It’s a long way to the top. AC/DC have been there, done that, and sold all the t-shirts.
Since their first live show in late 1973, the Australian rockers have consistently cranked it up to 11 and made fans everywhere.
With more than 200 million album sales worldwide, according to Sony Music, AC/DC are titans in their lane, locking up a spot in rock music’s pantheon alongside the Beatles, Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, U2, Metallica, and a handful of others.
AC/DC’s 17th and latest studio album, 2020’s Power Up (also written as PWR/UP), gave the legendary band a sixth leader on the ARIA Albums Chart, and a new chart record.
With that feat, AC/DC became the only Australian group to have No. 1 albums at least once over five decades.
AC/DC also topped the national survey in the pre-ARIA era with Back in Black (March 1981), and again on the ARIA-branded charts with Live (November 1992), Ballbreaker (October 1995), Black Ice (October 2008), and Rock or Bust (December 2014).
By hitting the chart for six, they’re equal first with Adelaide hip-hop veterans Hilltop Hoods among Australian groups with the most leaders.
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The Brits also have a stake in the band: guitarist Angus Young was born in Scotland, frontman Brian Johnson hails from northern England. Like Young, AC/DC’s late frontman Bon Scott was born and raised north of Hadrian’s Wall, before relocating to Australia with his family in 1952 at the age of six. Scott is remembered with a lifesize statue, wielding the bagpipes, in Kirriemuir.
AC/DC have landed 19 titles on the Official UK Albums Chart, including 13 top 10 appearances. Four of those went all the way to No. 1: Back in Black, Black Ice, the Iron Man 2 original soundtrack, and Power Up. Just one Akka Dakka single has cracked the UK top 10, “Highway to Hell”, which stormed to No. 4 in December 2012, the beneficiary of a fan-led social campaign to drive the song to the coveted Christmas No. 1.
In the US, AC/DC have been knocking them out with hits since the ‘70s. Seven singles have cracked the Billboard Hot 100, but it’s on the albums tally where the band has done the most damage. All told, 27 AC/DC titles have impacted the Billboard 200, including 10 top 10s, and three No. 1s: Power Up, Black Ice, and 1981’s For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).
Surprisingly, the band’s seminal seventh studio album, Back in Black, has never gone higher than No. 4 in the US. That’s despite the RIAA last year awarding Black in Black its 27th platinum honour, breaking the stalemate with Eagles’ Hotel California, and placing the Aussies on the all-time podium, at No. 3. RIAA platinum status is awarded for one million sales — that’s 27 million sales of one album, in one market.
AC/DC are giants of the digital world, too. The music videos for “Back in Black” and 1990’s “Thunderstruck” have both rocketed past 1 billion streams on YouTube. On Spotify, four singles have entered the 1 billion club: “Back in Black”, “Thunderstruck”, “Highway to Hell” and “You Shook Me All Night Long”.
AC/DC was one of the very first names read out for induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, saluted at a ceremony in 1988, alongside Dame Joan Sutherland, Johnny O’Keefe, Slim Dusty, Col Joye, and Vanda & Young.
Later, in 2003, the artists were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. AC/DC and The Bee Gees are the only bands inducted into both the Rock Hall and ARIA Hall of Fame.
Then, in 2013, Back in Black was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame, established by the Recording Academy to honour “recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.”
When Rolling Stone AU/NZ ran the rule across the 200 greatest Australian albums of all time, Back in Black came in at No. 1.
The Power Up tour kicked off in Europe last year, passing 2 million ticket sales across 24 shows. The rockers recently wrapped 10 sold-out shows in North America, and they’ll embark on another run of 15 pan-European shows later this week.
TEG Van Egmond is producing the Power Up tour of Australia, which will visit stadiums in the big five cities in November and December. The staggered on-sale starts today, June 26th. Tickets will fly.
AC/DC 2025 Australian Tour
With special guests Amyl and the Sniffers
Wednesday 12 November – Melbourne Cricket Ground, on sale 1pm local TICKETEK
Friday 21 November – Sydney Accor Stadium, on sale 9am local TICKETEK
Sunday 30 November – Adelaide bp Adelaide Grand Final, on sale 10am local TICKETMASTER
Thursday 4 December – Perth Optus Stadium, on sale 1pm local TICKETEK
Sunday 14 December – Brisbane Suncorp Stadium, on sale 11am local TICKETEK
