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AC/DC formed in Sydney, Australia, in 1973 when brothers Malcolm and Angus Young set out to build a hard-rock band with a sound of its own. Over the decades, their music became known for powerful guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and an unmistakable approach to rock and roll. Albums such as Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and The Razors Edge helped establish the group as one of the most successful rock bands in history.
The band’s studio catalog is sometimes counted as 16 or 17 albums because its early Australian and international releases used different configurations. Its recordings have sold millions of copies around the world. AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. The musicians who helped create that legacy range from early vocalist Bon Scott and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young to longtime singer Brian Johnson and the players who joined the group’s later tours.
AC/DC has experienced several major lineup changes, including the deaths of Bon Scott in 1980 and Malcolm Young in 2017. Its 2026 Power Up touring lineup featured Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Stevie Young, Matt Laug, and Chris Chaney. The biographies below cover those performers along with important former members and musicians from the band’s earliest years.
Angus Young
Angus Young co-founded AC/DC with his older brother Malcolm in 1973. Renowned for his energetic performances and schoolboy-uniform stage attire, Angus has remained the band’s lead guitarist throughout its history. He has performed on every AC/DC studio album, and his riffs and solos are central to classics such as “Back in Black,” “Highway to Hell,” “Thunderstruck,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
While many guitarists build extensive solo catalogs, Angus has devoted his career overwhelmingly to AC/DC. His partnership with Malcolm helped establish the group’s songwriting identity, and his instantly recognizable guitar sound continues to define AC/DC.
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young, another co-founder and Angus Young’s older brother, was the rhythm guitarist and a backing vocalist for AC/DC. From the band’s formation in 1973 until his retirement in 2014, his rhythm guitar gave its music much of its distinctive power and precision. He was also a central songwriter and a guiding force in maintaining the band’s musical direction.
Malcolm played on the group’s studio albums through Black Ice in 2008. Although he received songwriting credits on Rock or Bust in 2014, he did not play on that recording; his nephew Stevie Young handled rhythm guitar. Malcolm retired because of dementia and died in November 2017, leaving a profound legacy in hard rock.
Bon Scott
Bon Scott joined AC/DC in 1974 as its lead vocalist and quickly became a defining part of the band’s sound. His distinctive voice, sly delivery, and charismatic stage presence helped make early albums such as High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock, and Highway to Hell essential hard-rock recordings. His era produced unforgettable songs including “T.N.T.,” “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll),” and “Whole Lotta Rosie.”
Before AC/DC, Scott had performed with Australian groups including the Valentines and Fraternity. He died in February 1980 at the age of 33, just as the group’s international popularity was expanding. His recordings remain a major part of AC/DC’s legacy.
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson replaced Bon Scott as AC/DC’s lead vocalist in 1980. His first album with the band, Back in Black, became one of the best-selling recordings in music history. Johnson’s powerful, gritty voice added a new dimension to the group’s sound, and he went on to sing on major albums including For Those About to Rock We Salute You, The Razors Edge, and Black Ice.
Hearing problems forced Johnson to stop touring with the band in 2016, when Axl Rose stepped in for the remaining dates. Johnson subsequently returned for the 2020 album Power Up and resumed live performances with AC/DC, including the 2026 tour. Outside music, he has pursued automobile racing and television projects devoted to cars and motorsports.
Cliff Williams
Cliff Williams joined AC/DC on bass in 1977 and made his studio debut with the band on Powerage in 1978. His steady, understated bass playing and backing vocals helped anchor such albums as Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock We Salute You. His approach complemented Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar, creating one of rock music’s most recognizable rhythm sections.
Williams retired from touring after the band’s 2016 shows, but he returned to record Power Up in 2020 and performed at the Power Trip festival in 2023. Chris Chaney took over bass duties for AC/DC’s subsequent Power Up tours, including the 2026 dates.
Phil Rudd
Phil Rudd joined AC/DC in 1975 and developed the direct, driving drumming style heard on albums including Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock We Salute You. Rudd left the group in 1983, returned in 1994, and resumed recording with the band on Ballbreaker in 1995. His economical approach to rhythm became a central element of the classic AC/DC sound.
Legal difficulties kept Rudd off the 2015–2016 tour, with Chris Slade returning behind the drums. Rudd later recorded Power Up but did not take part in the band’s tours beginning in 2023. Outside AC/DC, he released a solo album, Head Job, in 2014.
Chris Slade
Chris Slade joined AC/DC as its drummer in 1989, after Simon Wright’s departure. He performed on the successful 1990 album The Razors Edge, which featured “Thunderstruck” and “Moneytalks,” and on the accompanying tour. He remained with the band until Phil Rudd’s return in the mid-1990s.
Slade rejoined AC/DC for touring duties in 2015 and remained for the 2016 performances. Beyond the group, he has worked with a wide range of rock musicians, including Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and The Firm.
Simon Wright
Simon Wright served as AC/DC’s drummer from 1983 to 1989, joining after Phil Rudd’s first departure. He played on Fly on the Wall in 1985 and Blow Up Your Video in 1988. His tenure covered a period when the band continued its international touring success and explored a slightly different production style.
After leaving AC/DC, Wright went on to perform with Ronnie James Dio’s band and Rhino Bucket, among other hard-rock acts. His playing remains part of the group’s mid-1980s recorded history.
Mark Evans
Mark Evans played bass for AC/DC from 1975 to 1977, during a crucial period in the band’s early development. He performed on the Australian album T.N.T., Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Let There Be Rock, helping support Bon Scott’s vocals and the Young brothers’ guitar work. Tracks from these sessions also appeared on the internationally issued High Voltage.
Evans left before the recording of Powerage, when Cliff Williams became the band’s new bassist. He continued working with other Australian musicians and later wrote about his time in AC/DC.
Dave Evans
Dave Evans was AC/DC’s original lead singer, performing with the group before Bon Scott joined in 1974. His time with the band was brief, but he sang on the original version of the single “Can I Sit Next to You, Girl,” an important document of AC/DC’s beginnings. The song was later recorded again with Bon Scott.
After leaving AC/DC, Evans pursued music with other groups and as a solo performer. His early involvement places him among the founding musicians in the band’s history.
Stevie Young
Stevie Young, the nephew of Angus and Malcolm Young, became AC/DC’s rhythm guitarist in 2014 when Malcolm could no longer perform. He was already familiar with the band, having temporarily filled in for Malcolm during part of the Blow Up Your Video tour in 1988. His tightly controlled rhythm playing made him a natural choice to help preserve the group’s distinctive sound.
Stevie played rhythm guitar on Rock or Bust in 2014 and Power Up in 2020. He also joined the band for later live performances, including the 2026 Power Up tour.
Other Early AC/DC Band Members
Larry Van Kriedt
Larry Van Kriedt was the bassist in AC/DC’s original 1973 lineup, alongside Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Dave Evans, and drummer Colin Burgess. He joined before the band’s better-known recording lineup. Those early months saw rapid changes as the group established its musical direction and began building a following in Sydney.
Colin Burgess
Colin Burgess was AC/DC’s original drummer and was part of the group when it began performing in late 1973. Before joining, he had played with the Masters Apprentices, one of Australia’s notable rock bands. Burgess departed early in 1974 and died in December 2023, but his place in AC/DC’s founding lineup is an important part of its history.
Neil Smith
Neil Smith briefly played bass for AC/DC in 1974 after Larry Van Kriedt’s first departure. He joined during the band’s early Sydney performances, before it recorded its breakthrough Australian albums. Smith died in 2013.
Noel Taylor
Noel Taylor served as an early AC/DC drummer for a short period in 1974. He and bassist Neil Smith were among the musicians involved as the band still found a permanent lineup. Other performers replaced both before the group completed its first album.
Rob Bailey
Rob Bailey played bass during AC/DC’s early development in 1974, before the group settled on the lineup heard on its better-known records. He was one of several bassists involved as the band moved from local performances toward its first recordings. His brief tenure falls in the Australian period before the group’s international breakthrough.
Peter Clack
Peter Clack was an early AC/DC drummer during 1974, between the group’s original lineup and Phil Rudd’s arrival. Like several musicians from that formative period, he helped shape the band’s developing live sound before the lineup stabilized.
Paul Matters
Paul Matters played bass for AC/DC briefly in early 1975, before Mark Evans joined and helped establish the group’s first widely recognized recording lineup. Matters played primarily live during this transitional period. He died in 2020.
Ron Carpenter and Russell Coleman
Ron Carpenter and Russell Coleman were early drummers who each played with AC/DC briefly during the band’s formative years. Their names are less familiar than Phil Rudd’s, but they were part of the rapid lineup changes before the group settled into its mid-1970s configuration.
Tony Currenti
Tony Currenti was another important early drummer in AC/DC’s story. He played drums on recordings for the original Australian High Voltage album, released in 1975, before Phil Rudd became the drummer most closely associated with the band’s classic records. Currenti’s work connects the group’s earliest recording sessions with the hard-rock style that later brought international success.
George Young
George Young, Angus and Malcolm’s older brother, was an important early mentor, producer, and occasional performer for AC/DC. Known for his work with the Easybeats and as part of the production team Vanda & Young, he played bass on several early AC/DC recordings and sometimes substituted onstage during the band’s frequent lineup changes. George died in 2017.
Additional AC/DC Touring Musicians
Axl Rose
Axl Rose, best known as the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, joined AC/DC onstage during the 2016 Rock or Bust tour after Brian Johnson was advised to stop performing because of his hearing. Rose sang on the remaining European dates and rescheduled North American shows. His time with AC/DC was a temporary touring arrangement rather than a studio-recording membership.
Paul Gregg
Paul Gregg temporarily filled in for bassist Cliff Williams on several concerts during AC/DC’s Razors Edge tour in 1991 while Williams was unavailable. His involvement was limited to live performances, not the band’s studio albums.
Matt Laug
Matt Laug took over live drum duties for AC/DC’s 2023 Power Trip appearance and continued with the Power Up touring lineup through 2026. He brought the band’s familiar rhythms to the stage, filling a role long associated with Phil Rudd. Laug had already built a substantial career as a session and touring drummer before joining AC/DC’s live performances.
Chris Chaney
Chris Chaney joined AC/DC’s touring lineup on bass in 2024 and played on its 2025 and 2026 Power Up tours. He took over the concert role previously occupied by Cliff Williams, while Williams remained part of the band’s recorded history. Chaney was already well known for his work with Jane’s Addiction and other rock musicians.
Updated October 27, 2026.
AC/DC Band Members article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
