AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who have remained constant members. Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band, they are also considered pioneers of heavy metal and are sometimes classified as such, though they have always dubbed their music as simply rock and roll. 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, on 17 February 1975. Membership subsequently stabilised 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 buoyed by support from Scott's parents, decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released the new album, Back in Black, which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott. The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all time best-seller. 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. The band experienced a resurgence 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 1989–1994, was asked to leave in favour of him, and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Since then, the band's line-up has remained the same. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well received by critics, and the band's latest studio album, Black Ice, was released on 20 October 2008 and was the second-highest-selling album of that year. It was their biggest hit on the charts since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No.1 on all charts worldwide. As of 2010, AC/DC had sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, including 71 million albums in the United States alone. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist, behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller, and the highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 22 million units in the U.S. alone, where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time. AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and were named the seventh Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time by MTV. In 2004, AC/DC were ranked number 72 in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2010, AC/DC were ranked number 23 in the VH1 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

History
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. 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). Their oldest brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests. In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London-based band Grapefruit, initially called The Grapefruit, with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham. The band's logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta, commissioned by Bob Defrin, the art director at Atlantic Records during the 1970s. 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 sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials AC/DC on a sewing machine. 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 of their music. AC/DC is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as Acca Dacca in Australia. In November 1973 Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer. Pushing hard for the band's success were Australia's legendary roadie 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. The band was so loud 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 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: Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang. In its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned seeing as Melbourne 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 rocker like Gary Glitter. On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with 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. Gene Pierson brokered the arrangement for Bon Scott from Fraternity to join as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend Ted Albert of Albert Productions to listen to AC/DC and arrange with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia's biggest rock station 2SM to have them on the bill for one of their school holiday concerts 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)
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-written and 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)]. By October 1974, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days 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. It was included on their second album, T.N.T. (1975), which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. T.N.T. featured the song High Voltage, which was the first song written and recorded for the album. Because High Voltage was released as a single before T.N.T. was released, some people thought it was the title track to AC/DC's debut album. 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.

International success (1976–1980)
In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records and toured extensively throughout Europe, including their first UK tour sponsored by Sounds magazine, called the 'Lock Up Your Daughters Summer Tour'. They gained invaluable experience of the stadium circuit, supporting leading rock acts such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with Cheap Trick. 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, gained the band a following among the then-substantial British punk audience. 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 the T.N.T. track Rocker, which had previously never been released internationally. 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; purportedly to find someone who could sing backup vocals. Evans described disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor. He was replaced by Cliff Williams. 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. Mark Evans' autobiography, Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC/DC, including being fired. 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 hard rock 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. 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). 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. 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. Only one single was released from Powerage, Rock 'n' Roll Damnation/Sin City, and it became AC/DC's best-performing single at the time, reaching No. 24. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC/DC record, along with Highway to Hell. An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, 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. Powerage was the last album produced by Harry Vanda and George Young that had lead vocals by Bon Scott, and is claimed to be AC/DC's most underrated album. The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer Mutt Lange on the album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching No. 17, and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts. 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. 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. 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 it 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, and the official cause was listed as acute alcohol poisoning. Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy. 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. Additionally, Scott was asthmatic, and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.

The Brian Johnson era (1980–present)
Following Scott's death the band briefly considered quitting, but encouraged by the insistence from Scott's parents that he would have wanted them to go on, they eventually decided to continue and went about finding a new frontman. Various candidates were considered for his replacement, including: Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems, ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and then Slade vocalist, Noddy Holder. The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson. 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. For the audition, Johnson sang Whole Lotta Rosie from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits. He was hired a few days after the audition. With Brian Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Bon 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, Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution and the title track. The album was certified platinum three months after its release, and reached No.1 in the UK and No.4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart. 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 and the title track, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), which reached No.13 and No.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.

Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–1987)
After having problems with drugs and alcohol, drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation after which Rudd was fired. Session drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used, as Rudd had already completed his drum parts. Rudd was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held over 700 auditions in the US and UK. Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company fame, and Paul Thompson of Roxy Music were two of the drummers auditioned. 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. One critic stated that the band had made the same album nine times. AC/DC was voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached No.4 on the UK charts, 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. 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, 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.

Back to commercial success (1987–1990)
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, it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching No.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 and popular songs such as That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' 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. 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, 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 (1990–1994)
The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, 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 No.5 and No.16 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and Moneytalks, which peaked at No.23 on the Billboard Hot 100. 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. 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 No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band's first No.1 single on that chart.

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. 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. 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 No.1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; No.2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; No.3 in Australia; No.5 in Canada and Portugal; and No.7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, Stiff Upper Lip, remained at No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks. The other singles released also did very well; Satellite Blues and Safe in New York City reached No.7 and No.31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively. In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music, 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. 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. Also in 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 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. The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005, and sixth for 2006, 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. 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. AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with Let There Be Rock included as a playable track. 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. 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.

Black Ice (2008–2011)
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 Walmart and Sam's Club and the band's official website. 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. Black Ice made history debuting at No.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 catalogue sold, AC/DC have surpassed The Beatles as the No.1 selling catalogue 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. 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. 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. In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers. 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. On 19 April 2010, AC/DC released Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the eponymous film. One month later, the band headlined Download Festival at Donington Park, and closed the Black Ice World Tour in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which AC/DC went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated audience of over five million people. Three concerts in December 2009 at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina were released as the DVD Live at River Plate on 10 May 2011. An exclusive single from the DVD, featuring the songs Shoot to Thrill and War Machine, was issued on Record Store Day. In 2011, the band also issued on DVD and Blu-ray the concert movie AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, which had its theatrical release in 1980.

Multiple lineup changes, Rock or Bust (2011–2017)
Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying, "Now we're thinking, 'How can we ever better the 'Black Ice' world tour?' But we will." 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.

In May 2012, Malcolm Young confirmed that the band were working on a potential follow-up to 2008's Black Ice. But he warned that fans were in for a longer wait than expected, after lead singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material the next year. Malcolm stated, "You know what Brian's like. He just says things and then walks away. It'll be a little while – a year or two anyway. I've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more."

On 19 November 2012, AC/DC released Live at River Plate, their first live album in 20 years.

Malcolm Young's retirement and death
On 16 April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young's illness, Brian Johnson commented that AC/DC were not retiring, stating "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We're going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we'll record it." AC/DC subsequently announced in an official statement on their Facebook page in April 2014 that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his ill health. It ended: "The band will continue to make music." In July 2014, AC/DC announced that they had finished recording their next album and that Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm in the studio. On 23 September 2014, Alberts Management confirmed that Malcolm had officially departed from the band. Malcolm's last show with the band was on 28 June 2010 in Bilbao, Spain; he died on 18 November 2017 at the age of 64.

Rock or Bust
Drummer Phil Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job, on 29 August 2014. He confirmed that there would be another AC/DC tour, and stated that the band had no intention of retiring, adding, "We'll all have to be dead before it stops." On 23 September 2014, Alberts Management revealed that the band's new record entitled Rock or Bust, featuring eleven new tracks, would be released on 28 November 2014 as the first AC/DC album in the band's history without Malcolm Young on the recordings. The band also announced plans for a world tour to promote the new album with Malcolm and Angus' nephew Stevie Young as Malcolm's replacement.

Phil Rudd's replacement
On 6 November 2014, Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of cannabis, following a police raid on his home. The charge of attempting to procure a murder was withdrawn the following day, but the other charges remained. AC/DC released a statement clarifying that the tour promoting Rock or Bust would continue, but did not say whether or not Rudd would participate, or if he was still a member of the band.

In an interview on 13 November, Angus Young stated that the band had experienced problems with Rudd earlier in the year when recording Rock or Bust, and that his situation had taken the band by surprise. Rudd had also missed video and photo shoots, and with reference to Rudd's future in the band, Young added, "So, at this stage, it's a pretty tough call for us." He also said the band would continue: "He's got to sort himself out I think ... At this point it's kind of a question mark. But if we're touring, there will be a drummer in place, put it that way."

At the charity signing before the Grammy Awards, the band was photographed together with former drummer Chris Slade. It was later confirmed that he had rejoined the band for the Grammys and upcoming tour. In April 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant. Shortly thereafter, the band's web site removed Rudd as the band's drummer and replaced him with Slade. On 9 July 2015, Rudd was denied a discharge without conviction and sentenced to eight months' home detention.

Brian Johnson's hearing loss and departure
On 7 March 2016, the band announced that the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust World Tour would be rescheduled as Johnson's doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately, as his hearing loss had accelerated and he risked complete deafness if he persisted on the road. The ten cancelled dates would be performed "likely with a guest vocalist" later in the year, leaving Johnson's future in touring with the group uncertain. Johnson later stated on The Howard Stern Show that his hearing loss did not come from performing for 36 years with AC/DC, but rather his love of auto racing and having forgotten to put in ear plugs during one race that ruptured his left ear drum.

However, on 15 March 2016, American comedian Jim Breuer (a friend of Johnson) revealed on his podcast that Johnson had received a second opinion on his hearing and it was not as bad as initially thought. Nonetheless, Breuer mentioned that Johnson told him that he was essentially fired from AC/DC and that he had not heard from the band since the announcement of the tour being postponed, adding that Angus Young wants to continue the band for at least another ten years and do at least one more studio album and world tour. Breuer later clarified his comments on Facebook that did not end speculation on Johnson's future with the band.

On 19 April 2016, Johnson made an official statement regarding his health problems and inability to tour. In the statement, he acknowledged his ongoing hearing difficulties but stated his intentions to continue recording and potentially resume touring if his health improves sufficiently. He also specifically thanked Angus Young and Cliff Williams for their support during his AC/DC tenure. His last show with AC/DC was on 28 February 2016; at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Axl Rose joins
On 16 April 2016, AC/DC released a statement announcing the addition of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose as the band's lead vocalist for the remainder of their 2016 tour dates. The statement reads: "AC/DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures. As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian's decision to stop touring and save his hearing. We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments to everyone that has supported us over the years, and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment. AC/DC will resume their Rock or Bust World Tour with Axl Rose joining on vocals."

Departure of Cliff Williams
On 8 July 2016, Cliff Williams indicated he was retiring from the band in an interview with Gulfshore Life, saying "It's been what I've known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I'm backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing." At the end of the Rock or Bust world tour, he released a video statement confirming his retirement. His last show with AC/DC was in Philadelphia on 20 September 2016.

Future of the band
On 21 September 2016, the day after the band's final show with Williams, it was reported that Axl Rose would be joining the band full-time and that he and Angus would continue AC/DC with different musicians. Young's friend Angry Anderson said in a March 2018 interview that Young intended to make a new album with Rose. In August 2018, however, several sources speculated that both Johnson and Rudd were working with the band again, as the pair were photographed at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, B.C., where the band had previously recorded their last three studio albums. According to the NME on 2 September 2018, AC/DC were working on their new studio album using Malcolm Young's recordings as Malcolm recorded the material that would be used for the album along with his brother Angus in the early 2000s, five years prior to their 2008 album Black Ice. Indeed, Angus and Malcolm Young literally wrote hundreds of songs, many of them were recorded and Angus had decided to select the best tracks from those recordings that Malcolm played on and to record and mix them in the studio with bandmates Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson on vocals. On 28 January 2019, American grindcore band Terrorizer posted a status on their Facebook page quoting Brian Johnson saying that AC/DC was in the works of a new album and that he was "sick of denying it". According to the NME on 11 February 2019, Cliff Williams was rumored to be re-joining AC/DC for their new studio album, reuniting the surviving members of the "classic" line-up.

On 10 April 2019, it was confirmed by the band's longtime engineer Mike Fraser that he has been in the studio working with the band. "Well, yeah, I could say that we've been in the studio doing something. "What's come of that I can't discuss yet." When he was asked if Johnson was indeed the singer, Fraser laughed, "I think so." Five days later, Eddie Trunk indicated that Johnson would be touring with the band, stating that "it's pretty much a done deal that these guys are gonna make a record. I have reliable sources that have told me that they are absolutely going to tour with Brian back again."

Discography
Main articles: AC/DC discography and List of songs recorded by AC/DC

Studio albums

 * High Voltage (1975) (Australia only)
 * T.N.T. (1975) (Australia only)
 * High Voltage (1976) (international version)
 * Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
 * Let There Be Rock (1977)
 * Powerage (1978)
 * Highway to Hell (1979)
 * Back in Black (1980)
 * For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
 * Flick of the Switch (1983)
 * Fly on the Wall (1985)
 * Blow Up Your Video (1988)
 * The Razors Edge (1990)
 * Ballbreaker (1995)
 * Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
 * Black Ice (2008)
 * Rock or Bust (2014)