10 facts about AC/DC
They've existed for over 40 years, but if you're still unfamiliar with the rock band AC/DC, this is what you need to know.
Let's just call it rock 'n' roll
Some say AC/DC is a hard rock band. Others describe their style as heavy metal. But they call their own music purely rock 'n' roll. The song titles tend to confirm that: 10 of them include the term "rock 'n' roll." Add those with the words "rockin" and "rock," and you'll lose count.
Power-driven name
The idea for the name is attributed to Malcolm and Angus Young's sister Margaret, who saw the abbreviation for "alternating current / direct current" on her sewing machine and thought it was cool. The band initially didn't know that AC/DC is also slang for bisexuality. That led to embarrassing moments at the beginning. Others claimed AC/DC was an abbreviation for anti-Christ devil children.
Five rocking grandpas
With singer Brian Johnson, the average age of the members of AC/DC is just under 65. Replacing Johnson with Axl Rose, who's 54, lowers the average by only three years. Old rockers perhaps, but AC/DC can feel young in comparison to The Rolling Stones, whose age averages out at 71.5.
The world's most famous school uniform
Legend has it that Angus Young was always in such a hurry to get rocking in the garage after school that he didn't bother to take off his uniform. It became his trademark onstage, with pyrotechnics concealed in his school bag. He has also tried out Spiderman and Zorro costumes, but they didn't go down as well. To this day, the school duds are his main getup - even if he often ends up shirtless.
The first megahits with Bon Scott
The first singer, Dave Evans, was in the band for only a year. In 1974 he was replaced by Bon Scott, who led the era of hits like "T.N.T.," "Whole Lotta Rosie," and "Highway to Hell." Scott died in 1980 in the back seat of a car after a night of heavy drinking. His successor was Brian Johnson, still called the "new guy" even though he's been on board for over 35 years.
Damaged voice and hearing
Brian Johnson hasn't spared his vocal cords in the past four decades. He had already started hitting the high E in the early 70s, with his first band Geordie. That took its toll: He increasingly had to shout to emit his legendary sounds. Earlier this year, the band announced that Johnson would be taking a break due to hearing issues. Whether he'll ever come back is unclear.
Drummer with a hardcore lifestyle
Despite a 10-year break in the 80s, Phil Rudd was the band's longest-serving drummer. In 2014, he was arrested and charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill and drug possession. Those legal problems and the bad rep led AC/DC to replace him with their former drummer Chris Slade.
Crime against a rock song
The well-behaved Celine Dion, famous for her song "My Heart Will Go On" in the movie "Titanic," decided to cover "You Shook Me All Night Long" with her colleague Anastacia in Las Vegas. The result destroyed all the sex appeal of AC/DC's classic hit; music experts called it the world's worst cover song of all time.
Not on Spotify
Everybody talked about Taylor Swift's boycott of Spotify, but she's not the only superstar to have snubbed the streaming platform: You won't find AC/DC on it either. Several videos are available on YouTube - but live concerts are obviously way better.
Record-breaking noise levels
AC/DC concert goers can expect a sound level of 130 decibels. In comparison, a jackhammer quietly hits 105, while an airplane taking off reaches 140 decibels. That probably explains why the best spots at the 2015 open-air concert in Cologne were up in the trees behind the fence. The whole city could sing along.