WATCH Brian Johnson’S Hoover Commercial and Read The Top AC/DC Facts

Adversity is nothing new to rock legends AC/DC. The band that produced such mega-hits as “Highway to Hell,” “Back In Black,” “Hells Bells,” “Thunderstruck,” and countless others survived the death of their original singer Bon Scott, the unfortunate association of having a serial killer (Richard Ramirez) as a fan, as well as numerous battles with religious fanatics, jaded rock journalists and pop culture taste-makers who spent the better part of three decades telling the group they had to change their no-frills approach.

AC/DC stayed AC/DC.
It’s why, with an estimated 220 million albums sold worldwide, they are the biggest selling rock band in history.

Given AC/DC’s penchant for defying the odds since their inception in Australia 40 years ago, here are 10 incredible AC/DC moments spanning the group’s entire career.

. Rolling Stone redemption

“Hard rock has unquestionably hit its all-time low,” wrote Rolling Stone Magazine in their 1976 review of AC/DC’s debut album “High Voltage.” Thirty-two years later, the group made its first cover appearance following the release of “Black Ice.”

. Rocking out Noriega

In 1989, the United States military blared AC/DC music at former Panama dictator Manual Noriega’s compound for two continuous days. He eventually surrendered.

We were just glad to be of service,” singer Brian Johnson told Hot Press in 1990.

. “Let There Be Rock” in America

In 1977, Atlantic Records refused to release AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” album in America citing a lack of potential hit songs on the record. AC/DC returned to the studio for their follow-up album “Let There Be Rock.” Not only was it the group’s hardest and most furious record to date, 40 years later it still ranks as one of their most raucous of all time. It also inspired what would be two concert staples for the band in “Whole Lotta Rosie,” and the title track. They made their American debut later that year touring with Kiss, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath and Aerosmith among others.

. A vacuum advertisement, and AC/DC’s new singer

Brian Johnson was contacted to audition for AC/DC following the death of singer Bon Scott. He later revealed he took the audition because it coincided with singing a jingle for Hoover vacuum cleaners. After singing the commercial spot, he showed up late to the audition and mistook AC/DC roadies for the band. Johnson then did versions of Ike and Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits” along with a few AC/DC numbers, and was soon hired as their new vocalist.

. The fall of communism

In 1991, AC/DC, Metallica, The Black Crowes and Pantera played the first concert following the fall of communism in Russia to an estimated 1.2 million people. Music critic and writer Andrei Orlov told the New York Times, “AC/DC is written on every wall.”

. Rock Hall honors

In 2003, AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not that the band was ungrateful, but they were being signed up to a club they had specifically chosen not to join for the previous three decades. “I think it’s kind of a misnomer,” guitarist Angus Young said. “When they say ‘rock ’n’ roll and then you see somebody like James Taylor sitting there! You know what I mean? It becomes a little bit abusive.” AC/DC performed “What’s Next To The Moon” at the ceremony and were later joined by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler for a rendition of “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

. Sticking to their guns

AC/DC’s no-frills approach was looked down upon by record executives and pop culture-types in the mid-’80s. Their redemption came in a soundtrack album for the Stephen King movie “Maximum Overdrive.” “Who Made Who” marked something of a comeback for the band in 1986, straight in the face of the hairspray generation and pompous glam metal. Not long after, bands like “Guns N’ Roses” and numerous others began citing AC/DC as a key influence. AC/DC appropriately responded to the MTV generation in 1988 with the album “Blow Up Your Video.” At that point, love them or not, AC/DC was here to stay.

 Bon’s artistic appreciation

AC/DC’s debut album “High Voltage” featured a cartoon image of a dog relieving himself on an electrical box. The band’s then-label, EMI, found artist Paul Power’s drawing “disgusting.” He was about to get fired by label executives when Scott entered the room, put his arm around the artist, and while looking at the cover said “Isn’t this great? You’ve really caught what the band is all about! I love it.” Scott then took Power out for a beer saying “I mean, artwork this good should be rewarded right?” The singer saved Power’s job and the album cover.

 “Forget the hearse, ’cause I’ll never die”

AC/DC’s seminal record “Back In Black,” followed the untimely death of singer Bon Scott. Brian Johnson’s debut with the group is reported by many music outlets as the second best-selling album of all time at an estimated 50 millon copies worldwide (second only to Michael Jackson’s, “Thriller”). The all-black record sleeve and album title were a tribute to the group’s fallen front-man.

1) Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band’s name after their older sister saw the initials “AC/DC” on a sewing machine.”AC/DC” is an abbreviation for “alternating current/direct current”. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band’s raw energy, power-driven performances, and a love for their music.

2) Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret’s. Angus had tried other costumes, such as Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang. In fact in its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned when it was discovered Melbourne band Skyhooks had already adopted this approach to their stage presentation.

3) The band recorded their highly successful album Highway to Hell in 1979. Lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption and was left in a car owned by an acquaintance named Alistair Kinnear. The following morning, Kinnear rushed him to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott’s death,and the official cause was listed as “acute alcohol poisoning” and “death by misadventure”.

4) The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson.

Angus Young later recalled, “I remember Bon playing me Little Richard, and then telling me the story of when he saw Brian singing.” He says about that night, “There’s this guy up there screaming at the top of his lungs and then the next thing you know he hits the deck. He’s on the floor, rolling around and screaming. I thought it was great, and then to top it off—you couldn’t get a better encore—they came in and wheeled the guy off!”Later that night, Johnson would be diagnosed with appendicitis, which was the cause of his writhing around on stage.

5) Back in Black has sold an estimated 45 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling album by any band and the 2nd highest-selling album in history, behind Thriller by Michael Jackson

6) The band came second in a list of Australia’s highest-earning entertainers for 2005, and sixth for 2006, despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000.

7) On the 4th November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.

8)  A car and racing enthusiast, Brian Johnson currently enjoys racing his vintage race cars: a Royale RP-4 and a Pilbeam MP84, which he races in vintage and historic races throughout the United States. He also got a seccond best time on UK’s top gear race wall.

9) The singer dismissed recent speculation that he intends to retire at the end of AC/DC’s current world tour, but stressed he will hang up his microphone come the day he is unable to perform for a whole show.

10) The strangest fact of all is here! AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been charged with attempting to procure murders!

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