AC/DC Albums Ranked From Worst to Best (Including Power Up!)
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- With their new album dropping this past Friday we thought this would be the perfect time to rank the 16 (US released) studio albums of Australia's own AC/DC.
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AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal] the band themselves call it simply "rock and roll".
AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, 1975's High Voltage. Membership subsequently stabilised around the Young brothers, singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Mark Evans. Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has appeared on every AC/DC album since 1978's Powerage. In February 1980, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking. The group considered disbanding but elected to stay together, bringing in longtime Geordie vocalist Brian Johnson as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their first album with Johnson, Back in Black, which was dedicated to Scott's memory. The album launched AC/DC to new heights of success and became one of the best selling albums of all time.
The band's eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the United States. Prior the release of 1983's Flick of the Switch, drummer Rudd left the band and was replaced by Simon Wright, being in turn replaced by Chris Slade in 1989. The band experienced a commercial resurgence in the early nineties with the release of 1990's The Razors Edge. Rudd returned to the band in 1994, replacing Slade and appearing on the band's next five albums. Their fifteenth studio album Black Ice was the second-highest-selling album of 2008, and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No.1 worldwide.
The band's line-up remained the same for twenty years, until 2014 with Malcolm Young's retirement due to early-onset dementia (he later died in 2017) and Rudd's legal troubles. Malcolm was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, who debuted on AC/DC's 2014 album Rock or Bust, and on its accompanying tour, previous drummer Chris Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Johnson was advised to stop touring due to worsening hearing loss. Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose stepped in as the band's vocalist for the remainder of that year's dates. Long-term bass player and background vocalist Cliff Williams retired from AC/DC at the end of the Rock or Bust tour in 2016 and the group entered a four-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust lineup was announced in September 2020 and the band's seventeenth studio album Power Up was released two months later.
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th best selling artist worldwide. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the third highest-selling album by any artist, and the highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 22 million units in the US, where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time. AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV. In 2004, AC/DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list, referred to AC/DC as "the greatest rock and roll band of all time". In 2010, VH1 ranked AC/DC number 23 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
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Let us know how you rank 'em down in the comments. Thanks for watching!
Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from www.videvo.net
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I'm rather impressed that one of you guys ranks Fly on the Wall so high. Sound issues aside, I think that album is enormously underrated.
It’s one of my favorites as well. I actually love the sound of it. The drums are fooking MASSIVE!
Fly on the Wall is a good album imo, made #5 in my ranks.
It's criminally overlooked. Angus is a monster the whole album through, especially on "Playing With Girls." I think the dense sound works for the era and music better than most would imagine, but Brian does get buried a little too often for my taste.
It's criminally overlooked. Angus is a monster the whole album through, especially on "Playing With Girls." I think the dense sound works for the era and music better than most would imagine, but Brian does get buried a little too often for my taste.
@@one_with_kevrything9825Brian sounds like he’s singing in the bottom of a well .which is a shame because some of my favourite songs of theirs are on that album
Disagree with almost everything but I like how this guys actually explain their preferences in a way that it's understandable
16. Rock or Bust
15. Ballbreaker
14. Stiff Upper Lip
13. Blow Up Your Video
12. Fly on the Wall
11. Power Up
10. Black Ice
09. Flick of the Switch
08. For Those About to Rock
07. The Razor's Edge
06. High Voltage
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
04. Back In Black
03. Highway To Hell
02. Let There Be Rock
01. Powerage
Your list pretty much mirrors my own. 🤘
Let There be Rock was the break through album here in UK, they toured colleges and halls with it, just about the time punk was breaking as well, the title track, Bad Boy Boogie and Rosie blew us away at the time, and reamined central to thier set for ages after that, so I was intrigued to see how it didn't quite do it for you. I think it is a different part of my personal history. I saw them on the Powerage tour and that is my fave AC/DC album i think, and Riff Raff, Gone Shooting and Sin City were such stand outs .. of course B in B is their monster.. but all in all good comments from the team
Let there be rock and Rosie are still central parts of their set almost 46 years later
1. Let there be rock
2. Highway to hell
3. For those about to rock
4. Powerage
5. Back in black
6. Fly on the wall
7. High voltage
8. Flick of the switch
9. Power up
10. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
11. Blow up your video
12. Ball breaker
13. Razors edge
14. Black ice
15. Stiff upper lip
16. Rock or bust
As an Australian myself and a long time viewer of this channel it’s great to see this video.
While I wouldn’t rank it that high I’ve always thought Stiff Upper Lip was underrated too, that, Flick Of The Switch And Blow Up Your Video all are.
I Also think Let Be There Rock is slightly overrated. Like them all but least favourite one is probably Ballbreaker. It’s a bit tired sounding.
You all nailed the top 3. If I had to go in order probably 1. Back In Black
2. Highway To Hell 3. Powerage
Having been in junior high when AC/DC broke through in the biggest way with Back n Black, my top list would include all the albums from High Voltage to For Those About to Rock. It was during this period that they seemed to do no wrong.
I really appreciate the knowledgeable and in-depth analysis you guys provide about the band. Kudos for that.
Interesting how people have diverse tastes and opinions. Hearing all three of you label the second side of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap as "forgettable" with "non-memorable" songs... wow! If "Ride On" and "Squealer" are considered 'non-memorable' from AC/DC, well, that's disheartening for me to hear. But it just goes to show how different we all are. I may not agree with much, but that's perfectly fine because it demonstrates the immense love we all have for the band, even if it's expressed in different ways. Great video, great work.
Back in 1978 we would have never thought ACDC qould be the huge thing they are now....but tbey do rock....and they keep the electric guitar relevant....kudos
5: high voltage
4: Razors edge
3: Powerage
2: Back in black
1: Highway to hell
I'm happy that you didn't put Powerage at number 1, like so many posers would.
@@111highgh you know it's the best though
w except for razors edge
My AC/DC top 10 albums:
1) Highway to Hell
2) Back in Black
3) High Voltage
4) Powerage
5) The Razors Edge
6) Let There Be Rock
7) For Those About to Rock
8) Ballbreaker
9) Flick of the Switch
10) Stiff Upper Lip
You guys did some great, rock-essential research here. At the time of watching this, Black in Black was the only AC/DC album I owned. I've been wanting to explore their other work, but most of it seemed to blur together, and I couldn't really find my footing. This made things a lot clearer. I'll definitely pick up Highway to Hell and Powerage!
AC/DC. Do they do the same thing over and over? Definitely. But they do it really well. For those times that I feel like rocking out to heavy blues based guitar rock and power chords, I generally turn to thunder from down under. That, or Ozzy's solo stuff.
I've actually seen them live three times, and I've never been disappointed. These guys work so fucking hard on stage.
AC/DC's best songs are truly iconic. Shook Me All Night Long, Back in Black, Highway to Hell, Hell's Bells, Thunderstruck, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, For Those about to Rock (We Salute You): These are just great head-banging tunes. It's great music when you feel like to pumping iron.
Regarding the song "For Those about to Rock," I halfway agree with Jason; I didn't like it on the radio. However, the first time I saw that line of cannons fire live, I absolutely loved that song.
Back in Black is a masterpiece. One could write an essay, but just as one example of the band being in their prime and brimming with ideas: the title track introduces a new, outro riff almost as a "bonus". Lesser bands would have saved that riff for a B-list song on a later album, but they were like "have some more... we've got lots".
What's Next to the Moon - Hidden gem on Powerage
and Gimme A Bullet To Bite On
Powerage is their best IMHO.
Hell yea!!
@@christopher_lp 😧
Hidden? This album is highly ranked by most fans, nothing on here is hidden at all. Maybe from stuck up critics of the time and mainstream becouse no radio station really ever played anything from this album.
Great song I agree, but so is the whole bloody album!
1. Powerage.
2-5 Dirty Deeds, Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Let There Be Rock (shuffle 'em, they are all equally good)
6. For Those About to Rock
7. High Voltage
8. Razor Edge
9 - 16 All the rest.
Hilarious hearing Kramzer struggling with admitting he actually like some of the AC/DC stuff..! There´s
hope for us all!!
Top 7
1. Powerage - No contest
2. High voltage - Most charming
3. Back in black - No denying
4. Dirty deeds - Love it
5. Highway to hell - Catchiest
6. For those about to rock - Underrated
7. Let there be rock - Hardest
Great stuff guys!! Cheers
They're one of my all-time favorite bands, and I'm going through all their albums right now. It's SUPER hard to rank these! They're pretty consistent. All the Bon albums are pretty close in quality.
So far, the album that's surprised me the most as far as how much I enjoyed it is For Those About To Rock. Damn that album cooks!!
The Cat!!!! I had to type this now ... I've got things to say later when I finish the whole video ... suffice to say, I was born in Perth (Bon Scott's home town) and have pretty strong feelings about AC/DC ... enough said for now
Really great lists! Boy, I do enjoy your take on music.
I first started listening to AC/DC when I was about 10 years old (1975/6). They were the quintessential Aussie working class band. Zero pretension, balls to the wall rock and roll. The number one influence on the band is Chuck Berry (which everyone knows, hence Angus' duck walk). They are deliberately juvenile (Angus as a school boy) and AC/DC fans love this. From the early records, everyone knew they were basically a rhythm and blues band. So for most die-hard Aussie fans of AC/DC, their favourite album by a very long way is Powerage - usually cited as better than Back in Black (for exactly the reasons all three of you said - it is bluesy, tight, not over-produced, as close to The Stones as they ever get, but still totally themselves). All of their really great albums, except Back in Black, are with Bon ... after Back in Black, they cling to the formula (except for some isolated cases) and they (as far as I'm concerned) almost become a parody of themselves. Rolling Stone magazine and almost every critic alive hated them because they did indeed completely lack any sophistication. They do, indeed, only have one trick - which is to rock as hard as possible - and, heck, they sure know how to rock!
I am now older than 16 years old. My musical tastes have grown. I have a wide range of favourite bands (Led Zep, Radiohead and The Beatles being pretty much my absolute favourites) but AC/DC will always be my very first overwhelming love. Every few months, I get Back in Black out of my collection, put it in my car stereo, crank it to 11, and drive maybe too fast while blasting the neighbourhood with good, honest rock and roll. Because, you know, rock and roll ain't noise pollution ... 🤘🤘🤘🤘
And for the record, Let There Be Rock is my all-time favourite AC/DC album.
16: Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
15: POWER UP (2020)
14: Rock or Bust (2014)
13: Black Ice (2008)
12: Ballbreaker (1995)
11: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
10: Blow Up Your Video (1988)
9: For Those About to Rock (1981)
8: Fly On the Wall (1985)
7: Powerage (1978)
6: High Voltage (1976)
5: Flick of the Switch (1983)
4: Let There Be Rock (1977)
3: The Razors Edge (1990)
2: Highway to Hell (1979)
1: Back In Black (1980)
I'd take any of the Bon Scott albums over Back in Black any day.
P.S Check out the track lists in the Australian versions of the albums. They make more sense chronologically.
I'd have to disagree with that...everybody has their preference...i'd much rather hear the screeching of Brian Johnson than the squirrely sounding voice of Bon Scott....Bon didn't have any power behind his singing like Brian Johnson does...also i never liked the guitar tones in the bon scott stuff....they sounded kinda weak and "mechanical".... Mutt lange changed all that with Highway To Hell....he was able to bring out that GIBSON/MARSHALL POWER in their guitars...i have to admit though that those early ACDC albums sound much better on CD than on the albums
I agree. Brian Johnson doesn't even come close to Bon Scott's singing and stage presence
@@David-cu1xy johnson has more power in his voice. Bon had a high pitched squirrely sound in his voice. Johnsons sound is much more appropriate. Back in black didnt become the second biggest selling LP in history for nothing.
@@flyboysteven9979 Yeah but Bon sounded like the devil.
@@179rich the devil didn't like him...so he killed him and put Brian Johnson in the band which turned the band into superstars
I love all 3 of you guys - interesting, articulate, informative, insightful and quite knowledgeable. I’ve been lurking and watching a lot of your video lists over the past few months. I tend to lean or agree more often with Joe than Jason and Kram.
Joe I think leans a little more hard rock and metal and I grew up and cut my teeth on all that stuff. Despite your younger ages, you seem to have a pretty knowledgeable about the history of the decades of rock and popular music that you cover. Very impressive. I look forward to seeing more videos from you all. Did you all go to high school or college together?
It’s a long and complicated story but yes we’ve known each other since about high school. So nearly 20 years?
My Top 5
5 - Let There Be Rock
4 - High Voltage
3- Powerage
2- Back In Black
1 - Highway To Hell
I live in Melbourne, where acdc shot Long way to the top film clip. Plus I'm 61years old. Apart from Black in black and maybe thunderstruck. Anything with Bon Scott rates highest. After bon died they did an outside gig Back in black. Hot summer s night, it was the loudest thing I've ever heard, hells bells. Seen some great gigs in this far away town of Melbourne Australia
Holy Shit!! Stiff upper Lip that high? I totally disagree, but I LOVE it. I love seeing it hit someone hearing it so totally different than me.
Are you guys having a competition? Facial hair growth? I wish I could get a mustache that thick.
I definitely agree with Joe the most out of the three of you, but nonetheless great vid guys. Subbed!
Given where Mutt Lange was heading with his enormo-MTV sound in the early eighties (Hysteria!), AC/DC were probably right artistically speaking to move on from him. The problem is they never really found another producer with a comparable vision. I'm fond of the eighties records but they all lack Phil Rudd who was the only drummer who really understood how to play AC/DC songs properly. Nice work again fellers.
Fairbairn did a Hell of a job on Razors Edge.
1:Powerage
2:Let there be rock
3:Highway to hell
4:BiB
5:High Voltage
6:Dirty Deeds
7:Razors Edge
8:Flick of the switch
9:Ballbreaker
10:Power up
11:Blow up your video
12:Stiff upper lip
13:For those about to rock
14:Black Ice
15:Fly on the wall
16:Rock or Bust
Great lists Guys.Great choice for number 1.Dirty Deeds is my favorite
My hubby’s favorite band! I was hoping you guys would have better news about “Power Up” because I just ordered it for him, which means I’ll be listening to it a lot soon 😂
I was in seventh grade I think when Back in Black came out, so the singles off that will always bring back good memories for me; but the rest of that album, and all their discography really, feels monotonous for me. I agree side 1 of The Razor’s Edge is enjoyable...Thunderstruck is such a jammin’ tune and a great open, but it kind of gradually goes down from there and I don’t like side 2 at all.
Great job, guys. Loved it, as always.
If they are his favorite artist, I'd imagine he'll like it.
@@ryankramzer1256 he will definitely love it. I just know that I will be listening to it a lot so I was hoping it might be better. Maybe I’ll like it more than you did. Who knows.
Power Up gets a 3.5/5 stars from me. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic 2.5/5 from me.
@@ryankramzer1256 Did you take the amendment on that it is almost 50 yo band, with its 17th album, singer was 71 and 72 at the time of recoding songs and band went through hell last 6 years? I think 2.5 is way too low. Well, maybe if you are not into that kind of music, but why you are rating that music then? What did you guys expect from AC/DC? After all they made since Back In Black, Power Up is another solid, great AC/DC album, maybe even better than last 4 albums. If you rate PWR/UP on 2.5/5 that means you rate that band also about 2.5/5.
Oasis suck!!AC/DC RULE!!!Highway to Hell is one of the greatest albums of all time!They are super creative!!I basically only go with the Bon Scott era!But back in Black is a classic to!
Correct ! Oasis was a mere blip in time that no one care about now while AC/DC will continue to fill the stadiums and crank out the RnR !
Almost everything is better live. ACDC Live is one of my favorite live records ever.
A brief point about these guys live. One of my sons is on the autism spectrum, and he loves music(a wide variety thanks to the mix of myself the metalhead, and my wife, the pop and europop queennie). ACDC was about his fifth or sixth concert. Every show till then he watched with a quiet intensity. Then at the ACDC concert, he shocked the shit out of me and his older brother, as he started bouncing and boogeying and pumping his fists. It's hard to describe how massive a difference in behavior this was for him. Dude was ROCKIN, after silently loving his previous experiences. And it made me look around and notice, so many people were dancing. It was impressive.
B Johnson records brief snippets:
Obviosly Back in Black is a monster.
For Those About to Rock: also really good, but its hard to avoid a drop after BiB.
Flick of the Switch: never did anything for me other than Guns for Hire.
Fly on the Wall: I really like this one. It's near the bottom of most polls, and i don't get it at all. I dig it.
Blow Up Your Video: A couple of tunes are acdc gems, but the lesser ones are more memorable than the crappier records
Razors Edge: Not as good as some feel. Several really cool songs, rest filler, i do NOT like Money Talks
Ballbreaker: perverted grampa lyrics and a production that doesn't work for me. Hard as a Rock is really good though.
Stiff Upper Lip: Again I don't like the sound as much, and none of these songs stuck to me.
Black Ice: I agree with Krasner??(spelling?), Black Ice is wayyyy too long. Especialy for a band like this. Rock n Roll train is really good.
Rock or Bust: The best fuckin ACDC record in a LONG ASS TIME. Why do these songs stick out more than others? Maybe its similar to what they say about porn, you know it when you see/hear it.
Power Up: I'm waiting for it to be delivered.... and I don't think it's fair to judge anything until I've had enough time with it.
Bon Scott era:
Highway to Hell: fantastic
Let There Be Rock: very solid, title track, Hell aint a bad place and WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE!!!!
Dirty Deeds: hit and miss. Ride On is amazing
Power Age: I have to admit, i haven't played this one very much, But i LOVE Sin City.
High Voltage: meh, getting started, it's ok
That is awesome, Doc. Thanks for sharing that. I would say take Powerage for another spin! - Joe
there will never be another concert video made that will even come close to ACDC: Live At Donnington.....that is a true masterpiece
posting this before I watch the video
1 Powerage
2. High Voltage
3. Jailbreak
4. Back in Black
5. Dirty Deeds
6. Let there be Rock
7. Highway to Hell
8. For Those About to Rock
9.Flick of the Switch
10. Fly on the Wall
Only heard 2 from Brian with Malcolm/Phil/Chris (never heard Simon/Stevie):
8. Back in Black
7. The Razors Edge
6. Highway to Hell
5. Powerage
4. High Voltage
3. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2. T.N.T.
1. Let There Be Rock
I'm sorry, but I think you need to rank them by singers. The Bon and Brian eras are really two different bands.
Totally agree that Stiff Upper Lip is way underrated and quite possibly the second best Brian Johnson album, it's real bluesy and when it first came out I was surprised they were able to hit such a peak once again. AndI I am a lifelong fan since 1978 who bought all available albums at that time and every subsequent one on day of release since. Stiff Upper Lip is prime AC/DC! 🤙🔥🎸🥁
1. Powerage
2. Highway To Hell
3./Back In Black
4. Let There Be Rock
5. High Voltage
17. Ballbreaker (1995)
16. Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
15. Rock Or Bust (2014)
14. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
13. High Voltage (1975)
12. Fly On The Wall (1985)
11. Power Up (2020)
10. Blow Up Your Video (1988)
9. Flick Of Switch (1983)
8. The Razor's Edge (1990)
7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
6. Black Ice (2008)
5. Back To Black (1980)
4. Let There Be Rock (1977)
3. Highway To Hell (1979)
2. T.N.T. (1975)
1. Powerage (1978)
HV at number 13?
@@wezlo8733 Australian version.
My faves:
1. Let There Be Rock
2. Flick Of The Switch
3. Powerage
4. Fly On The Wall
Before I start watching the video, I hope that you guys will rank David Bowie albums soon :D
Pretty sure Json has but he hasn't done it with the others yet , maybe he will redo it with Kramzer and joe
@@XenoMorphGaming79 Yeah, I watched that one, but it will be good to redo it together. The Cure also. :)
The songs on let there be rock are the ACDC staples, that is why it is so high regarded. These songs are the ones they play live for 35 years.
I played in an AC/DC Tribute Band, so I am familiar w/ all the material. The songs on Let There be Rock and to a degree High Voltage, are the classics.
Songs like LiveWire, Shot Down in Flames & Hell ain't a Bad Place to Be, are popular, but they only played them when Axl was singing, those Axl setlists were cool.
The true gems, are mostly on Powerage.
Never heard them play "Overdose" live. That's my favourite off of that album.
yeah Let There Be Rock will always be a staple encore song, along with For THose About To Rock...FIRE!!!!!!!!!...BOOOM WE SALUTE YOU
Never heard them play "Crabsody in Blue" as well.
My top 16
16. Fly On The Wall
15. Blow Up Your Video
14. Stiff Upper Lip
13. For Those About The Rock
12. Flick Of The Switch
11. Rock Or Bust
10. Ballbreaker
9. Power Up
8. Black Ice
7. Powerage
6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
5. The Razor's Edge
4. High Voltage
3. Highway To Hell
2. Let There Be Rock
1. Back In Black
Top 10:
1. Highway to hell
2. Back in black
3. Powerage
4. Let there be rock
5. Dirty deeds...
6. High voltage
7. Fly on the wall
8. The razors edge
9. For those about to rock...
10. Flick of the switch
For me:
1. Back in Black
2. Powerage
3. Highway to Hell
4. Fly on the Wall
5. Black Ice
6. Let There Be Rock
7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
8. High Voltage
9 The Razor's Edge
10.Flick of the Switch
11. For Those About To Rock We Salute
12. Power Up
13. Ballbreaker
14. Stiff Upper Lip
15.Blow Up Your Video
16. Rock or Bust
You thought Beatles vs. Stones was bad? The AC/DC vs. Oasis debate has been forever ignited for generations to come. What have you men started?!
😂😂😂
I like AC/DC I saw them back in the 80's one of the best shows I've seen. They Won't be in my top 50 but the one thing I can say is that they will never let you down because they do what they do very well. But I like the Bon Scott stuff the best
Down Payment Blues! Possibly my favorite AC/DC song. A friend made a mix for me of everything up to and including "Back In Black," and I thought all those Bon Scott songs were great. "Down Payment Blues" was the biggest surprise.
Fantastic song, one of my favourites. My favourite lyrics - “can’t even feed my cat on social security” and “I got myself a Cadillac but can’t afford the gasoline”. I always preferred Bon’s lyrics - much more self-depreciating - Shot Down In Flames.
When i saw the Stiff Upper Lip tour, they actually played Downpayment Blues!.....it was interesting hearing Brian Johnson sing the song....i never heard him sing it before or since then...
Yeah , these guys found a formula and never strayed off track.
I like your top 3 picks. I can take them in any order.
5. Powerage
4. High Voltage
3. Dirty Deeds Don't Dirt Cheap
2. T.N.T.
1. Let There Be Rock
Just a little anecdote, when I was growing up (down under) the chorus for the song “It’s a Long Way to the Top (if You Want to Rock n Roll) was sung with the replacement lyrics “It’s a long way to the shop if you wanna a sausage rolllllllll!!!!! Most people who were around in the late 70s would remember this and still sing it that way today for a laugh. Not sure how that comes across to you guys but may go under “I guess I you had to be there...” 😁
Flick of the switch raw as hell
Excellent LP...i love DEEP IN THE HOLE.....IN THE BADLANDS....TEENAGE NERVOUS BREAKDOWN....etc...the list goes on and on...RISIN' POWER....GUNS FOR HIRE
@@flyboysteven9979 yeah! Me too
Bedlam in Belgium is one of my ALL TIME favorite tracks.
I watched this video this morning since I am slowly catching up on old videos and then saw a teenager wearing a Fly on the Wall hoodie this afternoon. I had to laugh at the coincidence.
1. Back In Black
2. Let There Be Rock
3. Powerage
4. Flick of the Switch
5. The Razor's Edge
6. Highway To Hell
7. Dirty Deeds.
8. T.N.T.
9. Black Ice
10. Ballbreaker
11. For Those About to Rock
12. Blow Up Your Video
13. Stiff Upper Lip
14. Rock or Bust
15. Fly on the Wall
16. Power Up
17. High Voltage (Australian edition)
You guys were spot on with your opening comments and Jason you nailed it..the best at their trick...if you like meat and potatoes hard rock.
No one likes Ballbreaker? I think it’s awesome but I’ve got this as my top 4:
1. Back in Black
2. Let there be rock
3. Powerage
4. High Voltage
I love Ballbreaker....saw that tour in fact....when they got to the part during Let There Be Rock when Angus rode Brian Johnson's shoulders, they walked right in front of me...i was so close i could have reached out and knocked Angus's guitar out of tune...LOL...by the way, my favorite song on Ballbreaker is "The Furor"...i always thought it had a "hells bells" type of intensity
Yes yes! I love Ballbreaker and The Furor is the top song for me too! Right on, mates!
Great rankings. I pretty much agree with Kramzer and Joe’s lists (a big no to Stiff Upper Lip). AC/DC is not a band I really go to for a full album listen, but I definitely enjoy listening to them from time to time. And yeah Back and Black is the obvious number one.
Had the same top 3, albeit in a different order. Shocked to see Stiff Upper Lip and Fly on the Wall ranked so high as I never need to hear those again.
I think the “ah it’s all the same” is way too overused with this band, sure they didn’t go to far away from their recipe, but in my opinion if you really listen to them a couple of times on repeat, then you’ll start to notice the differences in each album. For me each song is like night and day
Each album definitely has its own flavor, and I really love that with ACDC
@@flip2shoot567 metoo
I think the older they get the less power they seem to emit....its just natural that things would be that way....they aren't wiry kids anymore
1. Back in Black (1980)
2. Highway to Hell (1979)
3. Let There Be Rock (1977)
4. Powerage (1978)
5. High Voltage (1976)
6. For Those About to Rock (1981)
7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
8. The Razor's Edge (1990)
9. Blow Up Your Video (1988)
10. Fly on the Wall (1985)
11. Flick of the Switch (1983)
I lost track of them after Razor's Edge. I don't know the rest of their albums well enough to rank them. Based on the way you guys talk about them it sounds like I wasn't missing too much.
5. Razors Edge
4. Let There Be Rock
3. High Voltage
2. Highway to Hell
1.Back in Black
Well done guys, I appreciate how well thought-out and articulate you are with your opinions. I dig AC/DC but rating their entire catalogue sounds like a bit of a slog. So I'm glad you did it. You probably know that a lot of radio listeners back in the day were ignorant of what happened and thought it was the same singer when Back In Black came out, which is understandable as they do sound similar.
Agree with a lot of what you guys said. I grew up on 70s AC/DC but lost interest after Fly On The Wall when it became hard to distinguish one album from another. The humour of Bon Scott era AC/DC makes it a more fun listening . I forgot how bad the US covers on the early album were.
Suggestions for future album rankings - Jesus & Mary Chain or Catherine Wheel
and Nile ☺️
Some of guys are offended by their opinions of AC/DC. I think their opinions were respectable. You don't have to love a certain band and none of them are huge fans of them. Im not either but i do like them. Calm down people.
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
Younger folks (ppl younger than me) will always pick 'Back In Black' as #1.
And, I fully understand that.
Here's the thing:
Being the singer for *AC/DC* means using _'high-end wailing'._
(no _'sweet-'n-crisp'_ Plantisms here)
One guy's _'wails'_ were forced.
The other guy's _'wails'_ were natural.
If you LIVED IT, you know it!
I didn't get into these guys until 'Let There Be Rock'.
**'POWERAGE!**
One of the best Hard R&R albums of all time!
*ROX ON!*
- Dave B.
Bon Scott probably wrote most of the lyrics on Back In Black, or at least the themes that's why there's no album that is consistently as good as Back In Black in the Brian Johnson era. Bon Scott knew how to write songs and he took the band to the next level.
Back In Black
Highway to Hell
Let There Be Rock
Powerage
Dirty Deeds
The Razors Edge
High Voltage
Stiff Upper Lip
For Those About To Rock
Flick Of The Switch
Black Ice
Power Up
Ballbreaker
Fly On The Wall
Rock Or Bust
Blow Up Your Video
Actually most all the songs were written by Malcolm and Angus too except for Hells Bells.
Nonsense. Angus, Mal, and Brian wrote those songs. The Youngs are some of the most honest people to ever be in the business and they would definitely give Bon credit if it were due.
16. Ballbreaker (1995) ★½
15. Stiff Upper Lip (2000) ★½
14. Blow Up Your Video (1988) ★★
13. Rock or Bust (2014) ★★
12. Flick of the Switch (1983) ★★
11. Fly on the Wall (1985) ★★½
10. Power Up (2020) ★★½
9. Black Ice (2008) ★★½
8. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981) ★★½
7. The Razor's Edge (1990) ★★½
6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) ★★★
5. High Voltage (1976) ★★★½
4. Back in Black (1980) ★★★½
3. Let There Be Rock (1977) ★★★★
2. Powerage (1978) ★★★★
1. Highway to Hell (1979) ★★★★½
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
Y'all seriously putting Rock or Bust over Stiff Upper Lip?
...I have no words.
...AND Blow Up Your Video over Flick of the Switch? Yeesh.
And Ballbreaker in the bottom?!
1. Powerage
2. Back In Black
3. Highway to Hell
4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
5. Let There Be Rock
6. High Voltage
7. Flick of The Switch
8. The Razors Edge
9. For Those About to Rock
10. Power Up
11. Ballbreaker
12. Blow Up Your Video
13. Rock or Bust
14. Stiff Upper Lip
15. Fly On The Wall
16. Black Ice
17. If You Want Blood, 18. ACDC Live, 19., Live at River Plate, 20. Bonfire 21. 74 jailbreak, 22. Who Made Who
@@flyboysteven9979 Get your own goddamned list, boy.
All three of you are right on the money with Powerage.
For those about to rank....
My top 3:
3. Back In Black
2. Highway To Hell
1. Powerage
Jason's cat seemed to perk up when you guys got to the top 4 🤟
Powerage is a total hidden gem. Just amazing.
This top 3 is accurate.
Cant agree more mate, Powerage is such a forgotten album, not by the us fans but the public in general. Down payment Blues just tells the story of many a persons life . Im so lucky to have seen Bon, Brian and Axl sing on stage. Rock or bust in Manchester was simply outstanding
AC/DC are definitely a band that I used to be a big fan of, but now I don’t really like them much at all. They’re a vapid party rock band, and they’re completely open and honest about that, and they embrace the fact that all of their albums are the same. I’ll never go out of my way to listen to any of it, but if it comes on the radio (if I ever listen to the radio), I might enjoy what comes on.
I largely agree with the rankings. The problem with the later albums is the inconsistent production and they all usually start strong but tail off on the later part of the album. I thought Power Up is one of their stronger 2000 albums. I prefer Bon Scott era, I am not a huge fan of Brian's voice apart from on Back In Black. I feel the Bon Scott era is a bit more varied as well, whereas everything after Back In Black mostly seems to be trying to replicate Back In Black and when they do try something different it largely falls flat. I don't think Brian is as versatile on vocals to make the slower stuff work.
Having said that, they are consistent at what they do with their meat and potatoes rock and I wouldn't say they have ever released a terrible album. I've been a bit down on AC/DC in the past, but their consistency has surprised me compared to other bands and their early stuff has a lot of hidden gems. Unfortunately, I think they peaked at Back In Black.
Wow, I guess I really have to go back and listen to Powerage. Somehow I've listened to this the least, by far, as far as the Bon records are concerned.
See, that's one of the best things about this channel, different eyes/ears. I expect that with some bands, I wouldn't have thought so with these guys.
yeah Powerage seems to be pickin' up more and more steam.......they really did a good remastering job of it on cd these days...really kicks ass
I’ll take a Powerade over Powerage. Never was too impressed with it. Seemed like a step back or holding pattern to me.
Malcolm wanted a bass player to sing backing vocals with him and there were tensions between Mark and Angus. That's why Mark was out, Jason. He's definitely a better bassist because of the basslines doing different things, not just one note.
One trick ponies that have massive bank account balances & are rock’n’roll fkn legends
Stiff upper lip is definitely an underrated album. And you are all right about Black in Black. Just a great Rock Album.
A ranking of AC/DC made by people who don’t like AC/DC. That’s what I need…
I liked 76-81
A little AC/DC goes a long way with me. I'm happy with Let There Be Rock (Australian Version) and Powerage. I don't bother with anything after Highway to Hell and don't like Lange's production on that and the following few either. Those really early songs remind me of listening to the radio in my childhood, especially Jailbreak. Great video, but needs more cat!
GREAT VIDEO GUYS MY TOP 15 AC/DC ALBUMS?? 1)BACK IN BLACK 2)PWR UP 3)RAZORS EDGE 4)FLY ON THE WALL 5) BLOW UP YOUR VIDEO 6)FLICK OF THE SWITCH 7)FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK 8)BALLBREAKER 9)LET THERE BE ROCK 10)HIGHWAY TO HELL 11)ROCK OR BUST 12)POWERAGE 13)DIRTY DEEDS... u.s. re-issue 14)STIFF UPPER LIP 15)BLACK ICE Cheers Timmy J.
5) Highway To Hell
4) High Voltage
3) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2) Back In Black
1) Powerage
It’s been awhile since I’ve listened to a bunch of AC/DC’s albums and there are a few I still haven’t heard (Blow Up Your Video, Stiff Upper Lip and the last two, plus I’ve only listened to Fly On The Wall once) but I agree with Back In Black being at the top of the pile for them so far, overplayed as several songs may be. I don’t know if I’d quite go as far to say Flick Of The Switch is my #2 but I got into it this year and really liked it a lot - the more back to basics sound really worked for me and I found it very good the whole way through, so it could be close to that spot. Highway To Hell, Let There Be Rock and Powerage are probably the best of the rest for me in that order, and so far Ballbreaker is at the bottom.
Back in the 90s, right when Ballbreaker came out, one of our local rock stations did an "ACDC A to Z" marathon....it was on all weekend...they played every ACDC studio song ever recorded, in alphabetical order...i recorded the entire marathon on cassette tapes...it was fantastic hearing all those songs on FM radio...i musta listened to those tapes every day for a year...i'd take them to work and listen to them all day long....one of my friends called me that Saturday and said, "HEY ARE YOU LISTENIN' TO ALL THIS?????"......i remember when he called "BIG BALLS" was playing on the radio....lol....man, those were the days
Flick Of the Switch is a great album. Love it!
Their most underrated album. Way better than For Those About To Rock
@@JCStorm762 completely different albums, can’t compare the two (in my opinion of course).
Flick of the switch has grown on me through the years. Side 1 is excellent, side 2 good. So overall a very good album. . Got to remember from 80 to 83 they sold 60 million records. So over exposure affected its reception i think.
My take on many of the last several records as far back as Fly On The Wall: intros on many songs are either unnecessary or too lengthy. Fly, Blow Up and especially Power Up I edit many of the tracks on iTunes. Power Up imo is a much better record with the many intros removed. Also, Harry Vanda and George Young had a major hit in the 60’s called Friday On My Mind with the Easybeats. Not to mention George is the older brother of Angus and Malcom.
17 Power up
16 Rock or bust
15 Fly on the wall
14 Blow up your video
13 Stiff upper lip
12 Black Ice
11 Flick of the switch
10 Jailbreak
9 For those about to rock
8 Ballbreaker
7 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6 Let There be Rock
5 High Voltage
4 Back in Black
3 Razors Edge
2 Powerage
1 Highway to Hell
I Cant understand the Hate for Ballbreaker or Razors Edge
I implore you all to have a couple beers and give hail ceaser another try. Such a fun song!
Totally agree on Powerage. In fact, I wanted to watch this video to see how you would rank Powerage. A couple of years ago I listened to it for the first time in maybe 30 years (somewhere in time :-) I lost AC/DC) and I really thought what the f***? Why is this album never mentioned, totally overlooked??? Anyway, completely agree on the top three. I guess Let there be rock - although admittedly mainly for the title track and Rosie - would be my no. 4.
1. Powerage
2.back in black
3.highway to hell
4.let there be rock
5.for those about to rock
6.razor s edge
7.high voltage
8.if you want Blood you ve got It
9.power up
10.jailbreak
11.fly on the wall
12.who made who
13.flick of the switch
14.black ice
15.rock or bust
16.blow Up your video
17.stiff upper lip
18.ballbreaker
Wear the same clothes and dont shower or sleep for a few weeks … oh , and drink as much as you can and you will understand let there be rock ! :)
Actually haven't heard much of the albums after Black Ice, so my list would be:
14. Ballbreaker
13. Black Ice
12. Stiff Upper Lip
11. High Voltage
10. Flick of the Switch
9. Blow Up Your Video
8. Let There Be Rock
7. The Razor's Edge
6. Fly On The Wall
5. Dirty Deeds
4. For Those About To Rock
3. Highway To Hell
2. Powerage
1. Back in Black
Can they rework the production of Fly on the Wall??
Here’s my ranking of their first 6 albums:
1. High Voltage
2. Highway To Hell
3. Back In Black
4. Let There Be Rock
5. Dirty Deeds
6. Powerage
This ranking sucks so hard here’s my real ranking 2 years later:
1. Highway To Hell
2. Let There Be Rock
3. Back In Black
4. Powerage
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheep
6. High Voltage
All of these are over 4 stars
16. Rock or Bust
15. Let there be Rock
14. High Voltage
13. Black Ice
12. Dirty Deeds
11. Power Up
10. Flick of the Switch
9. Fly on the Wall
8. Powerage
7. Blow Up your video
6. Back in Black
5. The Razor's Edge
4. Highway to Hell
3. Ballbreaker
2. For those about to Rock
1. Stiff Upper Lip
Stiff Upper Lip at 1? Wow
@@JCStorm76 Yeah. I'm actually not sure, the top 5 seem to switch around a lot. But in any case, I have always liked ACDC best when they were at their blusiest. As you can easily tell from my top 3 😄
What's your favorite?
@@fundhund62 Probably Back In Black. I like where you put Blow Up Your Video. It is really underrated
With plusses and minuses for each
16. Ballbreaker
- OK production, terrible lyrics
15. Black Ice
- Sold a lot of copies, weak songwriting
14. Rock or Bust
- Bluesy, redundant
13. Stiff Upper Lip
- Some catchy songs, not very creative
12. The Razor's Edge
- It has Thunderstruck, Brian sounds awful
11. Power Up
- Their best choruses in decades, Cymbals are too loud, drowns Brian out a bit
10. Flick of the Switch
- Almost metal in a good way, bad production, especially on Brian's vocals
09. Blow Up Your Video - Underrated album. Two's Up is great, album is a bit over-produced
08. For Those About to Rock - Maybe their best post-Scott song in the title track, songwriting could be tightened up
07. Fly on the Wall - great songs, big guitar riffs, 80s production
, sounds a bit dated
06. High Voltage - Fun catchy songs, drum production could be better
05. Let There Be Rock
- sounds like a live record, very energetic, Angus is awesome, some songs are too long
04. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
- Not a bad song on it, I'd like to hear it with a bit more production
03. Back In Black - Mixed perfectly, THE Hard Rock album to judge all others by and Brian nails it, a few tracks don't measure up
02. Powerage - Best AC/DC lyrics, some songs are a bit too long
01. Highway To Hell - Tight, catchy, powerful songs, Bon sounds great, negative: 'Love Hungry Man'.
Looks like you switched up the comments for Fly on the Wall and Flick of the Switch. I think Brian's vocals sounds good on the latter versus Fly where his vocals are too buried in the mix.
@@kennet7837 I feel pretty much the same about both records, but I like the songs on 'Fly on the Wall' better. I agree, Brian's voice is buried and drowned in reverb, but I really like songs like 'Sink the Pink', and 'Shake Your Foundations', and 'Playing With Girls' is really underrated too.
To me, 'FOTW' is the best Brian-era AC/DC album not named 'Back In Black'.
@@wezacker6482 "Shake Your Foundations" is the standout track for me on Fly on the Wall. On Flick of the Switch it's "Guns for Hire", but I find both albums to be among their weaker overall outputs (most of the tracks are forgettable). I have Back in Black first followed by Highway to Hell, and Powerage third.
Even though I didn't agree with most things you said, you had an interesting take on some stuff that I've never thought about. Cool overall video, buuuuuutttttt...
What you mean you don't know why Hail Caesar is called that way? It's about the Caesar and tyrant dictators. It's pretty darn clear.
Nevermind that, cool video, interesting take.
No you're right. I meant more like, why are they writing this that way? They rarely use these types of characters by name in their writing or thematics. Doesn't seem their style and I don't think fit the album
Thanks for watching!.
My list (from what I've heard):
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
Let There Be Rock
Back in Black
Highway to Hell
['74 Jailbreak]
High Voltage
Fly on the Wall
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Razors Edge
For me For Those About to Rock is Lange's sonic rock masterpiece- first track is admittedly a bit silly at the end (starts great), but from there it's just track after track of 80s hard rock indulgence for me. And disagree with you guys on Let There Be Rock- Bad Boy Boogie, Hell Ain't a Bad Place, the title track, and Whole Lotta Rosie are just a phenomenal set of songs.
Still, great video. Really need to listen to Powerage in full- love Riff Raff.
Good list
Absolutely....i love EVIL WALKS and COD....that whole album is fantastic, for that matter...love all the songs
Remember, we are not talking about one song here (like "Thunderstruck etc), but the whole albums......
It is easy:
1. Back in Black & For those about to Rock.....shares the first place.
2. Then we have the seventies....those albums as nr 2.
3. Then the rest as nr 3.
Sorry, I had to use the Australian versions. In my opinion, not using the Australian versions or at the very least '74 Jailbreak, you're missing some great AC/DC.
17. PWR/UP
16. Rock Or Bust
15. Ballbreaker
14. Black Ice
13. Stiff Upper Lip
12. Blow Up Your Video
11. Razor's Edge
10. Highway To Hell
09. TNT (Australian)
08. For Those About To Rock
07. Flick Of The Switch
06. Let There Be Rock
05. Dirty Deeds (Australian)
04. High Voltage (Australian)
03. Fly On The Wall
02. Powerage
01. Back In Black
I really love the T.N.T. Aussie album
Joe, "Black Ice" was the last album to feature Malcolm Young.