Angus Young’s favourite song by AC/DC

For the previous fifty years, AC/DC represented stadium rock. Every song they release has the goal of getting 50,000 people up and dancing, which is how they define their brand of music. Despite the seemingly straightforward goal, no other band in their genre has been as prolific and consistent as AC/DC.

AC/DC appeared to have tragically ended with the passing of Bon Scott. They later brought in Brian Johnson, who brought the band back to life. The band was an exception to the general rule that bands that lose their original singer eventually lose relevance. They put out their most commercially successful album, Back in Black, after Johnson joined the group. It has reportedly sold 50 million copies worldwide.

They had finally broken through into the mainstream before Scott’s tragic death. They have continued to enjoy widespread recognition ever since. Despite their struggles to replicate Back In Black’s extraordinary success during the 1980s, they maintained the momentum with a consistent run of albums full of powerful anthems.

It would be impossible to choose just one favorite song from Angus Young‘s illustrious career, given the 18 studio albums they have released. Of course, he has a few songs that he finds more meaningful than others in the band’s collection, and the guitarist thinks that two of those are their best works.

Young first responded by classifying his choices personally, choosing the 1978 song “Riff Raff” for its significance to him. Still, Angus Young declared “Thunderstruck” to be AC/DC’s best song overall. “The guitar work was a challenge but interesting in the way the song rolled out,” he told Vulture. Here’s my guitar response. Nevertheless, “Thunderstruck” is a significant song as a whole.

In the same interview, Angus Young disclosed the lengthy warm-up that must precede performing “Thunderstruck.” The reason why his song is so challenging to play live. The guitarist stated that he needs to “make sure my fingers are warmed up to take on that track by sitting down for an hour.” It is relentlessly intricate. I have to play it with confidence at all times.

Frontman Johnson says he knew “Thunderstruck” would be a hit from the minute it was recorded. And is just as enamored with the song as his bandmate. “Thunderstruck” was the one I could tell right away would be amazing. When you’re proficient at singing and you’re a singer… And this was the charge and start that I just heard Angus [Young, guitar] put on! In 2020, he stated in a radio interview, “And then, when we all went in together, ‘Oooh-ahh-ahh-aaa-aaaah,’ and there was more of that.”

“And then, with that middle part and sound and everything, I just went, ‘Oh, this is promising!'” the Newcastle native continued. Naturally, after considering everything that was accomplished, you were given the “Thunder”—it had everything!