AC/DC discography

AC/DC discography
Rock band in performance on a well-lit but hazy stage. We see two guitarists, a bassist, a vocalist on the left side and a drummer in the rear.
AC/DC performing in Tacoma, Washington in 2009
Studio albums18
EPs1
Soundtrack albums2
Live albums3
Singles57
Video albums11
Music videos52
Box sets2

Australian rock band AC/DC have released 18 studio albums, two soundtrack albums, three live albums, one extended play, 57 singles, 11 video albums, 52 music videos and two box sets. Although many AC/DC singles have been released, the band refused to issue any greatest hits albums.[1] Who Made Who, which served as the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive, Iron Man 2 and the band's various live recordings are the closest they have issued to such a compilation.[2]

Brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar) formed AC/DC in 1973.[3][4] The band released two albums in Australasia before issuing their first international album, High Voltage in 1976; the Youngs had been joined by vocalist Bon Scott, bass guitarist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd.[3][4] In 1980, less than a year after the appearance of the successful Highway to Hell, Scott died and was replaced by English singer Brian Johnson, with whom AC/DC released their best-selling album, Back in Black.[3][4][5] The album Black Ice, from 2008, reached number one in 29 countries.[6] In 50 years of their career, AC/DC have sold over 200 million albums worldwide,[7] and 83 million in the United States.[8] Back in Black sold 50 million copies worldwide, and became the second best-selling album in history.[9]

Verizon made AC/DC albums available for digital download in 2007;[10] for five years the band refused to release their albums via iTunes, as that company allows downloading of individual tracks.[11] Angus Young observed, "We honestly believe the songs on any of our albums belong together. If we were on iTunes, we know a certain percentage of people would only download two or three songs from the album – and we don't think that represents us musically."[11] However, in November 2012, the band relented and released their entire discography via iTunes.[12] On 30 June 2015, their catalogue appeared on Spotify for the first time, which made their works available for streaming.[13] Their most certified singles in the US are "Thunderstruck" (1990), "Back in Black" (1980), "Highway to Hell" (1979), and "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980) – each have received Diamond, 7× Platinum, and 6× Platinum and from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2024, respectively.[8] In Australia, "Thunderstruck" (1990) was accredited 10× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2022.[14]

  1. ^ Aizlewood, John (16 November 2001). "Greatest Hits Round-up". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  2. ^ Christopher, Michael (30 June 2003). "Epic Records AC/DC Re-issues: Second Wave". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  3. ^ a b c
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Holmgren was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Top 100 Albums". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  6. ^ Elliott, Paul; Hughes, Rob; Wall, Mick; Barton, Geoff; McIntyre, Ken; Brannigan, Paul; Rowley, Scott; Wilding, Philip; Mitchell, Ben. "Every AC/DC Album Ranked, from Worst to Best – the Ultimate Guide". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  7. ^ "AC/DC: Rock's 'Kick in the Guts'". BBC News. 6 November 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RIAA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Mierendorf, Mike (2 August 2012). "Cultural Impact: AC/DC – Back in Black". Cultural Transmogrifier Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  10. ^ Bruno, Antony (1 August 2007). "AC/DC Goes Digital via Verizon Wireless". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 December 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b Boyd, Brian (29 September 2008). "iTunes Under Threat as Bands Take Their Business Elsewhere". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  12. ^ "AC/DC Finally Joins iTunes". The Hollywood Reporter. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  13. ^ Greenberg, Alissa (30 June 2015). "AC/DC Has Finally Joined the World of Music Streaming". Time. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference ARIA2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).