ever in the USA. AC/DC are ranked fourth on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and were ranked by MTV the 7th "Greatest Heavy Metal Band Of All Time".

Contents [hide]
1 Name
2 History
2.1 Early years
2.2 Bon Scott era (1974–1980)
2.2.1 International success (1976–1978)
2.2.2 U.S. success (1977–1979)
2.2.3 Bon Scott's death (1980)
2.3 Finding a new voice
2.4 Brian Johnson era (1980–present)
2.4.1 Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983-1987)
2.4.2 Renewed popularity (1988–present)
2.5 Recent events (2000–present)
2.5.1 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
2.5.2 New album
3 Band members
3.1 Current members
3.2 Former members
4 Discography
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links



Name
Angus and Malcolm Young developed the idea for the band's name after seeing the acronym "AC/DC" on the back of a sewing machine owned by their sister, Margaret. "AC/DC" is an abbreviation for "alternating current/direct current", which indicates that an electrical device can use either type of power. The brothers felt that this name symbolized the band's raw energy and power-driven performances, and the name stuck.

In some cultures, "AC/DC" is a slang term for bisexuality; the band have said that they were not aware of this usage until it was brought to their attention by a taxi driver one night after a concert early in their career. Some religious figures have suggested that the name stands for "Anti-Christ/Devil's Child(ren)", "Anti-Christ/Devil Christ", and "After Christ/Devil Comes". Although rumours have persisted among critics attempting to paint the band as Satanists, the band have denied these interpretations of their name, and have mocked them as being opportunistically-constructed backronyms.

"AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are popularly known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia. The name has inspired tribute bands, including BC/DC Canadian province of British Columbia; AC/DShe, an all-female group from San Francisco; and Hayseed Dixie, an Appalachian band specialising in bluegrass covers.


History
Brothers Angus, Malcolm, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney, Australia with most of their family in 1963. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of The Easybeats, Australia's most successful band 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).