Angus Young of AC/DC isn’t one to dwell on regrets. Any man who confidently rocks a schoolboy uniform in front of thousands of fans night after night clearly doesn’t spend much time second-guessing his life choices. As the iconic guitarist of one of hard rock’s most enduring and influential bands, Young has helped shape Australian rock for decades, leading AC/DC to worldwide fame with their signature sound.
Consistency is AC/DC’s strength. When you go to one of their shows, you know exactly what you’re getting—huge riffs, booming choruses, and songs that make stadiums shake. Their formula is straightforward, but fans love it, and the band is comfortable sticking to it. While some might say they play it safe, they’ve perfected their sound over the years, making it instantly recognizable to millions.
But AC/DC wasn’t always the hard rock juggernaut we know today. In their early years, the band was still figuring out who they were, experimenting with their sound. Their debut album, High Voltage, stands as a testament to this period of growth. By their current standards, it’s a more experimental record, and one track in particular leaves Angus Young cringing to this day: “Love Song.”
“On our first album, High Voltage, we did a love song called ‘Love Song.’ That was very different for us,” Young explained in a 2017 interview with Vulture.
“I didn’t know if we were trying to parody love songs of the time because Bon [Scott, AC/DC’s lead vocalist] wrote the lyrics.” Young even confessed, “I don’t even remember what the words are,” a testament to how forgettable the track has become for the band.
To give you a sense of what “Love Song” was about, consider its last verse: “If you leave me you’ll make me cry, When I think of you saying goodbye, Oh the sky turns to a deeper blue, That’s – that’s how I’d feel if I lost you.” These sappy lines sound more like they belong in a teenager’s diary than on a record by a band known for their menacing rock anthems.
Young revealed that the song’s creation wasn’t entirely driven by artistic intent. It was more of a calculated move to get radio play. “The guy who worked for us at the record label told us that’s what was on local radio at the time – very soft music,” he recalled. “His thought was we should release that song because it’ll probably get some airplay. I remember thinking, ‘Who in their right mind would want this to go out?’”
Luckily for AC/DC, the radio stations knew better. Instead of playing “Love Song,” DJs flipped the record and started spinning the B-side, “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” a cover of a blues standard. That track became a hit, saving the band from the potential embarrassment of having their most uncharacteristic song represent them on the airwaves.
If “Love Song” had taken off, who knows what direction AC/DC’s career might have gone in? They might have leaned into softer ballads, and we could have been deprived of the hard rock anthems that made them legendary.
Thankfully, the band stayed true to their roots, embracing the hard-hitting sound that’s as identifiable as Angus Young’s schoolboy uniform and iconic duck walk across the stage. AC/DC never looked back at love songs again, and the rest is rock history.
