AC/DC- Australia’s Pioneers of Heavy Metal Rock

If you’re one to live and breathe heavy metal, you probably know every iconic band there is to this genre. And for that, I’m pretty sure you’ve come across, if not worshiped them already, the Aussie legendary band AC/DC. And true to its name, this band puts on a remarkably electrifying, powerful, and driven music.

AC/DC was formed by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young in Sydney, Australia. George Young, another brother, was actually the first of the siblings to learn the guitar. He also was first to experience the rush and fame of being in a rock band as he became a member of Easybeats. Easybeats was well-known in Australia in the 60s and became known internationally for their hit song, Friday on My Mind.

The name AC/DC is an abbreviation for alternating current/direct current. This was the sign on a sewing machine the brothers’ sister has seen. They soon adopted the name as it apparently fits their kind of music. Costume-wise, they have also tried quite a slew of different looks in order to establish their identities on stage at concerts. They have tried the looks of Superman, Zorro, and even a gorilla. They’ve also gone through a phase of satin-clad glam rock look. But they cut the idea short after learning of a band in Melbourne sporting the same image.

But back to the band, Angus and Malcolm formed AC/DC in November of 1973. They went through a lineup of members before finally releasing their first album. In 1975, they released High Voltage after only a handful of challenges along the way. The album surprisingly took only ten days to record. It was a hit in Australia. But it was only after releasing another album that they got worldwide recognition and tremendous rock tickets sales for their shows.

With a deal with Atlantic records, they toured Europe extensively, performing with the likes of Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, and Styx. They also released a third album, which is a compilation of their first and second LPs. These are High Voltage and TNT respectively. This compilation was named High Voltage as well and went on to sell 3 million copies worldwide.

Throughout the varied transition of rock, AC/DC managed to keep their heads above the water. With a strong cult following all over the world, they managed to be on top of their genre. They were heralded as pioneers of heavy metal, although they claim to be of rock n’ rock genre.

To this day, AC/DC has sold 200 million copies worldwide, their bestselling album being Back in Black, which sold 49 million units. This makes them the highest-selling album of a band and second highest-selling album of all times. Thriller of Michael Jackson was first.