AC /DC is an Australian band formed in 1973 by brothers and guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young . In 1975, the band released two albums, *High Voltage* (released only in Australia) and *TNT* , featuring vocalist Bon Scott , who replaced the first vocalist Dave Evans , who left the band due to his glam rock style. The Young and Scott brothers were the band's main songwriters, and the band featured several drummers and bassists on its early albums.
The band's lineup stabilized with the addition of Mark Evans on bass and Phil Rudd on drums. In 1976, AC/DC released the international version of High Voltage under the Atlantic Records , compiling tracks from their first two albums and thus expanding their success worldwide, a success they had already achieved in Australia.
After the release of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) and Let There Be Rock (1977), Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams , who made his debut on the 1978 album, Powerage . In 1979, the band released Highway To Hell and reached the peak of their success. The following year, vocalist Bon Scott was found dead inside a car after excessive alcohol consumption.
After considering disbanding, AC/DC decided to continue, hiring Englishman Brian Johnson as their new vocalist and dedicating their next album, Back In Black , to the late singer. The album became a landmark in rock history, one of the best-selling albums, and remained on the UK charts for 131 weeks.
In 1983, after For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (1981) and Flick Of The Switch (1983), drummer Phil Rudd left the band due to drug abuse problems and was replaced by Simon Wright . Rudd would return to the band in the mid-90s.
In 2014, AC/DC announced the retirement of their founding guitarist, Malcolm Young, due to health reasons. His nephew, Stevie Young, currently plays in AC/DC in his place.
AC/DC has released 19 studio albums to date and ranks as the fifth best-selling band in US history. Often cited as the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time, AC/DC is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and the father of several rock anthems such as "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Highway To Hell," "TNT," and "Let There Be Rock."
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