Top 10 Best AC/DC Songs of All Time

The Back in Black album would prove to be an unprecedented success. It is now the best-selling album of all time after Thriller (with an estimated 50 million copies). The title track itself would become a phenomenon. This is primarily due to one of the most popular guitar riffs of all time. This dry riff would take on a life of its own as a sample in hip hop (for example in tracks by Beastie Boys and Eminem). In addition, the sing-along is an ode to the late singer Bon Scott, which was written by his replacement Brian Johnson. In his own words, the lyrics seemed like nonsense at first, but the rest of the band recognized exactly Scott's lifestyle in it.

Highway to Hell is one of AC/DC's best-known songs, but initially the record company did not want Highway to Hell to become the title song of the 1979 album. The song is actually about life on tour, but in America they would be seen as a satanic band for a while. According to some people, the band name did not actually refer to electricity but was said to be an abbreviation of Anti-Christ/Devil Children. Today, Highway to Hell is a rock classic that is regularly used in films. The song is often sung by other artists, for example Billy Joel, and is popular during talent shows such as X-Factor. In 2013, AC/DC re-released Highway to Hell and it almost became the UK Christmas hit of that year.

In the mid-1980s, AC/DC's popularity seemed to slowly decline. Where their hard rock previously sounded very rough, the AC/DC sound suddenly became much more civilized compared to a new generation of metal bands. Their big comeback was the song Thunderstruck from 1990 (and their first Dutch top 10 hit since Whole Lotta Rosie). Thunderstruck has a great structure with a long sustained guitar melody in which “Thunder!” is repeatedly heard. is scanned. The tension is tightened very carefully until the entire band joins in after the first verse. A true hard rock classic.

Whole Lotta Rosie was only the third single from the Let There Be Rock album. Yet this song would be the first to gain classic rock status. In the Netherlands it was their first hit and also the biggest, reaching number 3. The song is an ode to the Rubens Woman, embodied here by a certain Rosie with whom singer Scott had spent a night. Despite her considerable size (about 120 kilos in the text), she was a great lover, according to Scott.

By the end of the 1970s, AC/DC had become an established name. To take a final step towards really great popularity, the band needed a new producer. This eventually became Robert John “Mutt” Lange who did not want to change anything about the group but made sure that every sound sounded perfect. The group had already used the title If You Want Blood You Got It for their live album from a year earlier and now turned it into a swinging rocker.

The band had made a name for itself in Europe by 1976. But they were also annoyed that their American record company did not want to release Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap due to the mediocre production. For their next album they opted for a cool sound with lots of guitars. The title track is one of their most popular songs. Bon Scott sings a kind of Bible story about the birth of rock 'n roll that was also a little longer than usual for the band. The structure leaves extra room for solos by guitarist Angus Young.

AC/DC was formed at a time when rock music seemed to be calming down. The band members wanted to inject some energy into the genre again and their debut leaves no doubt about that. After AC/DC achieved international fame, they re-released their debut, with title track High Voltage which, strangely enough, only appeared on their second album T.N.T. The cheerful rocker would always remain a live favorite during the Bon Scott period, as the great version on the live album If You Want Blood You've Got It proves.

After the overwhelming success of Back in Black, AC/DC quickly entered the studio to present a successor in 1981. The opening song is a strong song that has been the traditional closing of their concerts ever since. The sound effects of firing cannons can then be nicely combined with big explosions.

After making a name for themselves in Australia, AC/DC managed to gain international attention with their third album. The title track of Dirty Deed Done Dirt Cheap would quickly become a crowd favorite. The cadence of the chorus is made for a great roar. In the text, Bon Scott invites people with problems to call him so he can offer a solution. The phone number that Scott sings was a real number in Australia at the time.

When singer Bon Scott died in 1980 after excessive drinking, AC/DC's days seemed numbered. The band decided to continue with a new singer, Brian Johnson, with whom they quickly recorded Back in Black. The thundering opener Hells Bells immediately shows that AC/DC has not given up.