AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time.
AC/DC
AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of album The Razors Edge) (1990); it was their only record to feature Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice), was the second highest-selling record of 2008 and their highest chart peak since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching number one worldwide. The band's line-up remained the same for 20 years until 2014, when Malcolm retired due to early-onset dementia, from which he died three years later; additionally, Rudd was charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Angus and Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm and debuted on the album Rock or Bust (2014). On the accompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose replaced Johnson for the rest of the tour dates due to a risk of hearing loss. Williams retired at the end of the tour and the band entered a two-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020; the band's seventeenth studio album, Power Up), was released two months later. Its supporting tour was announced in February 2024, with drummer Matt Laug and bassist Chris Chaney replacing Rudd and Williams, though both remain official members.
1973–1974: Formation and name
AC/DC were formed in the Australian pop music scene of the early to mid-1970s, which is described as the third wave of rock music. Many local 1960s artists – e.g., the Easybeats and the Masters Apprentices, had attempted to gain international recognition but achieved limited commercial success overseas and disbanded after returning to Australia. Newer artists and veterans of the 1960s beat boom developed a variety of genres, which included a harder blues rock style dubbed pub rock). Popular Australian bands – e.g., Sherbet) and Skyhooks), played mainstream pop or adopted a glam rock approach.
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