AC/DC: 15 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

Are you a fan of Hard Rock legends AC/DC? They’ve been around for so long and there are probably a few things that you didn’t know about them.

AC/DC will always be one of my favorite hard rock acts. I’ve been listening to them since I was in high school. I think I was 13 years old when I first heard their legendary song “Thunderstruck”. Some may argue that their musical style has not changed one bit since their formation, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not legendary.

Here are 15 facts that you may not have known about AC/DC

1. They’ve been around or a long time…

The band was formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young in Sydney, Australia.

2.They got their name from a sewing machine…

The idea for the band’s name came after the Young brother’s older sister Margaret saw the initials “AC/DC” on a sewing machine (meaning “alternate current / direct current”). Malcolm and Angus Young felt that this name symbolised the band’s raw energy, power-driven performances, and a love for their music.

3. They have a different name in Australia

AC/DC are colloquially known as “Acca Dacca” Down Under.

4. They’ve had a lot of different members over the years

The current members of AC/DC are Angus Young, Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson and Stevie Young.  Malcolm Young, Dave Evans, Larry Van Kriedt, Colin Burgess, Rob Bailey, Peter Clack, Bon Scott, Mark Evans, Simon Wright, Chris Slade and Axl Rose are all previous members of AC/DC.

5. Their first lead singer died in 1980 in London

Bon Scott passed out in a car after a heavy night of drinking at the Machine Club and did not wake up the next morning.  The official cause was listed as “acute alcohol poisoning”. He had been the band’s lead vocalist from 1974.

6. Their second singer left the band in 2016

Brian Johnson replaced Bon Scott in 1980. He left the band while they were on tour in October 2016. His doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately. Johnson’s hearing loss (which was a result of constant touring with the band and his love of auto racing) had accelerated. He risked complete deafness. He was replaced by Axl Rose (the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses). Johnson did return to the band in 2020.

7. Angus Young has put on some weird outfits over the years

His outfits on stage have ranged from Spider-Man to a gorilla outfit and school uniforms. He even got onto stage in a Super-Ang outfit.

8. Bonn Scott changed his name because people made fun of him

Bon Scott’s real name is Ronald Scott. When he moved to Australia from Scotland, people made fun of him by calling him Bonnie Scotland. He obviously didn’t like that.

9. They’ve been honored with street names and statues

AC/DC have had streets named after them in Leganes (near Madrid) in Spain and in Melbourne. A statue of Bon Scott was erected in Fremantle harbour in Australia in 2008.

10. Angus Young has played guitar while his amp was on fire

In 1977 Angus Young’s guitar amplifier caught fire during the solo recording of “Lets there be rock”. He kept on playing because his brother urged him to do so. It happened again during the “Rock or bust”, but Angus didn’t even realize it – he thought it was just a cigarette.

11. Malcolm Young passed away in November 2017

At the conclusion of the AC/DC‘s Black Ice World Tour, Malcolm Young was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was treated at an early stage, so surgery was successful and the cancer was removed. He also had an unspecified heart problem and had a pacemaker. Sadly, he died from the effects of dementia on 18 November 2017.

12. The band have released a lot of albums…

As of April 2024, the Australian rock band AC/DC has released 18 studio albums, including two soundtrack albums, three live albums, one extended play, 57 singles, 11 video albums, 52 music videos, and two box sets.

13. The “Back in Black” Bell is a Custom Creation

The iconic 900kg bronze bell heard at the beginning of “Hells Bells” was custom-made for the band. They initially tried to record a real church bell in Leicestershire, but the sound was interrupted by pigeons flying out of the bell tower every time it struck. They eventually had a bespoke AC/DC bell cast by the John Taylor Bellfounders to get that perfect, ominous tone.

14. Their Music was used as a Psychological Tactic

In 1989, the US military used AC/DC’s music as a psychological warfare tactic. During the invasion of Panama, they blasted “You Shook Me All Night Long” (among other rock songs) at the Apostolic Nunciature to encourage General Manuel Noriega to surrender.

15. Stephen King is a Superfan

The legendary horror author Stephen King is such a fan that he personally asked the band to provide the entire soundtrack for his 1986 film, Maximum Overdrive. This resulted in the album Who Made Who, which is technically a soundtrack but functioned as a “greatest hits” with a few new tracks.

Crank up the live version of their track “Shoot To Thrill” to improve yout day:

There you have it, 15 facts you might not have known about AC/DC. If you have another fact that you wanna add about about them, please comment on this post. Feedback is appreciated and welcome.

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