Portal:AC/DC/Selected article
Selected articles
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/1
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (July 9, 1946 – February 19, 1980) was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician. He is best known as the lead singer, co-lyricist and frontman of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.
In 1964, Scott formed The Spektors and became the band's drummer and occasional lead vocalist. In 1966, the Spektors merged with another local band, The Winstons, to form The Valentines. After the Valentines broke up in 1970, Scott joined the band, Fraternity. Fraternity released two albums and some singles, gaining moderate success, but the group went into hiatus in 1973. In 1974, Scott replaced Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC. By the release of the international version of High Voltage (1976), AC/DC had established their international success. Scott released four other albums with AC/DC before his death in 1980.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/2
AC/DC are a hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The band are considered pioneers of hard rock, alongside bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath. Its members, however, have always classified their music as "rock 'n' roll".
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, including more than 71 million albums in the U.S. Back in Black has sold 49 million units worldwide, including 22 million in the U.S., making it the second-highest-selling album ever internationally, and the biggest-selling album by any band. Their latest album, Black Ice, was released in 2008, being the second best-selling record of the year, and receiving positive reviews.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/3
Brian Johnson (born October 5, 1947 in Dunston, Gateshead, England) is a singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the Australian hard rock band, AC/DC. He currently lives in Sarasota, Florida.
In 1972, Johnson formed the glam rock band Geordie and became their lead singer. However, after a few hit singles, the band split up in 1978. Johnson reformed Geordie in 1980, however, just after a record deal had been signed, he was asked to audition for AC/DC. A few days after the audition, Johnson was told he would be replacing Bon Scott as the lead vocalist of the band. Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, is the band's biggest selling album.
Johnson's sartorial trademark is his cap. Originally, he wore a flat cap, once regarded as a symbol of Tyneside, but in recent years, he has occasionally worn a baseball cap instead.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/4
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980. Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who had died in February 1980. The band considered disbanding following Scott's death, but ultimately decided to continue and shortly thereafter hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer and lyricist. Though the Young brothers had begun work on this album prior to Scott's death, and Scott had written lyrics for potential new songs, the decision was made to redo the album from scratch upon hiring Johnson. Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had previously worked with AC/DC on Highway to Hell, was again brought in to produce.
The album was remastered and re-released first in late 1994, then again in the Bonfire box set in 1997, and as part of the AC/DC Remasters Series in 2003. In addition, a Dualdisc version was released in 2005, featuring the album in enhanced LPCM Stereo format and the video documentary The Story of Back in Black.
The international sales of the disc ascend to more than 42 million copies, making it the second most sold disc of all time after Thriller by Michael Jackson.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/5
Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis) was born on May 19, 1954 in Melbourne, Australia. He was the drummer of the Australian rock 'n roll band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bassist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band. He uses SONOR drums, Paiste cymbals, and Aquarian drumheads.
Rudd played in several bands in Melbourne before joining The Coloured Balls, with future Rose Tattoo vocalist, Angry Anderson. They soon changed their name to 'Buster Brown' and released one album, Something To Say, before Rudd left in late 1974 to join AC/DC. He fitted in with the band very quickly and contributed his solid drumming style to great effect on the string of albums recorded from 1975, to 1983. The band relocated to the UK in 1976 and followed a heavy schedule of international touring and recording.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/6
Black Ice is the fifteen studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 17 October 2008. It was produced by Brendan O'Brien, and recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Canada through five weeks in March and April 2008. Guitarists Angus Young and Malcolm Young started composition in 2003, with delays to its development occurred due to an injury to bass guitarist Cliff Williams and a change of labels from Atlantic Records to Sony Music. The album was released eight years after the band's previous album Stiff Upper Lip, which is so far their longest gap between successive studio albums. O'Brien tried to recapture the rock sound of the band's early work, as opposed to the blues orientation of predecessors Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip, and made suggestions such as adding "soul crooning" to Brian Johnson's singing. Black Ice has the longest running time of any AC/DC studio effort.
Black Ice was launched exclusively in physical formats, as the group does not sell its music digitally. The album went to number-one in 29 countries, and was the second best-selling record of 2008, behind Coldplay's Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, shipping 6 million copies worldwide by December. Critical reviews were generally positive, praising the music and resemblance to the classic AC/DC sound, although some critics found the work overly long and inconsistent. Black Ice was nominated for many awards, including the Grammy, Brit, Juno and ARIA Music Awards; and was supported by a world tour between 2008 and 2010.
Portal:AC/DC/Selected article/7
Clifford Williams (born 14 December 1949) is an English bassist and backing vocalist, who has been a member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC since mid-1977. He had started his professional music career in 1967 and was previously in the British groups Home and Bandit. His first studio album with AC/DC was Powerage in 1978. The band, including Williams, was inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Williams's playing style is noted for basic bass lines which follow the rhythm guitar. Williams's side projects, while a member of AC/DC, include benefit concerts and playing with Emir & Frozen Camels on their album San (2002) and a European tour.
