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, such as Def Leppard and Saxon, and were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned", according to critics.

AC/DC were founded by brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar), with Colin Burgess (drums), Larry Van Kriedt (bass guitar) and Dave Evans (lead vocals). They underwent several line-up changes before releasing their Australasian-only debut album, High Voltage (1975). Membership stabilised after the release of Let There Be Rock (1977), with the Young brothers, Phil Rudd on drums, Cliff Williams on bass guitar and Bon Scott on lead vocals. Seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and English singer Brian Johnson was then recruited as their new frontman. With Johnson in the line-up, the band recorded one of the best-selling albums of all time, Back in Black (1980). Rudd was fired midway through the Flick of the Switch recording sessions in 1983. He was replaced by Simon Wright, who was also replaced by Chris Slade six years later.

AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only record featuring Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). In 2014, Angus and Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm due to early-onset dementia, from which he died three years later, and debuted on the album Rock or Bust. On the accompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd due to his arrest for threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. In March 2016, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose replaced Johnson 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 for Power Up, which was released two months later. Drummer Matt Laug and bass guitarist Chris Chaney replaced Rudd and Williams on its supporting tour in 2024, though both remain official members.

AC/DC have been estimated to have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. In the US, they have also sold 84 million records according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and had five singles reach the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ten albums in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. In 2016, according to Forbes' Celebrity 100, the band have earned $67.5 million. The band's accolades include two Grammy Awards, two Guinness World Records, one iHeartRadio Music Award, three ARIA Music Awards, eight APRA Awards – including the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, and inductions into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.