AC/DC

AC/DC [ˌæɪsiːˈdiːsiː] is an Australian-British hard rock band, originally from Sydney, founded by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. Their first concert took place on 31 December 1973. Although classified as a hard rock band and sometimes associated with heavy metal, the band members have always preferred to describe their musical style as rock 'n' roll. They also claim a notable blues influence.

Before the release of their second album, T.N.T. in 1975, the band's line-up underwent several changes. The composition stabilised until 1977, when Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams. In 1979, AC/DC achieved immense success with the hit Highway to Hell. After the tragic death of their singer and lyricist Bon Scott on 19 February 1980, caused by alcohol-related asphyxiation, the band considered breaking up. However, Brian Johnson, the former singer of Geordie, was recruited to replace him. The same year, the band released Back in Black, their biggest success.

The following album For Those About to Rock We Salute You, released in 1981, was their first number 1 in the United States. However, the band's popularity slightly declined after 1983, the year their drummer Phil Rudd was dismissed and replaced by Simon Wright, then Chris Slade. The band regained some popularity in the 1990s, with the release of the album The Razors Edge. Their success was further strengthened in 2008 with Black Ice, which reached the top of global charts. Since 2014, Stevie Young has replaced his uncle Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, who suffered from a neurodegenerative disease and died three years later.

In 2008, the band had sold over 200 million albums worldwide. Their album Back in Black remains, with 50 million copies sold, one of the best-selling albums in the world, second only to Michael Jackson's Thriller.

The band is regularly ranked among the greatest names in rock, occupying 4th position among VH1's 100 greatest hard rock artists, 7th place among MTV's best heavy metal bands, and 72nd position on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.