AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born Australian brothers Malcolm (rhythm guitar) and Angus Young (lead guitar). Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band calls it simply "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage (1975). Membership subsequently stabilised around the Young brothers with fellow Scottish-born Australian Bon Scott (lead vocals) alongside native Australians Mark Evans (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums). Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has since appeared on every album since Powerage (1978). Seven months after the release of the band's breakthrough album Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and the other members considered disbanding. However, at the request of Scott's parents, they continued together and recruited English singer Brian Johnson as their new frontman. Their first album with Johnson, Back in Black (1980), was dedicated to Scott's memory. It was a widespread success, launching the band to new heights and becoming the second best-selling album of all time.
The band's eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the United States. Prior to the release of their next album, Flick of the Switch (1983), Rudd left the band and was replaced by Simon Wright, who was himself replaced by Chris Slade six years later. The band experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of their 12th studio album The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only album to feature Slade, who was replaced by the returning Rudd in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their 15th studio album Black Ice was the second-highest-selling album of 2008 and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No. 1 worldwide.The band's line-up remained the same for 20 years until 2014, when Malcolm Young retired due to early-onset dementia (from which he died three years later) and Rudd became involved in legal troubles. Malcolm was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, who debuted on the album Rock or Bust (2014). On the accompanying tour, previous drummer Chris Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Johnson was advised to stop touring due to worsening hearing loss, and Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose stepped in as the band's frontman for the remainder of that year's dates. Long-time bassist and backing vocalist Williams retired at the end of the Rock or Bust tour in 2016, and the group entered a four-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020, and the band's 17th studio album Power Up was released two months later.
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth-highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th-best-selling artist worldwide. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second best-selling album of all time and the highest-selling album by a band. The album has sold 25 million units in the US, where it is the fourth best-selling album of all time. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. They 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, they ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". American record producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for Rolling Stone, called them the "greatest rock and roll band of all time". In 2010, VH1 ranked them No. 23 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
