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AC/DC

I think these rockers deserve their own fan group.

Members: 4
Latest Activity: May 29, 2023

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Biography

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 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.
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. 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. Mark Evans left the band at the beginning of 1977, with Cliff Williams 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 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 1982, Rudd left the band; he was replaced by Simon Wright. After 1983's 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 1990s 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. The group 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 best-of compilation was released in conjunction with the film under the title AC/DC: Iron Man 2. biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Studio Albums:

High Voltage (1976) Platinum X 3
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) Platinum X 6
Let There Be Rock (1977) Platinum X 2
Powerage (1978) Platinum
Highway To Hell (1979) Platinum X 7
Back In Black (1980) Platinum X 22
For Those About To Rock (1981) Platinum X 4
Flick Of The Switch (1983) Platinum
'74 Jailbreak (1984) (EP) Platinum
Fly On The Wall (1985) Platinum
Who Made Who (1986) Platinum X 5
Blow Up Your Video (1988) Platinum
The Razors Edge (1990) Platinum X 5
Ballbreaker (1995) Platinum X 2
Stiff Upper Lip (2000) Platinum
Black Ice (2008) Platinum X 2

Live Albums:

If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978) Platinum
Live (1992) Platinum X 3
Live: 2CD Collector's Edition (1992) Platinum X 2
Live From The Atlantic Studios (1997)
Let There Be Rock: The Move (1997)

Box Sets:

Bonfire (1997) Platinum
Backtracks (2009)

Video Albums:

AC/DC: Let There Be Rock (1980)
Fly On The Wall (1985)
Who Made Who (1986) Gold
AC/DC (1989) (Aus.)
Clipped (1991)
Live At Donnington (1992) Platinum X 6
For Those About To Rock: Monsters In Moscow (1992)
No Bull (1996) Gold
Stiff Upper Lip Live (2001) Gold
Family Jewels (2005) Platinum X 10
Plug Me In (2007) Platinum X 5
No Bull: The Director's Cut (2008)

Discussion Forum

TOP 10 AC/DC SONGS

Name your Top 10 AC/DC songs.  Mine are:1. Touch Too Much 2. Have A Drink On Me 3. Hell's Bells 4. Whole Lotta Rosie 5. Shoot To Thrill 6. Big Balls 7. Who Made Who 8. Back In Black 9. For Those…Continue

Tags: thunderstruck, have a drink on me, hells bells, touch too much, top 10 songs

Started by RJhog (Admin) Jun 28, 2010.

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Comment by RJhog (Admin) on January 13, 2015 at 10:20pm


AC/DC WILL PLAY AT THE GRAMMYS


Columbia

It’s official: AC/DC will play at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8.

Rumors surfaced a couple weeks ago that the band would perform at the awards ceremony. The Recording Academy issued a press release this morning announcing some of the performers, and AC/DC are among the first confirmed artists on the new list.

The 57th annual Grammy Awards — which will air live on CBS at 8PM ET — will also feature performances by country star Eric Church, young pop singer Ariana Grande, old pop singer Madonna and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

AC/DC’s new album, ‘Rock or Bust,’ was released too late to qualify for any awards this year (the cutoff date is Sept. 30, 2014; the album came out in early December). But their appearance should give fans a taste of their upcoming world tour, which so far has just two U.S. dates confirmed, at the annual Coachella festival April 10 and 17.

In the meantime, the group is all over your TV these days, with their music showing up in new commercials in everything from headphones to trucks.




 

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In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

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