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 heavy metal, 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 underwent several line-up changes before releasing their

first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until
bassist Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans in 1977. In 1979, the
band recorded their highly successful album, Highway to Hell. Lead
singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980, after
a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered
disbanding, but soon ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was selected
as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their
biggest-selling album, Back in Black.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You,
was also highly successful and was the first hard rock album to
reach #1 in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon
after the departure of drummer Phil Rudd in 1983. Poor record sales
continued until the release of The Razors Edge in 1990. Phil Rudd
returned in 1994 and contributed to the band's 1995 album
Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well-
received by critics. A new album is expected sometime in 2008.

AC/DC have sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide,[3]

including 68 million albums in the U.S Back in Black has sold an
estimated 42 million units worldwide and 21 million in the U.S. alone,
making it the 5th highest-selling album ever in the USA. AC/DC are
ranked fourth on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock
and were ranked by MTV the 7th "Greatest Heavy Metal Band Of All
Time".