Artist AC/DC

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AC/DC

Metal purists could argue that AC/DC was never the same without Bon Scott, who fronted the band in its '70s heyday, crowning his tenure with 1979’s touchstone Highway To Hell before dying, in the best rock tradition, in murky circumstances via alcohol poisoning. Of course, the tenure of Brian Johnson as vocalist was not exactly unsuccessful either; AC/DC is now one of the top-selling rock acts of all time. Last year's Black Ice may not be as strong asHighway To Hell (few albums are, by any band), but it's still a respectable entry in the group’s mammoth 35-years-spanning catalog, if pretty similar to all its predecessors: By now, AC/DC can crank out elaborate, adrenaline-filled riffs, piston-pumping beats, and caterwauling choruses more reliably than any American automaker.

Updated 10/28/2009