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, about seven months after the release of their breakthrough album Highway to Hell, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking. AC/DC considered disbanding, but at Scott's family's request, the remaining members opted to continue the band, 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 to the release of their next album, Flick of the Switch (1983), 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 their twelfth studio album The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only album to feature Slade, who was replaced by the returning Rudd in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with, and including, Ballbreaker (1995). 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 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 line-up 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 second-highest-selling album by any artist, and the highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 25 million units in the US, where it is the fourth highest-selling album of all time. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003. 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".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC
Discography
High Voltage (1975) (Australia only)
T.N.T. (1975) (Australia only)
High Voltage (1976) (international version)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
Flick of the Switch (1983)
Fly on the Wall (1985)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razors Edge (1990)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)
Rock or Bust (2014)
Power Up (2020)
Breaking the Rules
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hot feet in the cool of the shade
Street jungle in the tough-child 'hoods
Examinations done no good
Ghetto bars and hotwired cars
Sneak thieves and cheap cigars
No rebellion, not today
Right, okay
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Tough breaks in the neighborhood
A hard case who's up to no good
Living like trash, a society rash
Ready to break, and ready to dash
A bad deal and a real rough ride
And doing time on the other side
No rebellion, not today
I get my kicks in my own way
Right, okay
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Tough breaks
They got regulation ties
Regulation shoes
Those regulation fools
With their regulation rules
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready to rule
Just keep on breaking the rules (breaking the rules)
Get ready
Just keep on breaking the rules
Come on, get ready, get ready, get ready
Ready to rule
Oh, take off your ties
And your regulation shoes
You're nothing but a bunch of regulation fools, yeah
And your damn regulation rules
I'm gonna do things my own way
Every day, every day, every day in every way
I ain't gonna pay no attention to your rules
The lyrics of AC/DC's "Breaking the Rules" speak of rebellion against society's norms and regulations. The first verse describes a group of people who are often marginalized or seen as troublemakers - "black sheep" and "renegades". They have been dealt a tough hand in life and resort to breaking the law as a way to survive. However, they do not see themselves as part of any greater rebellion or movement. They simply want to live life on their own terms, free from the constraints of society's rules.
The chorus urges listeners to keep on breaking the rules and get ready to rule. The second verse similarly discusses tough breaks in the neighborhood and living like trash. The singer is ready to break away from society's expectations and relishes in doing things their own way. The final verse specifically calls out those who adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by society - the "regulation ties" and "regulation shoes" of "regulation fools". The singer refuses to follow these rules and instead chooses to live life according to their own standards.
Overall, the song is an anthem of rebellion and individuality. It speaks to those who feel outcast and downtrodden by society, urging them to break away and create their own path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Black sheep and a renegade
I'm a nonconformist who refuses to follow the norm.
Hot feet in the cool of the shade
I may be unconventional, but I know how to take it easy and enjoy life.
The street jungle and the tough childhoods
I come from a rough background and I've had to be tough to survive.
Examinations done no good
I don't need a formal education to make something of myself.
Got crow bars and hot wired cars
I'm resourceful and have the skills to make anything happen.
Sneak thieves and cheap cigars
I may be a bit of a troublemaker, but I have fun in my own way.
No rebellion, not today
I'm not trying to start a revolution or anything, I'm just doing my own thing.
I get my kicks in my own way, right OK
I may not be doing things the 'right' way, but it works for me and I'm happy with it.
Just keep on breaking the rules
I'll never conform to societal norms and expectations.
C'mon get ready to rule
I'm not just breaking the rules, I'm creating my own path and leading the way.
Tough breaks in the neighborhood
Growing up, life was hard and unforgiving where I come from.
A hard case who's up to no good
I may have a bit of a reputation, but it hasn't stopped me from succeeding.
Living like trash, a society rash
To others, I may seem like a societal outcast, but I'm comfortable in my own skin.
Ready to break and ready to dash
I'm always on the move, always looking for the next adventure.
A bad deal and a real rough ride
Life hasn't always been easy, but I've never let it get me down.
Ain't doing time on the other side
I refuse to let authority take control of my life and decisions.
They got the regulation ties, regulation shoes
Others may conform to societal expectations, but I refuse to do so.
Those regulation fools with their regulation rules
Societal norms and expectations are foolish to me.
Just keep on breaking the rules, breaking the rules
I'll keep on rebelling and living life on my own terms, no matter what.
Get ready
I'm not waiting for anyone else to lead, I'm taking charge myself.
Take off your ties and your regulation shoes
I urge others to break free from societal expectations and forge their own path.
You're nothing but a bunch of regulation fools, yeah
I don't have any respect for those who conform to society's norms and rules.
And your damn regulation rules
I refuse to let societal rules and expectations dictate my life choices.
I'm gonna do things my own way, everyday, everyday, everyday
I'll always go against the grain and live life by my own rules.
In every way, I ain't gonna pay no attention to your rules
I'll continue to rebel and reject societal norms and expectations, because that's just who I am.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Johnson, Angus Mckinnon Young, Malcolm Mitchell Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind