20 Most Classic AC/DC Songs

Feature Photo: Ben Houdijk – Shutterstock.com

Our 20 Most Classic AC/DC Songs article presents a showcase of the band’s most popular and legendary songs. While we could have easily made this a list of a hundred songs, we decided to pare it down to 20 of the band’s most iconic tracks and include a history of each one.

# 20 – It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) – T.N.T.

The raw reality of life as a rock musician finds its perfect anthem in AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll).” The song opened the band’s 1975 Australian album T.N.T. and later appeared on the international version of High Voltage. Bon Scott’s vocal and bagpipe part give the track a sound unlike anything else in the band’s catalog. Angus and Malcolm Young drive the song with the hard, simple guitar attack that was already becoming AC/DC’s trademark. Harry Vanda and George Young produced the recording during the band’s early Albert Productions period. The song became AC/DC’s first Top 5 single in Australia and remains one of the defining Bon Scott performances.

# 19 – Girls Got Rhythm – Highway to Hell

“Girls Got Rhythm” captures AC/DC’s gift for putting a huge groove underneath a simple, unforgettable guitar riff. The song appeared on Highway to Hell in 1979 and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott. It was recorded during the album sessions at Roundhouse Studios in London with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. Bon Scott’s sly vocal sits perfectly against Angus Young’s lead guitar and Malcolm Young’s tight rhythm work. Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd keep the rhythm section locked down without crowding the guitars. The song remains one of the sharpest examples of how much swing AC/DC could put into hard rock.

# 18 – Flick of the Switch – Flick of the Switch

“Flick of the Switch” delivers AC/DC with almost everything stripped away except the riffs, rhythm, and attitude. The title track came from the band’s 1983 album Flick of the Switch. AC/DC recorded the album at Compass Point Studios in Nassau during April and May 1983 and produced it themselves. Brian Johnson’s voice tears across a track powered by Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. The band deliberately moved away from the polished production of the preceding Mutt Lange albums and returned to a rougher sound. That no-frills approach is exactly what makes this song hit so hard.

# 17 – Shoot to Thrill – Back in Black

“Shoot to Thrill” is one of the most explosive tracks on AC/DC’s 1980 album Back in Black. The band recorded the album at Compass Point Studios in Nassau with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. Brian Johnson’s powerhouse vocal made it immediately clear that AC/DC had found a frontman capable of carrying the band into its next chapter. Angus Young’s lead guitar and Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar create the tension that drives the song from its opening riff into the final surge. Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd give the track the steady pulse that makes the guitars sound even bigger. It is AC/DC at full power without a wasted second.

# 16 – Jailbreak – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

“Jailbreak” is one of Bon Scott’s great story songs, mixing rebellion, danger, and dark humor. The track appeared on the Australian edition of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in 1976, although it was not included on the international version of that album. AC/DC recorded it at Albert Studios in Sydney with Harry Vanda and George Young producing. Angus and Malcolm Young build the drama with a riff that keeps tightening around Scott’s narrative. Mark Evans plays bass and Phil Rudd drives the song from the drums. The track later reached a much wider international audience through the ’74 Jailbreak EP.

# 15 – Stiff Upper Lip – Stiff Upper Lip

“Stiff Upper Lip” brought AC/DC into the new century with a blues-heavy groove and plenty of swagger. The title track appeared on the band’s 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip. Recording sessions took place at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver in 1999, with George Young returning as producer. Angus Young’s guitar carries the song with a riff that leaves plenty of room for Malcolm Young’s rhythm work. Brian Johnson delivers the lyric with exactly the kind of confidence the title demands. The song proved that AC/DC could still sound unmistakably like itself without chasing whatever was fashionable at the time.

# 14 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation – Powerage

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” opens AC/DC’s 1978 album Powerage with one of the band’s most immediate choruses. Bon Scott, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young wrote the song, while Harry Vanda and George Young produced the album. Powerage also marked the studio-album debut of bassist Cliff Williams, who locked in with Phil Rudd to create one of AC/DC’s strongest rhythm sections. Handclaps and backing vocals give the track a slightly broader sound without taking away its raw edge. The song became AC/DC’s first UK Top 40 single. It remains one of the best examples of the band finding a balance between radio appeal and hard-rock attitude.

# 13 – Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution – Back in Black

“Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” closes Back in Black with a slower, bluesier groove than most of the album. Brian Johnson, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young wrote the song, and Robert John “Mutt” Lange produced the recording. Johnson begins in a conversational mood before the full band settles into the main riff. Angus Young’s lead guitar stays restrained enough to let Malcolm Young’s rhythm work carry much of the weight. Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams make the song feel relaxed without ever letting it lose power. As a closing statement, it sounds like AC/DC planting its flag and refusing to apologize for rock and roll.

# 12 – Dog Eat Dog – Let There Be Rock

“Dog Eat Dog” comes from AC/DC’s ferocious 1977 album Let There Be Rock. Bon Scott, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young wrote the song, which was recorded at Albert Studios in Sydney with Harry Vanda and George Young producing. Bon Scott turns the idea of ruthless competition into a sarcastic piece of hard-rock commentary. Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar gives the song its heavy foundation while Angus Young cuts through with the lead work. Mark Evans plays bass on the recording, with Phil Rudd on drums. The result is tough, funny, and completely locked into the brutal energy of the album around it.

# 11 – Heatseeker – Blow Up Your Video

“Heatseeker” opened AC/DC’s 1988 album Blow Up Your Video with a blast of speed and attitude. Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson wrote the song. Harry Vanda and George Young returned to produce the album, reconnecting AC/DC with the production team behind much of its 1970s work. Brian Johnson attacks the vocal while Angus Young fires off one of the band’s most immediate late-1980s riffs. Cliff Williams holds down the bass and Simon Wright drives the track on drums. Released as a lead single, “Heatseeker” reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

# 10 – Whole Lotta Rosie – Let There Be Rock

“Whole Lotta Rosie” is one of the songs that turned Bon Scott’s storytelling into AC/DC mythology. Written by Scott with Angus and Malcolm Young, the track closed the international edition of Let There Be Rock. The recording was made at Albert Studios in Sydney with Harry Vanda and George Young producing. Angus Young’s opening guitar riff is one of the most recognizable in the band’s catalog. Malcolm Young, bassist Mark Evans, and drummer Phil Rudd give the song the relentless drive that lets Scott’s vocal sit right on top of the band. Decades later, it remains a centerpiece of the AC/DC live experience.

# 9 – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” combines a menacing riff with the dark comedy that made Bon Scott such a distinctive frontman. The title track appeared on the band’s 1976 album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Harry Vanda and George Young produced the recording at Albert Studios in Sydney. Angus and Malcolm Young keep the guitar parts brutally simple while Mark Evans and Phil Rudd make the rhythm section feel almost mechanical. Scott plays the role of a shady problem solver with a performance that is funny and threatening at the same time. The song became one of the band’s signature tracks even though the album did not receive its U.S. release until 1981.

# 8 – High Voltage – T.N.T.

“High Voltage” became one of the songs that defined AC/DC before the band had broken internationally. Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott wrote the track, and Harry Vanda and George Young produced it. It first appeared as an Australian single in 1975 and was included on T.N.T. before later appearing on the international High Voltage album. The song takes the language of electricity and turns it into a statement of rock and roll identity. Its early recording history comes from a period when AC/DC was still using additional session musicians in the studio, so personnel credits can vary across releases and documentation. What never changes is the central combination of Bon Scott’s vocal attitude and the Young brothers’ guitar attack.

# 7 – Who Made Who – Who Made Who

“Who Made Who” arrived in 1986 as the title track of AC/DC’s soundtrack album for Stephen King’s film Maximum Overdrive. The song was one of three new recordings created for the project. Brian Johnson handles the lead vocal, with Angus and Malcolm Young on guitars, Cliff Williams on bass, and Simon Wright on drums. Harry Vanda and George Young returned as producers for the title track. Its mechanical pulse and science-fiction atmosphere fit the film connection without pushing AC/DC away from its core sound. “Who Made Who” reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and became a major part of the band’s late-1980s live set.

# 6 – Hells Bells – Back in Black

“Hells Bells” opens Back in Black with one of the most ominous introductions in rock history. The slow toll of the bell gives way to Angus Young’s guitar before Brian Johnson enters with his first album-opening vocal for AC/DC. The band recorded Back in Black at Compass Point Studios in Nassau with Robert John “Mutt” Lange producing. Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd make the rhythm feel massive without rushing it. The song helped establish the darker atmosphere of an album created only months after Bon Scott’s death. It has remained one of AC/DC’s essential concert songs and one of the defining tracks of the Brian Johnson era.

# 5 – Highway to Hell – Highway to Hell

“Highway to Hell” is one of the songs that pushed AC/DC from hard-rock heroes into international superstardom. Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott wrote the song, which became the opening track and title song of the band’s 1979 album. After early work in Australia, AC/DC recorded the finished track at Roundhouse Studios in London with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. Lange helped sharpen the band’s sound without taking away the power of Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar or Angus Young’s lead work. Bon Scott turns the grind and freedom of life on the road into one of rock’s greatest choruses. It remains one of AC/DC’s most recognizable songs and the defining title track of Scott’s final studio album.

# 4 – Thunderstruck – The Razors Edge

“Thunderstruck” announced AC/DC’s 1990 album The Razors Edge with one of the most instantly recognizable guitar figures of the band’s career. Angus Young has explained that the opening idea began as a practice figure he played on an acoustic guitar and saved on cassette. He brought the idea to Malcolm Young, and the song developed from there. The album was recorded in British Columbia with Chris Slade on drums, while Angus and Malcolm Young handled the songwriting. Brian Johnson’s vocal and the huge group chants turn the track into a natural arena anthem. More than three decades later, “Thunderstruck” remains one of the band’s most frequently heard and instantly identifiable songs.

# 3 – You Shook Me All Night Long – Back in Black

“You Shook Me All Night Long” became one of the first great singles of the Brian Johnson era. Written by Johnson, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young, the song appeared on Back in Black in 1980. AC/DC recorded the album at Compass Point Studios in Nassau with Robert John “Mutt” Lange producing. The guitar riff is lean, the chorus is enormous, and Johnson sounds completely at home with the band. Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd give the track the steady, uncluttered rhythm that lets every guitar part hit with maximum force. The song reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has remained a permanent part of the band’s live identity.

# 2 – For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) – For Those About to Rock We Salute You

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” is AC/DC’s great salute to its own audience. The song opened the band’s 1981 album For Those About to Rock We Salute You and was written by Brian Johnson, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young. Robert John “Mutt” Lange produced the album during his third consecutive studio collaboration with AC/DC. The song builds slowly before exploding into its famous cannon-backed finale. Brian Johnson’s vocal turns the title into a rallying cry while the band keeps the tempo heavy and deliberate. It has become one of AC/DC’s traditional concert closers, making the salute feel almost ceremonial every time the band performs it.

# 1 – Back in Black – Back in Black

“Back in Black” stands at number one because almost everything that defines AC/DC is packed into one song. Brian Johnson, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young wrote the track for the 1980 album Back in Black, created in the aftermath of Bon Scott’s death. The band recorded the album at Compass Point Studios in Nassau with Robert John “Mutt” Lange producing. Angus Young’s opening riff is instantly recognizable, while Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd make the groove feel almost impossible to move off its axis. Johnson’s vocal gave AC/DC a new voice without making the band sound like a different group. Released as a U.S. single, “Back in Black” reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most enduring hard-rock songs ever recorded.