This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the AC/DC article. This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject.

Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic. New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Learn to edit; get help. Assume good faith Be polite and avoid personal attacks Be welcoming to newcomers Seek dispute resolution if needed Article policies Neutral point of view No original research Verifiability

Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL

Archives: Index, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9Auto-archiving period: 1 month

This article is a current featured article candidate. A featured article should exemplify Wikipedia's best work, and is therefore expected to meet the criteria. Please feel free to leave comments. After one of the FAC coordinators promotes the article or archives the nomination, a bot will update the nomination page and article talk page. Do not manually update the ((Article history)) template when the FAC closes.

	AC/DC is a former featured article. Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed.
	AC/DC has been listed as one of the Music good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.
	This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on October 26, 2009.
Article milestones Date Process Result May 17, 2006 Good article nominee Not listed September 9, 2006 Good article nominee Listed October 29, 2006 Peer review Reviewed December 13, 2006 Featured article candidate Not promoted January 20, 2007 Featured article candidate Promoted September 10, 2007 Featured article review Kept September 8, 2018 Featured article review Demoted September 24, 2023 Good article nominee Not listed December 29, 2023 Good article nominee Listed Current status: Former featured article, current good article

This  level-5 vital article is rated GA-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects:

Australia: Music High‑importance AC/DC is within the scope of WikiProject Australia, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Australia and Australia-related topics. If you would like to participate, visit the project page.AustraliaWikipedia:WikiProject AustraliaTemplate:WikiProject AustraliaAustralia articles High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by WikiProject Australian music (assessed as Top-importance). Need help improving this article? Ask a LibrarianWhat's this? at the National Library of Australia. The Wikimedia Australia chapter can be contacted via email to helpwikimedia.org.au for non-editorial assistance. AC/DC Top‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject AC/DC, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of AC/DC on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.AC/DCWikipedia:WikiProject AC/DCTemplate:WikiProject AC/DCAC/DC articles Top This article has been rated as Top-importance on the importance scale. Biography: Musicians This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography, a collaborative effort to create, develop and organize Wikipedia's articles about people. All interested editors are invited to join the project and contribute to the discussion. For instructions on how to use this banner, please refer to the documentation.BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Biographybiography articles This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians (assessed as Top-importance). Metal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Metal, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of heavy metal music on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.MetalWikipedia:WikiProject MetalTemplate:WikiProject MetalHeavy Metal articles Rock music High‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Rock music, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Rock music on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Rock musicWikipedia:WikiProject Rock musicTemplate:WikiProject Rock musicRock music articles High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. Freopedia This article is within the scope of WikiTown Freopedia.FreopediaWikipedia:FreopediaTemplate:FreopediaFreopedia articles

Other talk page banners

On 22 March 2017, it was proposed that this article be moved from AC/DC to AC/DC (band). The result of the discussion was consensus reached. Section sizes in AC/DC Section size for AC/DC (29 sections) Section name Byte count Section total (Top) 5,364 5,364 History 12 120,735 Formation and name (1973–1974) 15,896 15,896 Bon Scott joins (1974–1976) 5,609 5,609 Initial success and record deal (1976–1977) 6,988 6,988 Cliff Williams joins and death of Bon Scott (1977–1980) 9,002 9,002 Brian Johnson joins and rebirth (1980–1983) 6,555 6,555 Line-up changes and commercial decline (1983–1990) 11,288 11,288 Popularity regained (1990–1999) 10,466 10,466 Popularity confirmed (1999–2008) 10,636 10,636 Black Ice and tour (2008–2014) 12,978 12,978 Malcolm Young retires (2014–2018) 17,770 17,770 Reunion and Power Up (2018–present) 13,535 13,535 Musical style 5,629 22,988 Influences 12,090 12,090 Genres 5,269 5,269 Criticism 9,061 9,061 Awards and achievements 13,077 13,077 Band members 49 2,837 Current members 413 413 Touring members 1,416 1,416 Former members 959 959 Discography 1,030 1,030 Concert tours 1,448 1,448 References 15 4,318 Citations 29 29 Sources 4,274 4,274 Further reading 1,611 1,611 External links 1,112 1,112 Total 183,581 183,581

Daily pageviews of this article A graph should have been displayed here but graphs are temporarily disabled. Until they are enabled again, visit the interactive graph at pageviews.wmcloud.org

Nationality discussions

This section is pinned and will not be automatically archived. If you're here to dispute the nationality of AC/DC, Angus, Malcolm, Stevie or George, please understand this, This topic has been discussed countless times here and at Angus Young or brother's Malcolm Young, Stevie Young or George Young articles. All brothers were born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1963 they moved to Sydney, Australia. AC/DC was officially formed in 1973 in Australia. The consensus discussions (listed below) and the Wikipedia community have concluded that Angus Young, Malcolm. Stevie and AC/DC will be listed as Australian. Any changes to this fact will be promptly removed. List of nationality discussions Angus's discussions Angus Young -- Scottish-Australian versus Australian Australian Angus, Malcolm George young Scottish born Austrialian musicians v just Austrialian musicians Malcolm's discussions Australian versus Scottish-Australian - Malcolm Young Nationality AC/DC discussions An Australian rock band??? AC/DC plain and simple ACDC and Scotland ACDC is a Kiwi/British/Australian Band Possible Mistakes There are too many to list here, feel free to review other discussions at AC/DC Archive index - FlightTime (open channel) 04:36, 24 September 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

People are saying there's a consensus to include heavy metal as a genre, where is that discussion? --FMSky (talk) 19:13, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Heavy metal sources

(Man, I need to get better at the edit summary thing)

@FMSky I was referring to this discussion here. There was also a lot of discussion about them as a "metal" act in this section as well. Carlinal (talk) 19:14, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

From 2007?????? --FMSky (talk) 19:15, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Its obviously so incredibly nonsensical to list a bluesy hard rock band as heavy metal when one of the main characteristics of heavy metal is that it doesnt have any blues influences anymore --FMSky (talk) 19:17, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I do find it unfortunate that there hasn't been any re-discussion of this in the last 5 years but I'm certain info in the genre section of this article can provide some justification; since Back in Black they've departed further from blues rock and songs like "Hells Bells" and "Big Gun" aren't anything like with "The Jack" or "Down Payment Blues". That's the best I can come up with I'm afraid. Carlinal (talk) 19:25, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

• Anyone with any knowledge of the history of heavy metal knows that it evolved from "bluesy hard rock" bands. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and even Black Sabbath all showed a pronounced blues influence in their work, as did other early metal bands such as Budgie, Uriah Heep and Blue Oyster Cult. I'm fully aware that most of these pioneering bands didn't/don't like the term "Heavy Metal". That doesn't mean AC/DC weren't a huge influence on both NWOBHM and American glam metal. MaxBrowne2 (talk) 23:41, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

What even is your point? I dont deny that they incluenced heavy metal, but that doesnt make them heavy metal themselves, especially since ACDC never abandoned their bluesy rock sound --FMSky (talk) 23:42, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Several sources describe them as heavy metal, so that's good enough. Consensus is long established and genre arguments are boring. MaxBrowne2 (talk) 23:54, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

• I agree with MaxBrowne2's sentiment "genre arguments are boring." Arguments about AC/DC's genres have occurred since their inception over 50 years ago. Historical sources for "heavy metal" as the fourth of their four main genres:
  • Melody Maker's writer back in 1976 states "AC/DC was 'the biggest heavy-metal event in Australia since the death of Ned Kelly'... 'not many British bands of the reckless high-speed energy that AC/DC display...'"^[1]
  • "AC/DC are not one of those heavy metal outfits who have to turn up the sound to disguise their faults. Their music has rhythm and body to it... simple as it is. But at the Odeon gig the volume was at times too overpowering." Ian Cross (1978).^[2]
  • Garry Raffaele reviewed Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny in 1981 and disparages their calculated HM style, "Now take AC-DC for instance. That's heavy metal but with an abandon, a cut-the-rope passion."^[3]
  • Boston Globe's Steve Morse (1982), considers For Those About to Rock, "[it's] designed to expand the band's image as a 'heavy metal' band (a term Young hates), has more chest beating lyrics than usual"^[4] shaidar cuebiyar (talk) 07:27, 5 February 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

  Thank you for these sources. I forgot to mention this yesterday but there's also the fact that when RetroCosmos reviewed this article for a GAN there was no mention or problem with the heavy metal link. So why is this a problem now? Carlinal (talk) 17:50, 5 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

• Found two other sources:
  • Ken Tucker from the Windsor Star refers to AC/DC as "top of the heavy-metal heap".^[5]
  • Martin Siberok of the Montreal Gazette, reviewing one of AC/DC's shows, refers to the band being heavy metal twice.^[6] HorrorLover555 (talk) 18:39, 5 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The concert reviewers were most likely just journalists rather than experts on heavy metal music and what heavy metal is or isn't, but that's not important. Every now and then another WP:GENREWARRIOR comes along and takes exception to AC/DC being described as heavy metal, but this "controversy" is well covered in the "genre" section under "musical style". We can include the description "heavy metal" in the lead and infobox without fear of violating NPOV. MaxBrowne2 (talk) 20:21, 5 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Agreed.shaidar cuebiyar (talk) 00:03, 6 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I agree as well. HorrorLover555 (talk) 00:43, 6 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Agreed! — VAUGHAN J. (TALK) 01:24, 6 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I couldn't agree more. Carlinal (talk) 22:47, 8 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Off-line source:

1. Glenn A. Baker (1984) writes "although AC/DC were the leaders of the mid-Seventies new wave of heavy metal, their hard-rock sound borrowed more from the blues tradition of [Berry] and [Diddley] than it did from Deep Purple or Black Sabbath. The band dealt exclusively in power, but mercifully eschewed the HM clichés of sword-and-sorcery and exaggerated stage poses. A sense of humour, so lacking in other HM outfits, was the very essence of AC/DC's motivation and modus operandi."^[7] Here Baker directly states AC/DC's genres as "hard-rock" and "heavy metal" based on "blues" music. This specifically contradicts FMSky's point "incredibly nonsensical to list a bluesy hard rock band as heavy metal". Furthermore, according to Baker, not only did they "influence" heavy metal they were "leaders" of the new wave of heavy metal in mid-70s.shaidar cuebiyar (talk) 01:16, 6 February 2024 (UTC)Reply[reply]