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===Early years (the Dave Evans era, 1973–1974)===
===Early years (the Dave Evans era, 1973–1974)===
In November 1973 Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist [[Larry Van Kriedt]], vocalist [[Dave Evans (singer)|Dave Evans]], and [[Colin Burgess (musician)|Colin Burgess]], ex-[[The Masters Apprentices|Masters Apprentices]] drummer.<ref>{{cite web | title= Rock Snaps | work = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | url = http://www.abc.net.au/arts/rocksnaps/photos/s33884.htm | accessdate = 2 August 2008}}</ref> Pushing hard for the bands success were Australia’s legendary roady Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. The two men convinced Chequers entertainment manager [[Gene Pierson]] to let the band play at the popular Sydney nightclub on New Year's Eve, 1973.<ref name="longwaytimeline">{{cite web | title = Long Way to the Top | work = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | url = http://www.abc.net.au/longway/timeline/ | accessdate = 2 August 2008}}</ref> The band was so loud however that management complained. Pierson however took an interest, and booked them into the Bondi Lifesaver and other venues where they further developed their stage show. The early line-up of the band changed often; [[Colin Burgess (musician)|Colin Burgess]] was the first member fired, and several bassists and drummers passed through the band during the next year.


By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret's. Angus had tried other costumes, such as [[Spider-Man]], [[Zorro]], a gorilla, and a parody of [[Superman]], named Super-Ang.<ref name="cwalker" /> In fact in its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned when it was discovered Melbourne band [[Skyhooks (band)|Skyhooks]] had already adopted this approach to their stage presentation.

The Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group, because they felt he was more of a [[glam rock]]er like [[Gary Glitter]].<ref name="paulstenning">{{cite book | last=Stenning | first=Paul | coauthors=Rob Johnstone | year=2005 | month=November | title=AC/DC&nbsp;— Two Sides to Every Glory | publisher= Chrome Dreams | isbn=1-84240-308-7 | pages=32–34 }}</ref> On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first [[Music management|manager]], Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with [[Sherbet (band)|Sherbet]] prior to [[Daryl Braithwaite]] joining the band. Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band's ill feeling toward Evans.<ref name="paulstenning" />


It was [[Gene Pierson]] who brokered the arrangement for [[Bon Scott]] from Fraternity to join them as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend [[Ted Albert]] of [[Albert Productions]] to listen to AC/DC and arranged with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia’s biggest rock station [[2SM]] to have them on the bill for one of their massive school holiday concerts back at Chequers which helped launch AC/DC's career and led to their being signed to the EMI-distributed [[Albert Productions]] label for Australia and New Zealand.
It was [[Gene Pierson]] who brokered the arrangement for [[Bon Scott]] from Fraternity to join them as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend [[Ted Albert]] of [[Albert Productions]] to listen to AC/DC and arranged with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia’s biggest rock station [[2SM]] to have them on the bill for one of their massive school holiday concerts back at Chequers which helped launch AC/DC's career and led to their being signed to the EMI-distributed [[Albert Productions]] label for Australia and New Zealand.

Revision as of 02:33, 30 May 2011

This article is about the band. For other uses, see AC/DC (disambiguation).

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. The band is commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal,[1][2] though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll".[3] To date they are one of the highest grossing bands of all time. AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but Scott's parents urged them to continue and hire a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their highest selling album, and ultimately the highest-selling album by any band, Back in Black.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and was replaced by future Dio drummer Simon Wright, though the band resurged in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 (after Chris Slade, who was with the band from 1990–1994, was asked to leave in favour of him) and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well received by critics. Since then, the band has stayed the same with the 1980–1983 lineup. The band's next album, Black Ice, was released on 20 October 2008. It was their biggest hit on the charts since For Those About to Rock, reaching #1 on all the charts eventually.[4] AC/DC's newest album, Iron Man 2, soundtrack to the film, was released on 19 April 2010.

As of 2010, AC/DC have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide,[5] as of the releases of their latest albums, Black Ice and the Iron Man 2 soundtrack, including 71 million albums in the United States.[6] Back in Black has sold an estimated 49 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling album by any band and the second-highest-selling album in history, behind Thriller by Michael Jackson.[7][8] The album has sold 22 million in the US alone, where it is the fifth-highest-selling album.[9] AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"[10][11] and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV.[12] In 2004, AC/DC were ranked number 72 in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[13]

History

Background and Name

Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney with most of their family in 1963. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of the Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful bands of the 1960s. In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song "Friday on My Mind".[14] Malcolm followed in George's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York–based Velvet Underground).[15]

File:ACDC logo.gif
The band's logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta. It first appeared on the international version of Let There Be Rock

Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their older sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine.[16] "AC/DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current/direct current" electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power-driven performances, and a love for their music.[16][17][18] "AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are popularly known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia.[19][20]

Early years (the Dave Evans era, 1973–1974)

It was Gene Pierson who brokered the arrangement for Bon Scott from Fraternity to join them as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend Ted Albert of Albert Productions to listen to AC/DC and arranged with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia’s biggest rock station 2SM to have them on the bill for one of their massive school holiday concerts back at Chequers which helped launch AC/DC's career and led to their being signed to the EMI-distributed Albert Productions label for Australia and New Zealand.

The Bon Scott era (1974–1980)

The journey begins (1974–77)

In September 1974 Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans. Like the Young brothers, Scott had been born in Scotland before emigrating to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" / "Rockin' in the Parlour"; eventually, the song was re-recorded with Bon Scott as "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" (Track 7 on the Australian album T.N.T. (1975), and Track 6 on the international release of High Voltage) (1976).

"It's a Long Way to the Top" (1975)
The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

By October 1974, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days[21] and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band's line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", which became their perennial rock anthem.[22] It was included on their second album, T.N.T., (1975) which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. The album featured another classic song, "High Voltage".

Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum's Countdown, the ABC’s nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.[21]

International success (1976–80)

Former vocalist Bon Scott (centre) pictured with guitarist Angus Young (left) and bassist Cliff Williams (back), performing at the Ulster Hall in August 1979

In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records and toured extensively throughout Europe including their first UK tour with 'Sounds' Magazine called The 'Lock up your Daughters Summer Tour'. They gained invaluable experience of the stadium circuit, supporting leading hard rock acts such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with Cheap Trick.[21]

The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album, which has to date sold three million copies worldwide,[23] gained the band a following among the then-substantial British punk audience.[24] The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., and included only two songs from their first LP. The band's next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured "Rocker" from T.N.T. The original Australian version included "Jailbreak" (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP '74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.

Following the 1977 recording Let There Be Rock, bassist Mark Evans was sacked because of personal differences with Angus Young. He was replaced by Cliff Williams, who also provided backing vocals alongside Malcolm Young. Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, "You knew Mark wasn't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy."[15]

Bronze statue of Bon Scott, unveiled in Fremantle, Western Australia, in October 2008

AC/DC were a somewhat formative influence on New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s heavy metal bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions and Judas Priest, were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned."[25]

AC/DC's first American exposure was through the Michigan radio station AM 600 WTAC in 1977. The station's manager, Peter C. Cavanaugh, booked the band to play at Flint's Capitol Theater. The supporting act was MC5, who had just briefly reunited and agreed to play at the event. The band opened with their popular song "Live Wire" and closed with "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[26]

AC/DC came to be identified with the punk rock movement by the British press. Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time.[3] Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.

The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock.[27] Only one single was released for Powerage, "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" and gave AC/DC the highest mark at the time, reaching #24. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favorite AC/DC record, along with Highway To Hell.[28] An appearance at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You've Got It, featuring such songs as "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Problem Child", and "Let There Be Rock", as well as lesser-known album tracks like "Riff Raff". The album was the last produced by Harry Vanda and George Young with Bon Scott on vocals and is claimed to be AC/DC's most under-rated album.[29]

The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer "Mutt" Lange on a sixth album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching #17,[21] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[3] Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats.[30] The final track, "Night Prowler", has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing.[3]

Scott's death (1980)

As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see the project being finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear's house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death,[31] and the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning" and "death by misadventure".[32] Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[33]

Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[32] Additionally, Scott was asthmatic,[34] and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.

The Brian Johnson era (1980–present)

The rebirth (1980–83)

Following Scott's death, the band briefly considered quitting; they eventually concluded, however, that Scott would have wanted AC/DC to continue, and various candidates were considered for his replacement, including Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems,[35] ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and ex-vocalist of Slade, Noddy Holder.[36] The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson.

Cliff Williams in 1981 during the For Those About to Rock Tour

Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.",[37] For the audition, Johnson sang "Whole Lotta Rosie" from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits".[18] He was hired a few days after the audition.

With Brian Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Bon Scott for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the title track. The album was certified platinum three months after its release, and by 2007 it had sold more than 22 million copies in the United States and over 45 million world wide, making it the fourth-highest-selling album ever in the US and the second highest selling in the world (second to Michael Jackson's Thriller).[9] The album reached #1 in the UK and #4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.[21]

The follow-up album, 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band's most popular singles: "Let's Get It Up"[38] and the title track, "For Those About to Rock", which reached #13 and #15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums.[39]

Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–87)

Amid rumours of alcoholism and drug-induced paranoia, drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and, after a long period of unfriendliness, the men's dislike for each other grew so strong that they fought. Rudd was fired two hours after the fight.[18] Session drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used.[41] Although Rudd had finished the drum tracks for their next album, he was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held an anonymous audition.

Later in the year, AC/DC released the self-produced album Flick of the Switch, which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable.[39] One critic stated that the band "had made the same album nine times".[42] AC/DC was voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached #4 on the UK charts,[18] and AC/DC had minor success with the singles "Nervous Shakedown" and "Flick of the Switch". Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[43] A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.

In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who". The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive,[29] It brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Ride On", with newer songs such as title track "Who Made Who", and two new instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".

In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame.[44]

Back to commercial success (1987–90)

AC/DC's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val (Occitania), France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive "filler",[45] it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching #2 on the UK charts—AC/DC's highest position since "Back in Black" in 1980. The album featured the UK top-twenty single "Heatseeker"[38] and popular songs such as "That's the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll". The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm's place.

Phil Rudd performs at the KeyArena in Seattle on August 12, 1996 during the Ballbreaker World Tour

Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce,[18] so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Black Ice in 2008.

Popularity regained (1990–94)

The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major comeback for the band, and included the hits "Thunderstruck" and "Are You Ready", which reached #5 and #16 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and "Moneytalks", which peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[38] The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten. Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s.[46] It was during this tour when AC/DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. A year later, AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, and was released as a single, reaching #1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band's first #1 single on that chart.[21]

Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)

In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band's strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, California by a 1980–83 line-up back together and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was "Hard as a Rock". Two more singles were released from the album: "Hail Caesar" and "Cover You in Oil".
In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; Volts (a disc with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two-sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick.[47]

Angus Young performs in Cologne, Germany in 2001 during the Stiff Upper Lip Tour

In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[48][49] The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached #1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; #2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; #3 in Australia; #5 in Canada and Portugal; and #7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, "Stiff Upper Lip", remained at #1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[21] The other singles released also did very well; "Satellite Blues" and "Safe in New York City" reached #7 and #31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively.

In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music,[50] who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes.[51] In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007.

On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history.[52] The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[53] and sixth for 2006,[54] despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC's full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008.[55]

On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing "School Days", "T.N.T.", "She's Got Balls", and "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.[56]

AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with "Let There Be Rock" included as a playable track.[57] The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.[58]

No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-Ray and DVD of the band's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[59]

Black Ice (2008–2011)

AC/DC performs at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on November 7, 2008 during their Black Ice World Tour

On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15-track album was the band's first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club and the band's official website.[60]

"Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video.[61] Black Ice made history debuting at #1 on album charts in 29 countries and also has the distinction of being Columbia Records' biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil). With over 6.5 million copies of Black Ice shipped worldwide, combined with over 5.5 million in catalog sold, AC/DC have surpassed The Beatles as the #1 selling catalog artist in the US for 2008. The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[62] The band played 42 dates in North America, ending in Nashville, Tennessee on 31 January 2009. The Answer was the opening act during the North American portion of the tour.

On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members.[63]

Angus Young on June 18, 2010 at the Stade de France (Paris).

With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created "Rock Again AC/DC Stores" to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created "AC/DC Rock Band Stores" in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. "Black Ice" trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.[64]

In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers.[65] On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.

On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.[66]

On 26 January 2010, AC/DC announced on their official site the release of their new album Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the film Iron Man 2.[67]

On 25 January 2010, it was announced that the band were to headline Download Festival at Donington Park in June 2010.[68] AC/DC effectively headlined Download Festival on 11 June 2010.

After criss-crossing the globe for over 20 months and playing to over five million people, the Black Ice World Tour came to a close in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010. The Black Ice World Tour took AC/DC to 108 cities in over 28 countries. It is rumored that they now plan to release a live DVD of one of their December 2–4–6, 2009 concerts at Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with a new live album containing recordings from the Black Ice World Tour.[69] It was revealed that the Black Ice tour DVD/CD set will be released on May 10, 2011 [70] with the first two singles from the new live album being "Shoot to Thrill" and "War Machine," recorded at Buenos Aires in Argentina and released as an exclusive single for Record Store Day.[71] As of March 7, 2011, the live album is tentatively titled Live at River Plate.[72]

It was also revealed that AC/DC will re-release the concert movie with Bon Scott, Let There Be Rock: The Movie on June 7, 2011 in a Blu-Ray DVD double pack included in a box set that also includes a collector's tin, concert photos, a souvenir guitar pick and a 32 page booklet. [73]

Future album and tour (2011-Present)

Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying that "[n]ow we're thinking, 'How can we ever better the 'Black Ice' world tour?' But we will".[74] At the band's Live at River Plate DVD premiere on 6 May 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, Angus said that there were plans for the group to release a new studio album "within the next couple of years", which the tour would support.[75] 2013 will also mark the band's 40th anniversary.

Recognition

The street sign for ACDC Lane, Melbourne

AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[76] During the ceremony the band performed "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band's power chords as "the thunder from down under that gives you the second-most-powerful surge that can flow through your body."[77] During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song "Let There Be Rock".[78]

On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as "Calle de AC/DC" (literally "AC/DC Street"). Malcolm and Angus assisted in the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.

In May 2003, Malcolm Young accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which he paid special tribute to Bon Scott.[79]

On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. However, the City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[80] The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[22]

They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2001 at that point.[81]

In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the ninth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson.[6] The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which moved it into fifth place.[9]

Band members

Brian Johnson (left) and Angus Young (right) in St. Paul, Minnesota, on 23 November 2008
Main article: List of AC/DC members
Former members

Timeline

Template:AC/DC timeline

Discography

For a more comprehensive list, see AC/DC discography.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by AC/DC

See also

Template:Wikipedia-Books

References

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Further reading

  • Bunton, Richard (1983). AC/DC: Hell Ain't No Bad Place to Be. Omnibus Books. ISBN 0-7119-0082-5.
  • Dome, Malcolm (1982). AC/DC. Proteus Books. ISBN 0-86276-011-9.
  • Engleheart, Murray (2006). AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-7322-8964-5.
  • Holmes, Tim (1986). AC/DC (Monsters of Metal). Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-33239-3.
  • Huxley, Martin (1996). AC/DC: The World's Heaviest Rock. Lightning Source Inc. ISBN 0-312-30220-7.
  • Stenning, Paul (2005). AC/DC: Two Sides to Every Glory. Chrome Dreams. ISBN 1-84240-308-7.
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