Powerage is their greatest album in my opinion. I don’t expect many to agree but I’m surprised it isn’t talked about more. Too many classics for it to get lost among I suppose. Great list, hard to argue with most of it.
(Powerage)I’ve never understood why there were two versions of this album? The first version was the best but missing R&R damnation I had to buy it on a 7’’ and again better version than the 2nd pressing.
My top 7, with my two favorite tracks on each... 1. Powerage, quintessential AC/DC. Riff Raff, Rock n Roll Damnation 2. Back in Black - Sensational. Shoot to Thrill, Have a Drink on Me 3. Let There Be Rock - Whole Lotta Rosie, Bad Boy Boogie 4. Highway to Hell - Shot Down in Flames, Girls Got Rhythm 5. High Voltage - Rock n Roll Singer, Long Way to the Top 6. Dirty Deeds - Problem Child, Dirty Deeds 7. For Those About to Rock - Put the Finger on You, COD
Powerage is the best AC/DC album to listen to while passing around a joint with your buddies. Pure groove and somehow energetic and laidback at the same time, the band are locked in tight and the smooth production ties it all together in a lovely bow
LTBR. The raw honest intimacy of the cranked amps, it's recorded in Australia by the Young family, with Bon. You can virtually smell the whiskey on his breath. Not over produced, very live. Nothing else like it.
Powerage was their best album of all time- I think this because it is the perfect balance between blues and hard rock. It's perfect and the way that the band put these two similar but different genres together is flawless. "Gimme A Bullet" is my all time favorite AC/DC song ever.
Fly On the Wall is one of the most criminally underrated albums in history. It just needs a remaster to touch up the production errors but apart from that the riffs and songs are epic.
I would argue that the problem with Fly On The Wall is OVER productuon. They polished it up too much and Simon Wright's drum sound was really 80s pop sounding. They made a good move when they went back to Vanda and Young to produce Blow Up Your Video.
@@livewire2759 An interesting take on it and you may well be right. Can't be hard to fix though because I still say that the music is excellent add with some of the best riffs they ever came up with. I loved the ultimate production that Vanda and Young reached with Powerage and wish that they had still produced the rest too.
@@billfreeman5201 Yeah, FOTW has a lot of great songs on it, but it's nothing like the "live in the studio" production they used in the late 70s, and I agree that they should have stuck with Vanda and Young. When they sought out a new producer to try to get some hits in America, it's almost like they sold out a bit. I can't blame them for wanting to sell more records here, and I'm glad they did, but Lange overproduced Highway To Hell. I find it odd that Back in Black doesn't have the same overproduced feel to me that HTH does, but after that, all the 80s albums just feel like there is something missing, and I think it's that Vanda - Young production.
@@grooverstone9553 Brian's voice sounds great on FOTW in my opinion, but I don't care much for the reverb effect he used, just like the reverb effect Simon Wright used on his drums. Hell, even Angus (and maybe Malcolm too) used some overdubbing on his guitar parts. The whole album was way overdone and overproduced.
Yes it is true that Angus's amplifier caught fire during the Let there be rock sessions. It was during the take of Whole lotta Rosie that ended up on the record. Angus supposedly wanted to stop playing and try to save the amplifier but George signaled to him to keep going. They could always get a new amplifier, but a take like that might only happen once. I don't know if this is true, but I once read that they were so happy with the recording of Whole lotta Rosie that they seriously considered using it as the title track. But then George (or it could have been Malcolm) looked at the smoking remains of the dead amplifier and concluded that Let there be rock would be the best choice.
Great video. Looking at most of the comments, I agree. Powerage is AC/DC's best album. " Two faced woman with your two faced liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeess "
Love love love Flick of the Switch. Wish Brian’s voice was turned up a bit more, but far and away one of my fav AC/DC records. This record has a grittier and an even more straight forward rock record - if that’s possible. 👍
Who cares but here you go: 0. Album (favorite track) 1. Fly on the Wall (Back in Business) 2. Powerage (Gone Shootin') 3. Ballbreaker (Burnin' Alive) 4. Back in Black (Shoot To Thrill) 4. Highway to Hell (Touch Too Much) 5. Let There Be Rock (Overdose) 6. Flick of the Switch (Flick Of The Switch) 7. For Those About to Rock (Evil Walks) 8. High Voltage (Live Wire) 9. The Razors Edge (Shot Of Love) 10. Rock Or Bust (Sweet Candy) 11. Stiff Upper Lip (Damned) 12. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Squealer) 13. Blow Up Your Video (Some Sin For Nuthin') 14. Black Ice (Decibel) 15. Who Made Who (D.T.) EDIT: insert 'PWR UP' between 6 & 7 (Kick You When You're Down)
You should do a worst to best video ranking your worst to best videos from worst to best. Re: the bagpipes on IALWTTT. George Young thought about putting them on there and Bon volunteered to play them, having played in a pipe band when he was younger. What he didn't tell Young was that he had been the drummer in the Pipe band and had never touched a set of bagpipes. But he played the flute in Fraternity (his previous, very successful band) and he figured he'd be able to give it a go. The problem is that bagpipes are not chromatic and its very difficult to get them to play in any key other than A. IALWTTT was recorded in Bb and all sorts of jiggery pokery had to be jiggered and pokered to get the overdub to fit - and the Albert studios at Burwood (basically a concrete box in a run down industrial suburb) wasn't exactly state of the art (they had a better studio in George St in Sydney but Vanda and Young usually worked out of Burwood - George St was apparently freezing cold and Burwood was closer to home) for doing such things. Subsequently, the band played the song live in A to accommodate the pipes. Bon mimed them for the famous video and the pipes were finally destroyed by rioting fans at a gig in Hobart in 1977 - an even which Bon Scott called the happiest day of his life. Bon got doubly fortunate at that gif because that is, apparently, where he met the famous "Rosie" (although some say that happened in Launceston). Another bit of IALWTTT trivia - if you use even a second of the recording of that riff in your video, they'll copyright cancel you. It took them 8 minutes. I was impressed.
Just a severely deformed Dio Lol. Just messin with ya Old guy here. Hate typing. So. You getwhat ya get. Go listen to Powerage. Way up high That's the boys at the top a their game
Good list. Great description of LTBR as the no. 1 15. Stiff Upper Lip 14. Ballbreaker 13. Rock Or Bust 12. Fly On The Wall 11. Blow Up Your Video 10. Black Ice 9. Razors Edge 8. For Those About To Rock 7. Flick Of The Switch 6. Back In Black 5. Highway To Hell 4. DDDDC 3. Let There Be Rock 2. High Voltage 1. Powerage
The thing I remember about being in college in the late 70’s was how prevalent disco was. I thought disco was the worst thing ever created, but then I heard rap. Anyway, AC/DC is what got me through that nightmare.
I’m glad someone else put blow up your video last on their list. Even as a kid, i didn’t really like it. But now that you mention it, Malcolm was out of commission at the time. So it kinda makes sense
"Highway To Hell" for me, it's got the lot. Brilliantly written songs, that Bon Scott swagger and the great bluesy "Night Prowler", which would have to be my all-time favorite AC/DC song.
Good choice. Night Prowler never gets mentioned but it's one of their absolute best. That Mork and Mindy quote at the end is pure Bon. A hell of an album too.
Well, that's very much down to Lange's craftsmanship. If you listen to demos on Bonfire, he turned them 'round completely into totally different songs to make 'em radio-friendly, predominantly for the American market. Just everything on that album, production-wise, is absolutely marvellous! He raised them to an entirely different level without stealing anything away from them, identity or style-wise. Thank God they ditched Eddie Kramer who was the initial suggestion from the Atlantic bigwigs! He was the one who suggested they do a cover of Gimme Some Lovin'. After which Malcolm (who else, 'DC were primarily his "baby" after all!) called Ian Jeffrey, I believe it was, the then manager and said, "Look, we need somebody else who knows what he's doin".
This is the first AC/DC album I ever heard in 1979 and it's still my favorite! Not a bad song on the entire album. Touch too Much is my favorite AC/DC song!
Enjoyed your video very much. 'Powerage' is my favourite album, mainly because the lyrics are so brilliant. Bon is very much underrated as a songwriter and 'Powerage' showed what he could do when he made the effort. I also appreciate the fact that you put 'Razor's Edge' mid-table, because I really enjoyed that album and thought it was a return to form when I first heard it.
Excellent review, I was very pleased to hear your thoughts about Bon Scott, and voting Let there be rock with Bon’s vocals as your number 1. I really miss the old AC/DC band especially Bon Scott! Brian Johnson is good, and today’s younger generation for most part haven’t been exposed to Bon’s greatness! I burned through collection after collection of ac/dc cassette tapes, then moved to DVD’s, and now I’m collecting and playing the Bon Scott era vinyl albums! Saw (3) Bon Scott ac/dc live concerts, and at 57 yrs old still feel they were the best rock concerts I have ever witnessed! My ears rang for a good week after concert! RIP Bon Scott, and Malcom young! Crank up “ can I sit next to you girl” written by Malcom in junior high with perfect Bon’s temple, will rock you at any age! Or “little lover” exposes true Bon Scott talent Cheers
Man, your review of each album is so eloquent! I’m impressed just listening to your reviews. AC/DC was my first favourite band. The first three albums I had were High Voltage (international edition), DDDDC, and For Those About to Rock, so all three have a special place for me. I liked Flick of the Switch well enough, but Fly on the Wall and Blow Up Your Video both put me off the band. By that time I was into lots of other music anyway. Once again, excellent video! I should take a few pages from your book!
Agree 100%. Stiff Upper Lip is my least favorite of their albums, but I still like listening to it and it has great songs and way better than half of the other crap on the radio these days.
My ranking is, 1. Powerage, for me the very best AC/DC Album if its only for "down payment blues", great lyrics. 2. Highway to hell my youth 3. Let there be rock 4. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap 5. High Voltage 6. Back in black Rest do like you want. To say it simple and clear I'm a huge Bon Scott fan.
I recently made this list for a video on the Sea Of Tranquility site, so I had it all ready. :) I didn't include the first two Aussie-only albums. 15) Black Ice 14) Ballbreaker 13) Stiff Upper Lip 12) Blow Up Your Video 11) Rock or Bust (35 minutes is the perfect length for an album at this point in their career!) 10) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (If I never hear the title track or "Big Balls" (which I've always hated) again it will be too soon.) 9) Fly on the Wall (This has some nostalgic value for me.) 8) For Those About to Rock We Salute You (Always felt like Back In Black leftovers to me. Except the title track.) 7) Let There Be Rock 6) The Razors Edge (Though the lack of an apostrophe in the title has always annoyed me.) 5) High Voltage 4) Flick of the Switch (Over the years this one has continuously risen in the ranks for me.) 3) Powerage 2) Back in Black 1) Highway to Hell (Touch Too Much is, hands down, my favorite song of theirs.) Thanks for your list!
Recently listened to flick of the switch for the first time in the last few weeks - and man is that record up my alley. I was given the impression that most of the 80's records were subpar so I just ignored them. Flick of the switch has a real hard edge that I like
It's nice to see LTBR up there. It's such a heavy, fantastic album. When youngsters tell me AC/DC is "not metal" (an argument I have no interest in either way), I tell them to play this and any thrash album out there, and then we can talk about heaviness. Back In Black is the obvious choice for most people. It's definitely one of my favorites. It's also unique in that, like it or not, it's a flawless album, a once-in-a-generation accomplishment. Song writing, playing, production and selection are perfect. There's no way to improve on that album.
Cool vid! Your top four and mine are the same, although my order is slightly different, but I was happy to see you give Powerage and Let There Be Rock the respect they deserve. They did have several Powerage songs on the setlist during the last tour in 2016, but What’s Next to the Moon unfortunately wasn’t one of them. Sin City was played through the whole tour, and that’s always been a live staple. But when they brought Axl Rose in to cover the last leg, they added Rock n Roll Damnation and Riff Raff to the setlist, and they hadn’t played either of those live in years - not since 1979, in Riff Raff’s case! I don’t know if Axl’s a fan of those songs or if they thought they’d fit his vocal range, but either way it was great to have them dusted off again.
Here’s my own List From Worst To Best: 16. Who Made Who. 15. Flick Of The Switch. 14. Blow Up Your Video. 13. Stiff Upper Lip. 12. Fly On The Wall. 11. Rock Or Bust. 10. Black Ice. 9. BallBreaker. 8. For Those About To Rock. 7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. 6. Powerage. 5. The Razor’s Edge. 4. High Voltage. 3. Let There Be Rock. 2. Highway To Hell. 1. Back In Black.
The 8 year break did it, ac/dc was way to big with the hardcore fans, regardless of the black ice Walmart newbies.your right about more love for Black ice
Stiff Upper Lip at 14!!!! Shows that most people don't even know the musical roots of AC/DC in the 70s and what made them popular in the first place. The first half of the album has a lot in common with their classic 1970s AC/DC sound which is no surprise due to it being produced by George Young who also co-produced all of AC/DCs albums prior to Highway To Hell. To many long-time fans this was seen as AC/DCs prime years with Bon Scott on vocals. You can hear the dramatic change in style with Highway To Hell where the band started their new style of anthem driven stadium rock to break the US market. The band still had enough creative juice left to pull it off however they run out of steam in the 1980s and apart from the odd song here and there they've settled for the safe formulaic style as we can hear on their latest album. Still a great band and in my all time favourite bands list.
1:45 I'd say Can't stand still on Stiff Upper Lip is a pretty unique song as far as AC/DC goes. Maybe closest compared to Thunderstruck but very much has it's own identity and is one of my favorite tracks of theirs.
This is what music reviews should be like, intelligent, articulate, respectful and honest. ACDC are all electric power and this review has done them something that all great music deserves . . . justice.
I like 'em all! 'Back In Black' is my number one simply because it was the awesome guitar sound of the title track that convinced me to finally learn to play the guitar. So, I did. I learned to play the whole album which led to learning other albums which led to gigging with a number of bands throughout the 80s which led to writing my own songs and eventually being recognized and appreciated by some folks in California (some really big names). And it all started with that album. Thank you, Malcolm, Angus, and Brian (with a huge nod to Bon).
Powerage and Let There Be Rock are pure raw energy, specially the former. IMO Powerage is the greatest rock album of all time, all killer no filler (despite Rock 'n' Roll Damnation being technically a filler, that riff still gets me pumped). Never again will humanity achieve such a sharp guitar tone combined with melancholic, wicked bluesy lyrics.
The closest we get to a remix of ‘Fly on the wall’ is the slightly remixed versions of ‘Sink the Pink’ and ‘Shake your Foundations’ on ‘Who made Who’ that do push the bass a little and make Beanos vocals sit on the top.
One of my favourite ever bands but only with Bon Scott on vocals. Powerage is my number 1 pick simply because it has Riff Raff, for me their greatest track. Highway To Hell is number 2, followed by Let There Be Rock, High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
Bon was the only one worthy of being their vocals. I'm not saying Brian isn't good but goddamn,you knew if bon was involved,it was a party. I've always said after bon passed,the band lost it's energy. Even Angus wasn't as hyped as what he once was.
@@smokingthereefer92 I saw them in 1977, well before they became huge and I actually touched both when Bon was carrying Angus on his shoulders as he walked through the crowd. It was a very small venue and that's something I will never forget. I have watched that River Plate concert and Brian looks out place fronting AC/DC, never in a million years can he match Bon Scott.
@@jesuschambers Sadly,I was born in 92 so I missed all the good music. Had a mom that was born in 49 and a brother born in 65 so I grew up listening to all the good music but I wasn't there to experience the lifestyle of it. And yes Brian did look out of place but never in a million years would I figure they'd replace Brian with a crybaby get my way or else type of person like axl. That was just down right disgusting.
Wonderful...at last someone who has confirmed their favourite album as being 'Let There Be Rock' I assumed at the beginning of the video that Back In Black would be no.1 so a great surprise. LTBR was A/c D/c at their very best and, for me, they never came close thereafter to the brilliance of this album.
1. Let There Be rock 2. For those about to rock 3. Highway to hell 4. Powerage 5. Back in black 6. Fly On the wall 7. Flick of the switch 8. High voltage 9. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap 10. Razors Edge 11. Ball breaker 12. Blow up your video 13. Black Ice 14. Power up 15. Stiff upper lip 16. Rock or bust
I think the "cock wagging" is part of why they have lasted. Putting on one of their albums is a return to adolescence and most of us became fans before we were all that mature. They were never the type of band to get sensitive and bring out an acoustic guitar, they were the antidote to "Poison" (either the band or the Alice Cooper song).
While other bands change/evolve/experiment, i was glad to hear AC/DC's new single last year on radio. I honestly thought it was some mid 90's AC/DC track that i hadn't heard before. Still the same meat & potatoes.
16.Rock or Bust 15. Black Ice 14. Fly on the Wall 13.Stiff Upper Lip 12. Flick of the Switch 11. Blow up your Video 10. The Razors Edge 9.Ballbreaker 8.Power Up 7.Let there be Rock 6.Powerage 5.High Voltage 4.FTABTR 3. DDDDC 2. Highway to Hell 1. BIB
Love Powerage and would call it my favorite. Let's remember that Let There Be Rock contained arguably their most impactful tunes Whole Lotta Rosie, LTBR,, Bad Boy Boogie, Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be plus Go Down, Overdose, and Dog Eat Dog.
Ha! I'm from western Sydney and ACCADACCA was holy, it was everywhere, and every panel van had them on constant rotation. To my shame, I never cared for them much until Blow Up Your Video came out. Heatseaker and That's The Way I Wanna Rock'n'Roll changed all of that. I'll always have a special place for the BUYV album.
Powerage is my favourite. Riff Raff, Sin City, Down Payment Blues... brilliant. I'm not happy that Blow Up Your Video is at the bottom of your list- I really enjoy that album, has a certain joyful energy throughout. Your comments on Flick of the Switch are interesting, I'm going to have to listen to it today with a new ear and open mind.
Let There Be Rock & Powerage are my 2 personal favorite AC/DC albums! Keith Richards has said that Powerage is his favorite album too. I love Bad Boy Boogie, Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be, Problem Child, What’s Next To The Moon 🌙?, Gone Shootin’, Sin City, Go Down, Whole Lotta Rosie, Overdose, Riff Raff, & Down Payment Blues! All Awesome Songs!!
Like the list, might have a few changed around a bit but we all like what we like for our own reasons. Powerage has been my number 1 for years. Love the driving bluesy riffs in this album and it's the first album I go to when getting my AC/DC fix.
Very interesting list. It would really be nitpicking to quibble with the order you put them in. I've always had a preference for the Bon Scott years. He was the epitome of a rock and roll front man.
While i dont agree entirely with your list but i have to say you said what you liked about each album and your dislikes most people would just say the mid to late 80s album suck and throw them away but you said what you liked about each of them very admirable
I try at best to respect people's personal favorites: it's interesting, but I haven't found anyone else to rank their albums the way I do, yet I liked them since 1980. I have almost all of their stuff, including live and boxset. This is my rankings, least to favorite: 17. Rock Or Bust 16. Black Ice 15. Blow Up Your Video 14. Powerup 13. Fly On The Wall 12. For Those About To Rock 11. Highway To Hell 10. Flick Of The Switch 9. The Razor's Edge 8. Let There Be Rock 7. Stiff Upper Lip 6. Ballbreaker 5. '74 Jailbreak 4. Powerage 3. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 2. Back In Black 1. High Voltage this is my rank as for now, it might shift up or down a little from time to time.
I pretty much agree with your list. Love your channel. Very precise and eloquent. Keep up the good work. My favourite AC/DC album is Dirty Deeds, though.
I'm very surprised because no one mentioned 74 'Jailbreak. It's an album with only five songs but what awesome songs. They all have a lot of energy and I can't stop listening to them. The rest of the list seemed very good with great descriptions.
because its not an album! it is a compilation, the song jailbreak was from dirty deeds and the rest was from high voltage only released in australia from 1974.
01] Highway To Hell (Touch Too Much, Walk All Over You, Night Prowler) 02] Back in Black (Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill) 03] Powerage ('What's Next to the Moon' favourite DC song, Rock 'n' Roll Damnation, Riff Raff) 04] Let There Be Rock (Let There Be Rock, Dog Eat Dog, Whole Lotta Rosie) 05] Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Problem Child, Ride On) 06] Flick of the Switch (Rising Power, Nervous Shakedown, Guns for Hire)
Great video. The album High Voltage inspired a generation of guitarists due to the simplicity of the riffs. Guitar players of every style of music around today have cited this album as the one that made them want to play the instrument, calling out Malcolms rhythm style as a particular influence.
1) Back In Black, 2) Highway To Hell, 3) High Voltage, 4) Powerage, 5) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 6) Let There Be Rock, 7) For Those About To Rock(We Salute You) 8) Fly On The Wall, 9) The Razors Edge
My favourite band. Dirty Deeds would be higher in it's Australian format. High Voltage would be lower in its Aussie format than I've placed the International version. Any of the top 4 could be #1. 1: Powerage 2: Highway to Hell 3: Back in Black 4: Let There Be Rock (International)... Prefer the Australian version. 5: High Voltage (International) 6: Flick of The Switch 7: Dirty Deeds (International) 8: For Those About To Rock 9: The Razor's Edge 10: Fly On The Wall..... Absolutely awful production and mixing. Very good to great songs though. 11: Black Ice 12: Stiff Upper Lip 13: Ballbreaker 14: Rock or Bust 15: Blow Up Your Video
I largely agree with your list and your comments on each of the songs. I differ on Bedlam in Belgium which I like. I would put Powerage over Back in Black.
It's hell to rank all the Bon Scott and the first two Brian Johnson albums! I love "Let There Be Rock" for its raw unpolished sound. Almost all the Vanda-Young produced albums were "live in the studio" albums because they did most of them quickly in one take with Bon and Angus' solos added. And yes Angus' amp caught on fire during "Let There Be Rock" around 5 minutes into the song while he was shredding his SG. Thankfully Vanda-Young didn't stop the tape while it happened.
any of their stuff is worth buying and listening to....highway to hell is not only their best but one of the best rock albums in history....every song is great..not a single weak track that you have to skip.phil rudd was in rare form. from the opening riff of highway to hell to the nanu nanu every second blows your face off.
Great review, Just a comment on Let There Be Rock. The original release in Australia had "Crabsody In Blue" on it (You can guess what it's about) It was replaced by Problem Child for the international release. I think Crabsody In Blue remains one their best songs. Cheers from Down Under
My LP of Let There Be Rock has Crabsody In Blue and it wasn’t an import - I bought for £2:99 in Millets when they sold records in the early 1980s - I’m now very old but it’s still one of my favourite records - my CD has Problem Child instead 🙁
It must be said whether I or anyone else agrees with this list or not, my hat is off to you for taking on this impossible mission! Spot on observations and insight here.
1. Powerage Angus and Malcolm have both said it was their best, and most fans agree. 2. Let There Be Rock The title says it all, there's no better album to rock your ass off. 3. Dirty Deeds The first album of theirs I heard all the way through, and the album that made me a fan, so I put it higher than most. 4. Highway to Hell. Most people put it higher, but in my opinion Lange overproduced it. 5. Back in Black It's freakin' Back in Black... 6. Ballbreaker Hard blues rock, one of my favorites and very underrated in my opinion. 7. Flick of the Switch There's some filler on it, but the songs that rock, ROCK HARD. 8. TNT (Aus) It has rocker on it... ROCKER! ...and High Voltage... and... shit every song on that album is a classic, I even named my channel after one of them. 9. Black Ice and Rock or Bust I can't decide which one is better... some filler on both, but some of their best songs on both as well... Keep listening to ROB, it has to grow on you. 10. Fly on the Wall It's a bit overproduced in my opinion, but... Shake Your Foundations! 11. Blow Up Your Video Some like it, some don't, but it's got several great songs. 12. For Those About To Rock They tried to make another BIB... but there's only 1 BIB. 13. Razors Edge and Stiff Upper Lip. Razor is overrated, Lip is underrated, both good albums though. 14. High Voltage (Aus) A good first try, everyone who's heard it knows what's good and what's not so good... but hell, every band has to start somewhere.
AC/DC was one of my favorite bands back in my teenage years. The first song I ever heard was Riff Raff off the (live) If You Want Blood album. I really loved that album and it caused me to really dig into the band. I like your picks and don't disagree too much with your choices. For me I would have to say Powerage is my number one, and I see many commenters here feel the same. It's hard to put things in an order for me. Like best guitarist, best drummer, best singer, best band and such. I really loved Powerage, Let There Be Rock, Highway To Hell, and Back In Black. Probably in that order if I had to put them in an order. I remember when Bon died, and I wondered what would become of my favorite band. On the day Back In Black was released I was pulling in to the parking lot of my place of employment and the DJ on the radio said he had a new track from the new AC/DC album and he played the title track Back In Black. I was blown away. I knew that AC/DC would remain my favorite band for at least a little bit longer. No one could ever "replace" Bon but Brian was one hell of a great addition to the band. I'm pretty sure that I learned more AC/DC songs on my guitar than any other band!
Great analysis. Here are my rankings: 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
16 - Black Ice 15 - Stiff Upper Lip (2000) 14 - Blow Up Your Video (1988) 13 - Rock Or Bust (2014) 12 - The Razor's Edge (1990) 11 - Ballbreaker (1995) 10 - Power Up (2000) 09 - Fly On The Wall (1985) 08 - Dirty Deeds (1981/U.S.) 07) - High Voltage (1976/U.S.) 06) - For Those About To Rock (1981) 05) - Flick Of The Switch (1983) 04) - Let There Be Rock (1977) 03 ) - Highway To Hell (1979) 02 ) - Powerage (1978) 01) - Back In Black (1980)
top 5: 1- Let there be rock 2- Highway to hell 3- Back in Black 4- Razor's Edge 5- Dirt deeds done dirt cheap (australian version ... you know, because of Jailbreak!)
I’d love to see this list done using the Australian versions of the first four albums. Just recently got my hands on them and really prefer those four to their three international counterparts.
great list...let there be rock is a monument in music....my list may have high voltage in the top spot, but there's no doubt about let there be rock....good on ya'....peace...rocky
I am a huge ACDC fan and have been for many many years......but I may be the only person that also really enjoys Fly On The Wall and rank it much higher than any of the lists I've seen. I love it as well. The VHS was great. Fly On The Wall, Shake Your Foundations and SInk the Pink are all amazing ACDC tracks. The Fly On The Wall title track is a top 4 or 5 ACDC track for me. A remixed / remastered album would be amazing. Razor's Edge is my #2 all-time personally with Let There Be Rock at my #1. The Title track of ACDC being my favorite track of all-time. I would have Flick Of the Switch where you put Fly On The Wall. That is my least favorite pre-96 ACDC album. Even the cover of Flick Of The Switch looks lazy to me. Hail Caesar on Ballbreaker is a great track. I was glad to see you rank everything post Ballbreaker at the bottom...as good as ACDC is, there is a noticable decline post 96.....
I thought this was a very thoughtful and well put together list....of course like any AC/DC fan I would make some changes to the rankings based on my overall love for their albums and how much I've listened to them over the years. I would put Powerage as #1, FTATR lower, Razors Edge much lower, Rock or Bust a little higher, Fly on the Wall much higher, Back in Black #2, Stiff Upper Lip at the Bottom, Ballbreaker a little higher, Flick of the Switch a little higher, BUYV at #12 maybe, Black Ice a little lower, Let There Be Rock #3, DDDDC much lower, Highway to Hell at #4, High Voltage is about right on your list, and their newest record Power Up somewhere higher up than the middle (I think its a great record and way better than Rock or Bust or Black Ice)/ Thats my personal taste, I'm sure its quite different then everyone else's but I don't really care.
Man, I really liked this video. Your insights and reasons for ranking the albums were interesting and I enjoyed the trivia and backstory about the albums. I was hoping for a better ranking for Black Ice-I know, I'm weird and wrong but I really don't understand why people don't like that album more, but your comment that it would have been a better album without a few of the filler songs on it was dead on. Give me an album with ten solid tracks, not an album with sixteen songs and only half of them are good.
I went to relistened to all of the albums, going by the songs I like on each album percentages, this is my personal list: 1. Powerage 2. Back in Black 3. Let There Be Rock 4. Black Ice 5. Highway to Hell 6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 7. Ballbreaker 8. Power Up 9. High Voltage 10. Stiff Upper Lip 11. Flick of the Switch 12. Blow up Your Video 13. For Those About to Rock 14. Fly on the Wall 15. Rock or Bust 16. The Razors Edge
Agree with your top four, although I would switch BIB and LTBR, depending on they day. I'd put Razors Edge top 5 at least, and SUL higher, but that's just me. I like Fly too, BTW.
I love how you put Let There Be Rock on top. I almost forgot about that one for my love of Powerage. These two are hard for me to rank, both are excellent. Highway comes third, followed by the rest of Bon's stuff. I can't really say which I like better between Back In Black and For Those About To Rock, but they lost me after that. Brian also has zero stage presence.
Powerage is their greatest album in my opinion. I don’t expect many to agree but I’m surprised it isn’t talked about more. Too many classics for it to get lost among I suppose. Great list, hard to argue with most of it.
I agree
I think it is their best. Not my favorite but the best.
You are right.
Maybe it go outshined by highway to Hell, just like everything that came after back in black. Those are big shadows
Agreed... riff raff
I'd saw Powerage is the most overlooked DC record. Every song should be a staple of Classic Rock Radio.
That's exactly what it was designed for, aimed specifically at the US market. But yes I agree, it is brilliant of course.
(Powerage)I’ve never understood why there were two versions of this album? The first version was the best but missing R&R damnation I had to buy it on a 7’’ and again better version than the 2nd pressing.
Even Malcolm Young considered it one of his favourite Acca Dacca records.
Kicked in the teeth again!!!!🤘🤘🤘
Agree.
AC DC is so good that even their worst albums are still pretty good.. (IMO)
Agreed!
I was right with you going into Black Ice…. 😬
Yeah they don’t have any bad albums tbh
My top 7, with my two favorite tracks on each...
1. Powerage, quintessential AC/DC. Riff Raff, Rock n Roll Damnation
2. Back in Black - Sensational. Shoot to Thrill, Have a Drink on Me
3. Let There Be Rock - Whole Lotta Rosie, Bad Boy Boogie
4. Highway to Hell - Shot Down in Flames, Girls Got Rhythm
5. High Voltage - Rock n Roll Singer, Long Way to the Top
6. Dirty Deeds - Problem Child, Dirty Deeds
7. For Those About to Rock - Put the Finger on You, COD
Powerage in first. It's boogie, energic, full of blues and riffs.. voice, sound.. Powerage hands down.
Powerage is the best AC/DC album to listen to while passing around a joint with your buddies. Pure groove and somehow energetic and laidback at the same time, the band are locked in tight and the smooth production ties it all together in a lovely bow
LTBR. The raw honest intimacy of the cranked amps, it's recorded in Australia by the Young family, with Bon. You can virtually smell the whiskey on his breath. Not over produced, very live. Nothing else like it.
Proofs in the pudding, just watch the LTBR video, you see the boys in the studio recording the song, I swear there's smoke comin' out of the amps
Powerage was their best album of all time- I think this because it is the perfect balance between blues and hard rock. It's perfect and the way that the band put these two similar but different genres together is flawless. "Gimme A Bullet" is my all time favorite AC/DC song ever.
Fly On the Wall is one of the most criminally underrated albums in history.
It just needs a remaster to touch up the production errors but apart from that the riffs and songs are epic.
I would argue that the problem with Fly On The Wall is OVER productuon. They polished it up too much and Simon Wright's drum sound was really 80s pop sounding. They made a good move when they went back to Vanda and Young to produce Blow Up Your Video.
@@livewire2759 An interesting take on it and you may well be right. Can't be hard to fix though because I still say that the music is excellent add with some of the best riffs they ever came up with. I loved the ultimate production that Vanda and Young reached with Powerage and wish that they had still produced the rest too.
@@billfreeman5201 Yeah, FOTW has a lot of great songs on it, but it's nothing like the "live in the studio" production they used in the late 70s, and I agree that they should have stuck with Vanda and Young. When they sought out a new producer to try to get some hits in America, it's almost like they sold out a bit. I can't blame them for wanting to sell more records here, and I'm glad they did, but Lange overproduced Highway To Hell. I find it odd that Back in Black doesn't have the same overproduced feel to me that HTH does, but after that, all the 80s albums just feel like there is something missing, and I think it's that Vanda - Young production.
Honestly I know people hate Brian’s vocals on FOTW but I love them, FOTW is probably my favourite album
@@grooverstone9553 Brian's voice sounds great on FOTW in my opinion, but I don't care much for the reverb effect he used, just like the reverb effect Simon Wright used on his drums. Hell, even Angus (and maybe Malcolm too) used some overdubbing on his guitar parts. The whole album was way overdone and overproduced.
Powerage is my favourite AC/DC album. I also love Flick of the Switch ( especially Bedlam in Belgium) and Fly on the Wall.
Yes it is true that Angus's amplifier caught fire during the Let there be rock sessions. It was during the take of Whole lotta Rosie that ended up on the record. Angus supposedly wanted to stop playing and try to save the amplifier but George signaled to him to keep going. They could always get a new amplifier, but a take like that might only happen once. I don't know if this is true, but I once read that they were so happy with the recording of Whole lotta Rosie that they seriously considered using it as the title track. But then George (or it could have been Malcolm) looked at the smoking remains of the dead amplifier and concluded that Let there be rock would be the best choice.
Flick of the switch is a very UNDERRATED album!
Great video. Looking at most of the comments, I agree. Powerage is AC/DC's best album.
" Two faced woman with your two faced liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeess "
Love love love Flick of the Switch. Wish Brian’s voice was turned up a bit more, but far and away one of my fav AC/DC records. This record has a grittier and an even more straight forward rock record - if that’s possible. 👍
Who cares but here you go:
0. Album (favorite track)
1. Fly on the Wall (Back in Business)
2. Powerage (Gone Shootin')
3. Ballbreaker (Burnin' Alive)
4. Back in Black (Shoot To Thrill)
4. Highway to Hell (Touch Too Much)
5. Let There Be Rock (Overdose)
6. Flick of the Switch (Flick Of The Switch)
7. For Those About to Rock (Evil Walks)
8. High Voltage (Live Wire)
9. The Razors Edge (Shot Of Love)
10. Rock Or Bust (Sweet Candy)
11. Stiff Upper Lip (Damned)
12. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Squealer)
13. Blow Up Your Video (Some Sin For Nuthin')
14. Black Ice (Decibel)
15. Who Made Who (D.T.)
EDIT: insert 'PWR UP' between 6 & 7 (Kick You When You're Down)
Whoa AWhole Lotta Rosie should be number one
@@owenwalker3170 Although I do love that bang of a song, my preferences mostly go the hidden gems they don't play live.
@@stephanwackman5816 ok gotcha 👌 my bad lol
Nervous Shakedown off Flick of the Switch only gets better with age
You should do a worst to best video ranking your worst to best videos from worst to best.
Re: the bagpipes on IALWTTT. George Young thought about putting them on there and Bon volunteered to play them, having played in a pipe band when he was younger. What he didn't tell Young was that he had been the drummer in the Pipe band and had never touched a set of bagpipes. But he played the flute in Fraternity (his previous, very successful band) and he figured he'd be able to give it a go. The problem is that bagpipes are not chromatic and its very difficult to get them to play in any key other than A. IALWTTT was recorded in Bb and all sorts of jiggery pokery had to be jiggered and pokered to get the overdub to fit - and the Albert studios at Burwood (basically a concrete box in a run down industrial suburb) wasn't exactly state of the art (they had a better studio in George St in Sydney but Vanda and Young usually worked out of Burwood - George St was apparently freezing cold and Burwood was closer to home) for doing such things. Subsequently, the band played the song live in A to accommodate the pipes. Bon mimed them for the famous video and the pipes were finally destroyed by rioting fans at a gig in Hobart in 1977 - an even which Bon Scott called the happiest day of his life. Bon got doubly fortunate at that gif because that is, apparently, where he met the famous "Rosie" (although some say that happened in Launceston).
Another bit of IALWTTT trivia - if you use even a second of the recording of that riff in your video, they'll copyright cancel you. It took them 8 minutes. I was impressed.
Fantastic back story. Thanks for posting mate.
Brian Johnson fans join me in the lobby for a group hug.
Kerry Maize Gonna pass lol. Send my regards Tuff shoes to fill Glad they tried
Brian Kelly What’s with the spaces bro
Just a severely deformed Dio How come you don't use spaces. Pal.
Brian Kelly What do you mean ?
Just a severely deformed Dio Lol. Just messin with ya Old guy here. Hate typing. So. You getwhat ya get. Go listen to Powerage. Way up high That's the boys at the top a their game
Good list. Great description of LTBR as the no. 1
15. Stiff Upper Lip
14. Ballbreaker
13. Rock Or Bust
12. Fly On The Wall
11. Blow Up Your Video
10. Black Ice
9. Razors Edge
8. For Those About To Rock
7. Flick Of The Switch
6. Back In Black
5. Highway To Hell
4. DDDDC
3. Let There Be Rock
2. High Voltage
1. Powerage
I don't understand why blow up your video is ranked at the bottom of so many lists. Stiff upper lip is far lamer.
The thing I remember about being in college in the late 70’s was how prevalent disco was. I thought disco was the worst thing ever created, but then I heard rap. Anyway, AC/DC is what got me through that nightmare.
I’m glad someone else put blow up your video last on their list. Even as a kid, i didn’t really like it. But now that you mention it, Malcolm was out of commission at the time. So it kinda makes sense
To my mind "Powerage" is their best LP followed by "Let there be rock" and "Back in Black"
"Highway To Hell" for me, it's got the lot.
Brilliantly written songs, that Bon Scott swagger and the great bluesy "Night Prowler", which would have to be my all-time favorite AC/DC song.
Good choice. Night Prowler never gets mentioned but it's one of their absolute best. That Mork and Mindy quote at the end is pure Bon. A hell of an album too.
Well, that's very much down to Lange's craftsmanship. If you listen to demos on Bonfire, he turned them 'round completely into totally different songs to make 'em radio-friendly, predominantly for the American market. Just everything on that album, production-wise, is absolutely marvellous! He raised them to an entirely different level without stealing anything away from them, identity or style-wise. Thank God they ditched Eddie Kramer who was the initial suggestion from the Atlantic bigwigs! He was the one who suggested they do a cover of Gimme Some Lovin'. After which Malcolm (who else, 'DC were primarily his "baby" after all!) called Ian Jeffrey, I believe it was, the then manager and said, "Look, we need somebody else who knows what he's doin".
@@tombelanovic7686 I agree! Mutt Langes production was absolutely amazing!
Phil Mac Yup great album. Mine is Powerage and gone shooting
This is the first AC/DC album I ever heard in 1979 and it's still my favorite! Not a bad song on the entire album. Touch too Much is my favorite AC/DC song!
So glad looking through the comments and seeing the common denominator "Powerage", what a brilliant album, Acca Dacca at their best.
Acca dacca😂😂🤘
Enjoyed your video very much. 'Powerage' is my favourite album, mainly because the lyrics are so brilliant. Bon is very much underrated as a songwriter and 'Powerage' showed what he could do when he made the effort. I also appreciate the fact that you put 'Razor's Edge' mid-table, because I really enjoyed that album and thought it was a return to form when I first heard it.
Excellent review, I was very pleased to hear your thoughts about Bon Scott, and voting Let there be rock with Bon’s vocals as your number 1. I really miss the old AC/DC band especially Bon Scott!
Brian Johnson is good, and today’s younger generation for most part haven’t been exposed to Bon’s greatness!
I burned through collection after collection of ac/dc cassette tapes, then moved to DVD’s, and now I’m collecting and playing the Bon Scott era vinyl albums!
Saw (3) Bon Scott ac/dc live concerts, and at 57 yrs old still feel they were the best rock concerts I have ever witnessed!
My ears rang for a good week after concert! RIP Bon Scott, and Malcom young! Crank up “ can I sit next to you girl” written by Malcom in junior high with perfect Bon’s temple, will rock you at any age! Or “little lover” exposes true Bon Scott talent
Cheers
Man, your review of each album is so eloquent! I’m impressed just listening to your reviews.
AC/DC was my first favourite band. The first three albums I had were High Voltage (international edition), DDDDC, and For Those About to Rock, so all three have a special place for me. I liked Flick of the Switch well enough, but Fly on the Wall and Blow Up Your Video both put me off the band. By that time I was into lots of other music anyway.
Once again, excellent video! I should take a few pages from your book!
1. Flick of the Switch
2. Fly on the Wall
3. Highway to Hell
4. Back in Black
5. For Those About to Rock
@G.S.K. 1979-85 were the best of years as an ACDC fan.
Add Let There Be Rock and Powerage and I totally agree. FotS and FoW are totally underrated by the mainstream fanboys and girls out there.
Uhhh. Nope.
They haven't done a bad album, just some 'not quite as good' albums.
Agree 100%. Stiff Upper Lip is my least favorite of their albums, but I still like listening to it and it has great songs and way better than half of the other crap on the radio these days.
I agree. The last one, PWR UP is damn good too. Better than Black Ice or Rock Or Bust.
My ranking is,
1. Powerage, for me the very best AC/DC Album if its only for "down payment blues", great lyrics.
2. Highway to hell my youth
3. Let there be rock
4. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
5. High Voltage
6. Back in black
Rest do like you want.
To say it simple and clear I'm a huge Bon Scott fan.
I recently made this list for a video on the Sea Of Tranquility site, so I had it all ready. :) I didn't include the first two Aussie-only albums.
15) Black Ice
14) Ballbreaker
13) Stiff Upper Lip
12) Blow Up Your Video
11) Rock or Bust (35 minutes is the perfect length for an album at this point in their career!)
10) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (If I never hear the title track or "Big Balls" (which I've always hated) again it will be too soon.)
9) Fly on the Wall (This has some nostalgic value for me.)
8) For Those About to Rock We Salute You (Always felt like Back In Black leftovers to me. Except the title track.)
7) Let There Be Rock
6) The Razors Edge (Though the lack of an apostrophe in the title has always annoyed me.)
5) High Voltage
4) Flick of the Switch (Over the years this one has continuously risen in the ranks for me.)
3) Powerage
2) Back in Black
1) Highway to Hell (Touch Too Much is, hands down, my favorite song of theirs.)
Thanks for your list!
@@billcarsonalias Yes, that would be great. It would be nice to hear Pete interviewing Barry talking about classic albums/bands etc. I'd enjoy that.
If you have Black Ice ranked last, you don't know much about AC/DC. That's simply ridiculous.
Re 6) - acdc aint need no gramma, mate!
how could you hate dirty deeds, im sorry but you are not a true fan.
take the 11 best songs from black ice and it's a great album
Recently listened to flick of the switch for the first time in the last few weeks - and man is that record up my alley. I was given the impression that most of the 80's records were subpar so I just ignored them. Flick of the switch has a real hard edge that I like
It's nice to see LTBR up there. It's such a heavy, fantastic album. When youngsters tell me AC/DC is "not metal" (an argument I have no interest in either way), I tell them to play this and any thrash album out there, and then we can talk about heaviness.
Back In Black is the obvious choice for most people. It's definitely one of my favorites. It's also unique in that, like it or not, it's a flawless album, a once-in-a-generation accomplishment. Song writing, playing, production and selection are perfect. There's no way to improve on that album.
they aren't metal, but that they are heavy
Cool vid! Your top four and mine are the same, although my order is slightly different, but I was happy to see you give Powerage and Let There Be Rock the respect they deserve.
They did have several Powerage songs on the setlist during the last tour in 2016, but What’s Next to the Moon unfortunately wasn’t one of them. Sin City was played through the whole tour, and that’s always been a live staple. But when they brought Axl Rose in to cover the last leg, they added Rock n Roll Damnation and Riff Raff to the setlist, and they hadn’t played either of those live in years - not since 1979, in Riff Raff’s case! I don’t know if Axl’s a fan of those songs or if they thought they’d fit his vocal range, but either way it was great to have them dusted off again.
Here’s my own List From Worst To Best:
16. Who Made Who.
15. Flick Of The Switch.
14. Blow Up Your Video.
13. Stiff Upper Lip.
12. Fly On The Wall.
11. Rock Or Bust.
10. Black Ice.
9. BallBreaker.
8. For Those About To Rock.
7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
6. Powerage.
5. The Razor’s Edge.
4. High Voltage.
3. Let There Be Rock.
2. Highway To Hell.
1. Back In Black.
Powerage, Let There Be Rock, Highway to Hell, High Voltage, Dirt Deeds, Back in Black.
1. Powerage , 2. Flick of the Switch
Excellent overview-solid listing but disagree with No.1 Highway is mine!
I agree with you. Highway seems very underrated by people.
Great list, I personally have Powerage 1 and LTBR 2. I'm surprised Black Ice doesn't get more love. I think that album saved them.
The 8 year break did it, ac/dc was way to big with the hardcore fans, regardless of the black ice Walmart newbies.your right about more love for Black ice
Stiff Upper Lip at 14!!!!
Shows that most people don't even know the musical roots of AC/DC in the 70s and what made them popular in the first place.
The first half of the album has a lot in common with their classic 1970s AC/DC sound which is no surprise due to it being produced by George Young who also co-produced all of AC/DCs albums prior to Highway To Hell.
To many long-time fans this was seen as AC/DCs prime years with Bon Scott on vocals.
You can hear the dramatic change in style with Highway To Hell where the band started their new style of anthem driven stadium rock to break the US market.
The band still had enough creative juice left to pull it off however they run out of steam in the 1980s and apart from the odd song here and there they've settled for the safe formulaic style as we can hear on their latest album.
Still a great band and in my all time favourite bands list.
1:45 I'd say Can't stand still on Stiff Upper Lip is a pretty unique song as far as AC/DC goes. Maybe closest compared to Thunderstruck but very much has it's own identity and is one of my favorite tracks of theirs.
This is what music reviews should be like, intelligent, articulate, respectful and honest. ACDC are all electric power and this review has done them something that all great music deserves . . . justice.
I've always been amazed how so many fans choose Powerage as their favourite, without hesitation.
I like 'em all! 'Back In Black' is my number one simply because it was the awesome guitar sound of the title track that convinced me to finally learn to play the guitar. So, I did. I learned to play the whole album which led to learning other albums which led to gigging with a number of bands throughout the 80s which led to writing my own songs and eventually being recognized and appreciated by some folks in California (some really big names). And it all started with that album. Thank you, Malcolm, Angus, and Brian (with a huge nod to Bon).
Powerage and Let There Be Rock are pure raw energy, specially the former. IMO Powerage is the greatest rock album of all time, all killer no filler (despite Rock 'n' Roll Damnation being technically a filler, that riff still gets me pumped). Never again will humanity achieve such a sharp guitar tone combined with melancholic, wicked bluesy lyrics.
The closest we get to a remix of ‘Fly on the wall’ is the slightly remixed versions of ‘Sink the Pink’ and ‘Shake your Foundations’ on ‘Who made Who’ that do push the bass a little and make Beanos vocals sit on the top.
For me:
1.) LET THERE BE ROCK
2.) DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP
3.) POWERAGE
4.) HIGHWAY TO HELL
5.) HIGH VOLTAGE/TNT
(after that, I don't care enough)
One of my favourite ever bands but only with Bon Scott on vocals. Powerage is my number 1 pick simply because it has Riff Raff, for me their greatest track. Highway To Hell is number 2, followed by Let There Be Rock, High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
You nailed my Top 5 as well.
Bon was the only one worthy of being their vocals. I'm not saying Brian isn't good but goddamn,you knew if bon was involved,it was a party. I've always said after bon passed,the band lost it's energy. Even Angus wasn't as hyped as what he once was.
Imagine if Bon was alive for the live at river plate concert in 2009. He had a whole runway to carry Angus on! Damn 😞
@@smokingthereefer92 I saw them in 1977, well before they became huge and I actually touched both when Bon was carrying Angus on his shoulders as he walked through the crowd. It was a very small venue and that's something I will never forget. I have watched that River Plate concert and Brian looks out place fronting AC/DC, never in a million years can he match Bon Scott.
@@jesuschambers Sadly,I was born in 92 so I missed all the good music. Had a mom that was born in 49 and a brother born in 65 so I grew up listening to all the good music but I wasn't there to experience the lifestyle of it. And yes Brian did look out of place but never in a million years would I figure they'd replace Brian with a crybaby get my way or else type of person like axl. That was just down right disgusting.
Wonderful...at last someone who has confirmed their favourite album as being 'Let There Be Rock' I assumed at the beginning of the video that Back In Black would be no.1 so a great surprise. LTBR was A/c D/c at their very best and, for me, they never came close thereafter to the brilliance of this album.
1. Let There Be rock
2. For those about to rock
3. Highway to hell
4. Powerage
5. Back in black
6. Fly On the wall
7. Flick of the switch
8. High voltage
9. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
10. Razors Edge
11. Ball breaker
12. Blow up your video
13. Black Ice
14. Power up
15. Stiff upper lip
16. Rock or bust
I think the "cock wagging" is part of why they have lasted. Putting on one of their albums is a return to adolescence and most of us became fans before we were all that mature. They were never the type of band to get sensitive and bring out an acoustic guitar, they were the antidote to "Poison" (either the band or the Alice Cooper song).
While other bands change/evolve/experiment, i was glad to hear AC/DC's new single last year on radio. I honestly thought it was some mid 90's AC/DC track that i hadn't heard before. Still the same meat & potatoes.
16.Rock or Bust
15. Black Ice
14. Fly on the Wall
13.Stiff Upper Lip
12. Flick of the Switch
11. Blow up your Video
10. The Razors Edge
9.Ballbreaker
8.Power Up
7.Let there be Rock
6.Powerage
5.High Voltage
4.FTABTR
3. DDDDC
2. Highway to Hell
1. BIB
Love Powerage and would call it my favorite. Let's remember that Let There Be Rock contained arguably their most impactful tunes Whole Lotta Rosie, LTBR,, Bad Boy Boogie, Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be plus Go Down, Overdose, and Dog Eat Dog.
Ha! I'm from western Sydney and ACCADACCA was holy, it was everywhere, and every panel van had them on constant rotation. To my shame, I never cared for them much until Blow Up Your Video came out. Heatseaker and That's The Way I Wanna Rock'n'Roll changed all of that. I'll always have a special place for the BUYV album.
Thank you for watching my video
Powerage is my favourite. Riff Raff, Sin City, Down Payment Blues... brilliant. I'm not happy that Blow Up Your Video is at the bottom of your list- I really enjoy that album, has a certain joyful energy throughout. Your comments on Flick of the Switch are interesting, I'm going to have to listen to it today with a new ear and open mind.
Very interesting video to hear your insight and opinion on the bands discography. I love the way you discuss the tracks and their meanings.
Let There Be Rock & Powerage are my 2 personal favorite AC/DC albums! Keith Richards has said that Powerage is his favorite album too. I love Bad Boy Boogie, Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be, Problem Child, What’s Next To The Moon 🌙?, Gone Shootin’, Sin City, Go Down, Whole Lotta Rosie, Overdose, Riff Raff, & Down Payment Blues! All Awesome Songs!!
Like the list, might have a few changed around a bit but we all like what we like for our own reasons. Powerage has been my number 1 for years. Love the driving bluesy riffs in this album and it's the first album I go to when getting my AC/DC fix.
Very interesting list. It would really be nitpicking to quibble with the order you put them in. I've always had a preference for the Bon Scott years. He was the epitome of a rock and roll front man.
While i dont agree entirely with your list but i have to say you said what you liked about each album and your dislikes most people would just say the mid to late 80s album suck and throw them away but you said what you liked about each of them very admirable
I try at best to respect people's personal favorites: it's interesting, but I haven't found anyone else to rank their albums the way I do, yet I liked them since 1980. I have almost all of their stuff, including live and boxset.
This is my rankings, least to favorite:
17. Rock Or Bust
16. Black Ice
15. Blow Up Your Video
14. Powerup
13. Fly On The Wall
12. For Those About To Rock
11. Highway To Hell
10. Flick Of The Switch
9. The Razor's Edge
8. Let There Be Rock
7. Stiff Upper Lip
6. Ballbreaker
5. '74 Jailbreak
4. Powerage
3. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2. Back In Black
1. High Voltage
this is my rank as for now, it might shift up or down a little from time to time.
A remix of Fly on the Wall would definitely bring it new fans!
It must be difficult to make such finely crafted lists and to find the words to express the degree of difference between each
I was so happy that our number 1 was the same, you have great taste my friend!
I pretty much agree with your list. Love your channel. Very precise and eloquent. Keep up the good work. My favourite AC/DC album is Dirty Deeds, though.
I'm very surprised because no one mentioned 74 'Jailbreak. It's an album with only five songs but what awesome songs. They all have a lot of energy and I can't stop listening to them. The rest of the list seemed very good with great descriptions.
because its not an album! it is a compilation, the song jailbreak was from dirty deeds and the rest was from high voltage only released in australia from 1974.
@@yowodup6094 Thank you very much for the information. I honestly did not know.still love it
@@juaniveloz3651 all good man! peace from Australia.
01] Highway To Hell (Touch Too Much, Walk All Over You, Night Prowler)
02] Back in Black (Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill)
03] Powerage ('What's Next to the Moon' favourite DC song, Rock 'n' Roll Damnation, Riff Raff)
04] Let There Be Rock (Let There Be Rock, Dog Eat Dog, Whole Lotta Rosie)
05] Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Problem Child, Ride On)
06] Flick of the Switch (Rising Power, Nervous Shakedown, Guns for Hire)
My top 5: 1. Powerage 2. Highway To Hell 3. Let There Be Rock 4. High Voltage 5. Dirty Deeds
Flick of the Switch is underrated.
So is Fly on the Wall
Great video.
The album High Voltage inspired a generation of guitarists due to the simplicity of the riffs. Guitar players of every style of music around today have cited this album as the one that made them want to play the instrument, calling out Malcolms rhythm style as a particular influence.
the high voltage you are talking about is a compilation of the album T.N.T. and high voltage 1975 only released in australia.
A well presented and defended list. Thank you.
1) Back In Black, 2) Highway To Hell, 3) High Voltage, 4) Powerage, 5) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 6) Let There Be Rock, 7) For Those About To Rock(We Salute You) 8) Fly On The Wall, 9) The Razors Edge
My favourite band. Dirty Deeds would be higher in it's Australian format. High Voltage would be lower in its Aussie format than I've placed the International version. Any of the top 4 could be #1.
1: Powerage
2: Highway to Hell
3: Back in Black
4: Let There Be Rock (International)... Prefer the Australian version.
5: High Voltage (International)
6: Flick of The Switch
7: Dirty Deeds (International)
8: For Those About To Rock
9: The Razor's Edge
10: Fly On The Wall..... Absolutely awful production and mixing. Very good to great songs though.
11: Black Ice
12: Stiff Upper Lip
13: Ballbreaker
14: Rock or Bust
15: Blow Up Your Video
I largely agree with your list and your comments on each of the songs. I differ on Bedlam in Belgium which I like. I would put Powerage over Back in Black.
It's hell to rank all the Bon Scott and the first two Brian Johnson albums! I love "Let There Be Rock" for its raw unpolished sound. Almost all the Vanda-Young produced albums were "live in the studio" albums because they did most of them quickly in one take with Bon and Angus' solos added. And yes Angus' amp caught on fire during "Let There Be Rock" around 5 minutes into the song while he was shredding his SG. Thankfully Vanda-Young didn't stop the tape while it happened.
I also think that fly on the wall is pretty decent too, honestly one of my favourites
It's just the production what kills it for me
I've always preferred the Bon Scott years but Back in Black was a fantastic album. A little Brian Johnson goes a long way w/ me.
any of their stuff is worth buying and listening to....highway to hell is not only their best but one of the best rock albums in history....every song is great..not a single weak track that you have to skip.phil rudd was in rare form. from the opening riff of highway to hell to the nanu nanu every second blows your face off.
Great review, Just a comment on Let There Be Rock. The original release in Australia had "Crabsody In Blue" on it (You can guess what it's about) It was replaced by Problem Child for the international release. I think Crabsody In Blue remains one their best songs. Cheers from Down Under
My LP of Let There Be Rock has Crabsody In Blue and it wasn’t an import - I bought for £2:99 in Millets when they sold records in the early 1980s - I’m now very old but it’s still one of my favourite records - my CD has Problem Child instead 🙁
Great list and excellent summary on all of these albums and we have very similar taste with Let there be rock at #1.
It must be said whether I or anyone else agrees with this list or not, my hat is off to you for taking on this impossible mission! Spot on observations and insight here.
Thanks
Classic Album Review What is your Favourite AC/DC song
@@melcurran5533 Live Wire, Shoot to Thrill, Overdose, Let There be Rock, Gimmee a Bullet, Kicked in the Teeth ... oh for Pete's sake!
1. Powerage Angus and Malcolm have both said it was their best, and most fans agree.
2. Let There Be Rock The title says it all, there's no better album to rock your ass off.
3. Dirty Deeds The first album of theirs I heard all the way through, and the album that made me a fan, so I put it higher than most.
4. Highway to Hell. Most people put it higher, but in my opinion Lange overproduced it.
5. Back in Black It's freakin' Back in Black...
6. Ballbreaker Hard blues rock, one of my favorites and very underrated in my opinion.
7. Flick of the Switch There's some filler on it, but the songs that rock, ROCK HARD.
8. TNT (Aus) It has rocker on it... ROCKER! ...and High Voltage... and... shit every song on that album is a classic, I even named my channel after one of them.
9. Black Ice and Rock or Bust I can't decide which one is better... some filler on both, but some of their best songs on both as well... Keep listening to ROB, it has to grow on you.
10. Fly on the Wall It's a bit overproduced in my opinion, but... Shake Your Foundations!
11. Blow Up Your Video Some like it, some don't, but it's got several great songs.
12. For Those About To Rock They tried to make another BIB... but there's only 1 BIB.
13. Razors Edge and Stiff Upper Lip. Razor is overrated, Lip is underrated, both good albums though.
14. High Voltage (Aus) A good first try, everyone who's heard it knows what's good and what's not so good... but hell, every band has to start somewhere.
AC/DC was one of my favorite bands back in my teenage years. The first song I ever heard was Riff Raff off the (live) If You Want Blood album. I really loved that album and it caused me to really dig into the band.
I like your picks and don't disagree too much with your choices. For me I would have to say Powerage is my number one, and I see many commenters here feel the same. It's hard to put things in an order for me. Like best guitarist, best drummer, best singer, best band and such. I really loved Powerage, Let There Be Rock, Highway To Hell, and Back In Black. Probably in that order if I had to put them in an order.
I remember when Bon died, and I wondered what would become of my favorite band. On the day Back In Black was released I was pulling in to the parking lot of my place of employment and the DJ on the radio said he had a new track from the new AC/DC album and he played the title track Back In Black. I was blown away. I knew that AC/DC would remain my favorite band for at least a little bit longer. No one could ever "replace" Bon but Brian was one hell of a great addition to the band. I'm pretty sure that I learned more AC/DC songs on my guitar than any other band!
Great analysis. Here are my rankings:
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
A bloke in a Motorhead t-shirt ranking AC/DC albums? Now this is my type of people!
16 - Black Ice
15 - Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
14 - Blow Up Your Video (1988)
13 - Rock Or Bust (2014)
12 - The Razor's Edge (1990)
11 - Ballbreaker (1995)
10 - Power Up (2000)
09 - Fly On The Wall (1985)
08 - Dirty Deeds (1981/U.S.)
07) - High Voltage (1976/U.S.)
06) - For Those About To Rock (1981)
05) - Flick Of The Switch (1983)
04) - Let There Be Rock (1977)
03 ) - Highway To Hell (1979)
02 ) - Powerage (1978)
01) - Back In Black (1980)
top 5:
1- Let there be rock
2- Highway to hell
3- Back in Black
4- Razor's Edge
5- Dirt deeds done dirt cheap (australian version ... you know, because of Jailbreak!)
Will you be reviewing Power Up? A major return to form, there's some stonecold AC/DC classics on there. Love it.
Agree 100%
He has.
I’d love to see this list done using the Australian versions of the first four albums. Just recently got my hands on them and really prefer those four to their three international counterparts.
there has been videos of the international ones but not the australian ones, which is quite sad.
great list...let there be rock is a monument in music....my list may have high voltage in the top spot, but there's no doubt about let there be rock....good on ya'....peace...rocky
Ballbreaker was my entryalbum, and still a top 3. Album for me
1.Powerage
2.Flick of the Switch
3. Fly on the Wall
4. TNT (the original second album)
5. FTATR
Just my opinion.
I am a huge ACDC fan and have been for many many years......but I may be the only person that also really enjoys Fly On The Wall and rank it much higher than any of the lists I've seen. I love it as well. The VHS was great. Fly On The Wall, Shake Your Foundations and SInk the Pink are all amazing ACDC tracks. The Fly On The Wall title track is a top 4 or 5 ACDC track for me. A remixed / remastered album would be amazing.
Razor's Edge is my #2 all-time personally with Let There Be Rock at my #1. The Title track of ACDC being my favorite track of all-time.
I would have Flick Of the Switch where you put Fly On The Wall. That is my least favorite pre-96 ACDC album. Even the cover of Flick Of The Switch looks lazy to me.
Hail Caesar on Ballbreaker is a great track.
I was glad to see you rank everything post Ballbreaker at the bottom...as good as ACDC is, there is a noticable decline post 96.....
Up to and including Back in Black, these first albums were genious and topnotch. Greatest rock band of all time
I thought this was a very thoughtful and well put together list....of course like any AC/DC fan I would make some changes to the rankings based on my overall love for their albums and how much I've listened to them over the years. I would put Powerage as #1, FTATR lower, Razors Edge much lower, Rock or Bust a little higher, Fly on the Wall much higher, Back in Black #2, Stiff Upper Lip at the Bottom, Ballbreaker a little higher, Flick of the Switch a little higher, BUYV at #12 maybe, Black Ice a little lower, Let There Be Rock #3, DDDDC much lower, Highway to Hell at #4, High Voltage is about right on your list, and their newest record Power Up somewhere higher up than the middle (I think its a great record and way better than Rock or Bust or Black Ice)/ Thats my personal taste, I'm sure its quite different then everyone else's but I don't really care.
Thank you for watching and commenting
Man, I really liked this video. Your insights and reasons for ranking the albums were interesting and I enjoyed the trivia and backstory about the albums. I was hoping for a better ranking for Black Ice-I know, I'm weird and wrong but I really don't understand why people don't like that album more, but your comment that it would have been a better album without a few of the filler songs on it was dead on. Give me an album with ten solid tracks, not an album with sixteen songs and only half of them are good.
I went to relistened to all of the albums, going by the songs I like on each album percentages, this is my personal list:
1. Powerage
2. Back in Black
3. Let There Be Rock
4. Black Ice
5. Highway to Hell
6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
7. Ballbreaker
8. Power Up
9. High Voltage
10. Stiff Upper Lip
11. Flick of the Switch
12. Blow up Your Video
13. For Those About to Rock
14. Fly on the Wall
15. Rock or Bust
16. The Razors Edge
Completely agree on the top 5. The bottom list would change the order but mostly I agree with your list.
Agree with your top four, although I would switch BIB and LTBR, depending on they day. I'd put Razors Edge top 5 at least, and SUL higher, but that's just me. I like Fly too, BTW.
So happy to see Let There Be Rock at number one. Its my fave my a mile, the title track and Whole lotta Rosie are desert island tracks.
I love how you put Let There Be Rock on top. I almost forgot about that one for my love of Powerage. These two are hard for me to rank, both are excellent. Highway comes third, followed by the rest of Bon's stuff. I can't really say which I like better between Back In Black and For Those About To Rock, but they lost me after that. Brian also has zero stage presence.
1. Highway To Hell
2. Back In Black
3. The Razor's Edge
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Everything else