(Credits: Far Out / ACDC)
Sun 7 December 2025 17:00, UK
To the uninitiated, the sound of AC/DC is often associated with rampant guitar riffs and the gravelly vocals of Brian Johnson. Together, that combination has been the foundation of their stadium rock sound that has conducted some of the most raucous mosh pits in rock and roll history.
Generally speaking, it’s a fair assumption. Because Johnson’s first album with the band in 1980 was Back In Black. The globally known rock masterpiece had some of the band’s most recognisable hits on the record. ‘Back In Black’, ‘Hells Bells’ and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ feature on the album and live long in the memory of old fans while opening the door into a world of rock appreciation for the oncoming generations.
Angus Young remembered just how impactful Johnson’s voice was for the new chapter of the band. He remembered his audition, and how he clearly proved he had what it takes to replace Bon Scott, explaining, “I knew he had the register, you could hear it in his voice – cutting edge to his voice. Plus, he sang ‘Rosie’, and he did a great version of ‘Highway to Hell’. He had that register, he had that vocal ability to do it.”
He added, “It’s a pretty powerful sound, when we were cranking up, it’s a powerful sound, and to get above that, you gotta have the tool.”
It was the right choice for the band because ultimately, he continued their ascension into the stratosphere and laid down the vocals for their most famous album in an instant. But the nature of these globally adored albums creates somewhat of a conflicted feeling within musicians. Once they break the threshold of success, these records almost leave the band and become products of the general public.
The intimacy with which they recorded those songs almost becomes lost in the sea of voices that sing them back, and so it’s rare that the bands themselves share the same adoration for that record as their fans. In the case of AC/DC, it’s no different. While they would all be willing to concede that Back In Black was probably their most successful outing, it doesn’t rank at the top of the list when it comes to choosing their favourites.
Both Malcolm Young and Phil Rudd share a love for a record that preceded those heady days of stadium rock, and one led forward by the original voice of Bon Scott. When asked about his favourite AC/DC record, Rudd said “Powerage,” before explaining, “I think that was Cliff’s [Williams, bass] first album as well; it was such a great album, and it’s got a couple of things on there that I really like, but we don’t necessarily play them live. Our aim is to kind of beat you up when we play live; we’re not trying to be nice to you, we want to beat you up, we don’t want to be too nice when we get on stage.”
It was a sentiment shared by Malcolm Young, who confessed to a fan, “That’s my favourite album, too,” before calling it the real deal as he signed his copy of the record.
On Powerage, AC/DC were at their peak with Scott at the helm, embodying the raw and rebellious rock template Johnson would carry forward, but with a sense of charismatic stage presence that suited their early work. While Back In Black may have echoed around the stadiums, the band soon filled Powerage was one for the smaller venues and the places that built the legacy the band later enjoyed.
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