AC / DC is a rock band that has enjoyed great popularity for years. What are the year of foundation and the current composition of the musical group? Why has ACDC's music become one of the most recognizable in the world? Which albums and the band's achievements make an electrifying impression? Here is a short history of the band and a few interesting facts that every self-respecting AC / DC fan should know.
The originators of the band are the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. They came up with the name of the band in 1973 when their sister Margaret bought a sewing machine. On the back of the machine was the acronym "AC / DC" which indicated the contents of the rectifier in the device that converts AC to DC. The brothers decided that the name AC / DC would be perfect for a fledgling music group. Soon after, Angus and Malcolm were joined by other members of the band - drummer, bassist, and vocalist. Australia was the country where AC / DC gave their first concert. It was also there that the famous stage image of Angus became famous - a devilishly talented guitarist whirling around the stage in a school uniform that his sister sewed. Interestingly, Angus was supposed to play there only once in a concert. However, the uniform has stayed with him to this day.
Over the course of several months, the line-up of the band was constantly changing, except for the brothers, of course. Many bassists and drummers passed through the group. In 1974, the singer also changed - eventually it was the energetic, but madly loving alcohol and stimulants Bon Scott (1974-1980). With him, AC / DC recorded their debut album High Voltage (1975), which all Australia quickly fell in love with. Bon Scott has become a favorite of the Australian music scene, giving the band a new twist. Drummer Phil Rudd joined the band soon after. In 1975, the band released the album T.N.T. in Australia, and a year later signed an international contract. In 1976, the combination of the first and second albums also saw the light of day. The tracks on them were combined and released as a single whole - the worldwide High Voltage disc. AC / DC conquered all of Europe in just one year. Then came America.
AC / DC didn't wait long to win the hearts of American fans. All thanks to the album Let There Be Rock (1977) and the support of bands such as Kiss, Aerosmith, and Black Sabbath. When AC / DC released the album, a new bassist, Cliff Williams, joined the group. The guys gave concerts, delighted the next crowds of fans, and released new albums. However, it was the album Highway to Hell (1979) that brought the Australian band's career to an incredible pace. There was a completely different energy in this album than in the previous albums. It was less spicy but more pop. This attracted even more listeners to the concerts. Over time, the album became gold, selling over 7 million copies. 1980 would seem to be the most beautiful year for AC / DC. However, fate wrote a completely different story for the team.
Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980. The singer was found in the car where he had spent the night after drinking all night. The musician died of alcoholism, which was an inseparable part of his life. He fell asleep in the car and suffocated on his own vomit. The guys in the band couldn't believe what happened. Unfortunately, Bon Scott - the lead singer who took the band to new heights - suddenly left. The team could not recover for a long time after the tragic death of their friend. The guys were seriously considering dissolving the group because they were afraid that now they would not be able to do without a charismatic frontman. However, Bon Scott's father urged them not to give up and to continue doing what they loved the most. Soon the band got back on their feet and started looking for a new singer.
The guys from the incomplete band listened to potential singers for a long time. Their heart was stolen by Brian Johnson, whose recording they accidentally found on a cassette. They invited him to a hearing and unanimously stated that they were looking for him. Johnson's charisma and voice stunned them. This was it! On September 25, 1980, they released the album Back In Black, which became an international phenomenon. Just a year after its release, the album went platinum, selling 42 million copies within several decades. This is an indisputable record in the history of selling rock albums. Similar numbers were achieved by the equally outstanding rock band Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix. AC / DC has recorded many other albums of course, but none have stolen the hearts of the audience as much as Back In Black. In March 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On November 18, 2017, one of the Young brothers, founder of AC / DC, Malcolm died. The current line-up of the band today continues to be Angus Young, Stevie Young (Angus and Malcolm's nephew), Phil Rudd, Brian Johnson, and Cliff Williams. Rock pioneers are still winning the hearts of listeners, touring, and recently released their 17th album Power Up (November 2020). Despite the fact that the musicians are already their age, not one teenage band may envy their energy on stage.
The AC / DC band is still touring and delighting the next generations of fans. Few people know, however, that due to the band's name, many different theories have arisen about it. As already mentioned, AC / DC was the AC designation on Sister Young's sewing machine. Hence the brothers got the idea for the name of the band. In slang, however, this abbreviation also means ... bisexuality. So people started to suspect that it wasn't the machine at all, but the sexual orientation of the guys on the band. The more that, first of all, the name of the band was highly controversial for those times. And secondly, AC / DC played in the '70s at every possible opportunity, giving concerts incl. in gay clubs. This only reassured fans that AC / DC was bisexual.
Another interesting fact is that Angus Young (guitarist in school uniform) has never used drugs and does not like alcohol at all. For the life of a typical rocker, this is quite unusual. Angus does not just refuse himself cigarettes. There are even more interesting stories around Angus, how the so-called duck walks, or duck walks. This is the way the musician moves on stage by jumping on one leg while throwing the other leg forward. It is also worth mentioning that Angus Young is less than… 158 cm tall. For this reason, he was placed on the list of "The 25 Greatest People of All Time".
Bibliography:
- Mick Wall: AC / DC. Diabelski młyn, In Rock Publishing House, Warsaw 2015
- Neil Daniels: AC / DC. Early Years with Bon Scott, Anakonda Publishing House, Warsaw 2013
- Adrian Orest: AC / DC. Electric Kangaroos, In Rock Publishing House, Warsaw 2010
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