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)
Rocker
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a roller
I'm a right out of controller
I'm a wheeler
I'm a dealer
I'm a wicked woman stealer
I'm a bruiser
I'm a cruiser
I've got slicked back hair
Skin tight jeans
Cadillac car
And a teenage dream
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
A rockin' rollin' man
Got little red socks
Blue suede shoes
V8 car
And tattoos
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
A rockin' rollin' man
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
A rockin' rollin' man
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
I'm a rocker
I'm a roller
A rockin' rollin' man
A rockin' rollin' man
Wanna drive honey, come on
I'll spin you around, yeah
Yeah I'm a rocker, I'm a roller
I'm a rocker look at me roll
The lyrics to AC/DC's "Rocker" are a celebration of a life devoted to rock and roll. The singer of the song is a self-proclaimed rocker who loves to roll, a person who lives life on his own terms and doesn't care much about what others think of him. He is the ultimate rebel, indulging in all the vices that come with the rock and roll lifestyle: he's a wheeler, a dealer, a bruiser, and a cruiser. He's got slicked back hair, skin-tight jeans, a Cadillac car, and a teenage dream. In short, he's the king of cool.
The song is an ode to the rock and roll lifestyle, and all of its excesses. The singer is a man who lives for the moment, indulging in everything he desires, without any thought for the consequences. His life is a celebration of rock and roll, and the freedom that it represents. The song is a call to all those who feel the same way, and who are willing to embrace the rock and roll lifestyle, with all of its risks and rewards.
In conclusion, AC/DC's "Rocker" is a classic tune that celebrates the excesses and freedom of the rock and roll lifestyle. The song's protagonist is a rebel who lives for the moment and doesn't care much about what others think of him. He's the king of cool, and he's here to celebrate a life devoted to rock and roll.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a rocker
I am a person who plays or performs rock music.
I'm a roller
I am a person who is constantly on the move and travels a lot.
I'm a right out of controller
I am someone who loves to take control of everything around me.
I'm a wheeler
I am a person who is constantly coming up with new ideas and ways of doing things.
I'm a dealer
I am someone who is always looking for new opportunities to make a profit.
I'm a wicked woman stealer
I have a tendency to attract and pursue women, even if they are already in a relationship.
I'm a bruiser
I am someone who is not afraid to get into physical altercations with others.
I'm a cruiser
I am someone who likes to move around and explore my surroundings.
I'm a rockin' rollin' man
I am someone who lives and breathes rock and roll music.
I've got slicked back hair
I style my hair by slicking it back and applying product to hold it in place.
Skin tight jeans
I wear very tight-fitting pants to show off my body and enhance the rock and roll look.
Cadillac car
I drive a Cadillac, which is a symbol of luxury and success.
And a teenage dream
I have aspirations and dreams that I developed when I was younger.
Got little red socks
I wear small, brightly-colored socks as a fun fashion statement.
Blue suede shoes
I wear stylish and iconic blue suede shoes to complete my rock and roll look.
V8 car
I drive a car with a V8 engine, which is a powerful and impressive vehicle.
And tattoos
I have inked designs on my skin as a form of self-expression and to showcase my love for rock and roll culture.
Wanna drive honey, c'mon
I am inviting someone to come with me for a ride in my car.
I'll spin you around, yeah
I will drive in a way that is fast and exciting to impress and entertain my passenger.
I'm a rocker look at me roll
I am proud of my rock and roll lifestyle and want others to see me living it to the fullest.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Angus Mckinnon Young, Malcolm Mitchell Young, Ronald Belford Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind