AC/DC

AC/DC [ˌæɪsiːˈdiːsiː] is an Australian-British hard rock band, 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's members have always preferred to describe their sound 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 went through several changes. It stabilised until 1977, when Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams. In 1979, AC/DC achieved huge 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 splitting up. However, Brian Johnson, the former singer of Geordie, was recruited to replace him. That 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 one in the United States. However, the band's popularity dipped slightly after 1983, the year their drummer Phil Rudd was fired, replaced by Simon Wright and then Chris Slade. The band regained a degree of popularity in the 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Their success grew again in 2008 with Black Ice, which reached number one in worldwide charts. Since 2014, Stevie Young has replaced his uncle Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, after Malcolm was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease, from which he died three years later.

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

The band is regularly ranked among the greatest names in rock, placing 4th on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists, 7th among the greatest heavy metal bands according to MTV, and 72nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.