document_title: The Help (film)

question_text: what was in the pie in the movie the help

text: The Help (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1963, Aibileen Clark is an African-American maid in Jackson, Mississippi, and in intermittent voice overs she tells her "career" story to the aspiring writer Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a recent graduate of Ole Miss and a friend of Aibileen's employer and fellow socialite Elizabeth Leefolt. Aibileen cares for the Leefolt's daughter, whom Elizabeth neglects. Aibileen's best friend is the plain-spoken Minny Jackson, who works for Mrs. Walters, the mother of Hilly Holbrook, the leader of the women's socialite group.

text: Skeeter is uncomfortable with the attitudes of her socialite friends towards their maids. She is shocked when Hilly forwards a letter to the Home Sanitation Initiative to install separate bathrooms for the help. Skeeter later learns that her mother Charlotte fired her childhood maid Constantine for unknown reasons.

text: During a terrible storm, Minny refuses to go out to use the help's toilet and uses the guest's bathroom, resulting in getting fired by Hilly. Minny finds a job with Celia, wife of Johnny Foote--Hilly's former beau. The two become friends through Minny's cooking lessons. Minny comes upon Skeeter's visiting Aibileen and joins in the book project effort. Skeeter is advised by her book editor at Harper & Row, Elaine Stein, that the stories of two maids are not enough. Potential retribution from the maid's employers hinders others from joining the project. Aibileen tells Skeeter about the pain she experiences about her son being fatally crushed while on the job. After his death, Aibileen struggles to find closure and believes the book will help her find closure.

text: Hilly refuses to lend more money to her replacement maid, Yule May who is struggling to send her twin sons to college. One day, she discovers a discarded ring and pawns it. However, Yule May is brutally arrested after Hilly reported the theft. More maids come forward with their stories, believing the book would put an end to the brutality against African-Americans.

text: Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny fear that the maids' stories will be recognized. Minny reveals her "terrible awful” that she did to Hilly. Following her termination, Minny baked her renowned chocolate pie and gave it to Hilly. Minny, however, prevented Mrs. Walters from having a slice and revealed that she baked her excrement into the pie. Its inclusion in the book would prompt Hilly to crusade denial that the book is not about Jackson.

text: Skeeter confronts her mother Charlotte about Constantine's termination. Charlotte revels that during a lunch with the local chapter of the Daughters of America, Constantine's daughter Rachel arrived. Rachel disobeyed Charlotte's orders of entering through the kitchen and embarrassed her. In order to save face, Charlotte fires Constantine and orders them to leave. Shortly afterward, Rachel took Constantine to Chicago where she died later. Charlotte had every intention to bring Constantine back to Jackson.

text: The book is published anonymously, and it is a success. Minny reveals the "terrible awful" to Celia, who finally sees Hilly as manipulative and a bully. Celia lets on that she knows about the terrible awful by writing a check to one of Hilly's charity groups. Hilly attempts to intimidate Skeeter through threat of legal proceedings, but she reminds Hilly that "that" is in chapter 12. Charlotte lets on that she knows about the terrible awful and orders Hilly off the property. Charlotte and Skeeter reconcile when Charlotte tells her how proud she is about her courage, the book and the job offer in New York City.

text: Johnny tells Minny that it is not too difficult to know that there has been a change at the house, how appreciative he is about her friendship with Celia, how it saved her life, and that she has job security. This act gives Minny the courage to take her children away from her abusive husband.

text: In an attempt to seek revenge for helping Skeeter, Hilly pressures Elizabeth to terminate Aibileen, with Hilly present and trying to frame Aibileen for theft. But Aibileen stands up to Hilly, calling her a godless woman, always never at ease until she gets what she wants. Elizabeth orders Aibileen to leave. Aibileen bids farewell to Elizabeth's daughter and pleads with Elizabeth to give her daughter a chance. Aibileen reflects on the ordeal and finds closure. She looks to the future of becoming a writer.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark
Emma Stone as Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan
Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Walters Holbrook
Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson
Jessica Chastain as Celia Rae Foote
Allison Janney as Charlotte Phelan
Ahna O'Reilly as Elizabeth Leefolt
Chris Lowell as Stuart Whitworth
Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Walters
Cicely Tyson as Constantine Bates
Mike Vogel as Johnny Foote
Anna Camp as Jolene French
Brian Kerwin as Robert Phelan
Aunjanue Ellis as Yule May Davis
Ted Welch as William Holbrook
LaChanze as Rachel Bates
Mary Steenburgen as Elaine Stein
Leslie Jordan as Mr. Blackly
Wes Chatham as Carlton Phelan, Skeeter's brother.
David Oyelowo as Preacher Green
Dana Ivey as Grace Higginbotham
Ashley Johnson as Mary Beth Caldwell
Nelsan Ellis as Henry

text: Production[edit]

text: In December 2009, Variety reported that Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe would produce a film adaptation of The Help, under their production company 1492 Pictures. Brunson Green of Harbinger Productions also co-produced. The film was written and directed by Stockett's childhood friend, Tate Taylor, who optioned film rights to the book before its publication.[2] DreamWorks acquired the film rights to the novel in March 2010.[3] Reliance Entertainment and Participant Media co-produced the film.[4]

text: The first casting news for the production came in March 2010, was reported that Stone was attached to play the role of Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan.[5] Other actors were since cast, including Davis as Aibileen; Howard as Hilly Holbrook, Jackson's snooty town ringleader; Janney as Charlotte Phelan, Skeeter's mother; and Lowell as Stuart Whitworth, Skeeter's boyfriend and a senator's son.[6][7][8] Leslie Jordan appears as the editor of the fictional local newspaper, The Jackson Journal.[9] Mike Vogel plays the character Johnny Foote. Octavia Spencer portrays Minny. A longtime friend of Stockett and Taylor, Spencer inspired the character of Minny in Stockett's novel and voiced her in the audiobook version.[10][11]

text: Filming began in July 2010 and extended through October. The town of Greenwood, Mississippi, was chosen to portray 1960s-era Jackson, and producer Green said he had expected to shoot "95 percent" of the film there.[12] Parts of the film were also shot in the real-life Jackson, as well as in nearby Clarksdale and Greenville. One of the few locations that existed in 1963 Jackson, the book and the film is Jackson landmark Brent's Drugs, which dates to 1946. Other locations that can still be found in Jackson include the New Capitol Building and the Mayflower Cafe downtown. Scenes set at the Jackson Journal office were shot in Clarksdale at the building which formerly housed the Clarksdale Press Register for 40 years until April 2010.[13]

text: The Help was the most significant film production in Mississippi since O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)[14][15][16] "Honestly, my heart would be broken if it were set anywhere but Mississippi", Stockett wrote in an e-mail to reporters. In order to convince producers to shoot in Greenwood, Tate Taylor and others had previously come to the town and scouted out locations; at his first meeting with DreamWorks executives, he presented them with a photo album of potential filming spots in the area. The state's tax incentive program for filmmakers was also a key enticement in the decision.[14][15][16]

text: Release[edit]

text: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed The Help worldwide through the studio's Touchstone Pictures banner.[17] On October 13, 2010, Disney gave the film a release date of August 12, 2011. On June 30, 2011, the film's release date was rescheduled two days earlier to August 10, 2011.[18]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released by Touchstone Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and digital download on December 6, 2011. The release was produced in three different physical packages: a three-disc combo pack (Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy); a two-disc combo pack (Blu-ray and DVD); and a single-disc DVD. It was also released as a digital download option in both standard and high definition. The DVD version includes two deleted scenes and The Living Proof music video by Mary J. Blige. The digital download version includes the same features as the DVD version, plus one additional deleted scene. Both the two-disc and three-disc combo packs include the same features as the DVD version, as well as "The Making of 'The Help': From Friendship to Film", "In Their Own Words: A Tribute to the Maids of Mississippi", and three deleted scenes with introductions by director Taylor.[19][20][21]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The Help received mostly positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 75% of 208 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.1 out of 10. The site's consensus states, "Though arguably guilty of glossing over its racial themes, The Help rises on the strength of its cast—particularly Viola Davis, whose performance is powerful enough to carry the film on its own."[22] Metacritic, a review aggregator which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 62 based on 41 reviews.[23] CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was an "A+" on an A+ to F scale.[24]

text: Tom Long from The Detroit News remarked about the film: "Appealling, entertaining, touching and perhaps even a bit healing, The Help is an old-fashioned grand yarn of a film, the sort we rarely get these days."[25] Connie Ogle of The Miami Herald gave the film three out of four stars and said it "will make you laugh, yes, but it can also break your heart. In the dog days of August moviegoing, that's a powerful recommendation."[26]

text: A more mixed review from Karina Longworth of The Village Voice said: "We get a fairly typical Hollywood flattening of history, with powerful villains and disenfranchised heroes."[27] Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail, giving the film two out of four stars, said: "Typically, this sort of film is an earnest tear-jerker with moments of levity. Instead, what we have here is a raucous rib-tickler with occasional pauses for a little dramatic relief."[28] Referring to the film as a "big, ole slab of honey-glazed hokum", The New York Times noted that "save for Ms. Davis's, however, the performances are almost all overly broad, sometimes excruciatingly so, characterized by loud laughs, bugging eyes and pumping limbs."[29]

text: Some of the negative reviews criticized the film for its inability to match the quality of the book. Chris Hewitt of the St. Paul Pioneer Press said about the film: "Some adaptations find a fresh, cinematic way to convey a book's spirit but The Help doesn't."[30]

text: Many critics praised the performances of Davis and Spencer. Wilson Morales of Blackfilm.com gave the movie three out of four stars and commented, "With powerful performances given by Viola Davis and scene stealer Octavia Spencer, the film is an emotionally moving drama that remains highly entertaining."[31] David Edelstein from New York magazine commented that, "The Help belongs to Viola Davis."[32]

text: Ida E. Jones, the national director of the Association of Black Women Historians, released an open statement criticizing the film, stating "[d]espite efforts to market the book and the film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the experiences of black domestic workers." The ABWH accused both the book and the film of insensitive portrayals of African-American vernacular, a nearly uniform depiction of black men as cruel or absent, and a failure to acknowledge the sexual harassment that many black women endured in their white employers' homes. Jones concluded by saying that "The Association of Black Women Historians finds it unacceptable for either this book or this film to strip black women's lives of historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment."[33]

text: Roxane Gay of literary web magazine The Rumpus argues the film might be offensive to African Americans, saying the film uses racial Hollywood tropes like the Magical Negro character.[34] In 2014, the movie was one of several discussed by Keli Goff in The Daily Beast in an article concerning white savior narratives in film.[35]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Help earned $169,708,112 in North America and $46,931,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $216,639,112.[1]

text: In North America, on its opening day (Wednesday, August 10, 2011), it topped the box office with $5.54 million. It then added $4.33 million on Thursday, declining only 21 percent, a two-day total to $9.87 million.[36] On its first weekend, the film grossed $26.0 million, coming in second place behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes.[37] However, during its second weekend, the film jumped to first place with $20.0 million, declining only 23 percent, the smallest drop among films playing nationwide.[38] The film crossed the $100 million mark on its 21st day of release, becoming one of only two titles in August 2011 that achieved this.[39] On its fourth weekend (Labor Day three-day weekend), it became the first film since Inception (2010), to top the box-office charts for three consecutive weekends.[40][41] Its four-day weekend haul of $19.9 million[42] was the fourth largest for a Labor-day weekend.[43] Notably, The Help topped the box office for 25 days in a row. This was the longest uninterrupted streak since The Sixth Sense (35 days), which was also a late summer release, in 1999.[44]

text: To promote the film, TakePart.com hosted a series of three writing contests.[45] Rebecca Lubin, of Mill Valley, California, who has been a nanny for nearly two decades won the recipe contest. Darcy Pattison's "11 Ways to Ruin a Photograph" won "The Help" Children's Story Contest with her story about a tenacious young girl who refuses to take a good photograph while her father is away "soldiering". After being chosen by guest judge and children's-book author Lou Berger, the story was professionally illustrated.[46] The final contest was about "someone who inspired you". Genoveva Islas-Hooker charmed guest judge Doc Hendley (founder of Wine to Water) with her story, A Heroine Named Confidential. A case manager for patients with HIV, Islas-Hooker was consistently inspired by one special individual who never gave up the fight to live.

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Help: Music from the Motion Picture

Soundtrack album by Various artists

Released
July 26, 2011

Genre
Blues, soul, rhythm and blues, rock and roll

Label
Geffen

Singles from The Help

"The Living Proof"
Released: August 16, 2011

text: The original song is "The Living Proof" by Mary J. Blige.[47] The soundtrack was released on July 26, 2011, through Geffen Records.[48]

text:
Track listing

No.
Title
Performers
Length

1.
"The Living Proof"
Mary J. Blige
5:57

2.
"Jackson"
Johnny Cash and June Carter
5:28

3.
"Sherry"
Frankie Valli
5:35

4.
"I Ain't Never"
Webb Pierce
1:56

5.
"Victory Is Mine"
Dorothy Norwood
3:47

6.
"Road Runner"
Bo Diddley
2:48

7.
"Hallelujah I Love Her So"
Ray Charles
2:35

8.
"The Wah-Watusi"
The Orlons
2:32

9.
"Personality"
Lloyd Price
10:29

10.
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
Bob Dylan
3:38

11.
"Let's Twist Again"
Chubby Checker
2:19

12.
"Don't Knock"
Mavis Staples
2:30

text: Score[edit]

text:
The Help: Original Motion Picture Score

Soundtrack album by Thomas Newman

Released
September 13, 2011

Length
59:34

Label
Varese Sarabande

text: The film's score was composed and conducted by Thomas Newman; Varese Sarabande released a score album on September 13, 2011.

text:
Track listing

No.
Title
Length

1.
"Aibilene"
3:07

2.
"Them Fools"
2:50

3.
"Upside-Down Cake"
1:22

4.
"Mississippi"
3:50

5.
"Heart Palpitations"
1:43

6.
"The Help"
2:19

7.
"Jim Crow"
1:45

8.
"Skeeter"
1:03

9.
"Miss Hilly"
1:14

10.
"Write That Down"
1:38

11.
"Bottom Of The List"
3:23

12.
"Deviled Eggs"
2:03

13.
"First White Baby"
2:00

14.
"Celia Digs"
2:06

15.
"November 22"
1:12

16.
"Not To Die"
1:28

17.
"My Son"
2:51

18.
"Trash On The Road"
1:37

19.
"The Terrible Awful"
2:57

20.
"Constantine"
4:09

21.
"Gripping Testimonials"
1:32

22.
"Sugar"
1:50

23.
"Amen"
3:06

24.
"Mile High Meringue"
2:00

25.
"Ain't You Tired (End Title)"
6:29


document_title: Black Tot Day

question_text: when did the royal navy stop issuing rum

root

text: Black Tot Day

text: Black Tot Day (31 July 1970) is the name given to the last day on which the Royal Navy issued sailors with a daily rum ration (the daily tot).

tag: p

text: In the 17th century, the daily drink ration for English sailors was a gallon of beer. Due to the difficulty in storing the large quantities of liquid that this required, in 1655 a half pint of rum was made equivalent and became preferred to beer. Over time, drunkenness on board naval vessels increasingly became a problem and the ration was formalised in naval regulations by Admiral Edward Vernon in 1740 and ordered to be mixed with water in a 4:1 water to rum ratio and split into two servings per day.[1]

text: In the 19th century, there was a change in the attitude towards alcohol due to continued discipline problems in the navy. In 1824 the size of the tot was halved to a quarter pint in an effort to improve the situation. In 1850, the Admiralty's Grog Committee, convened to look into the issues surrounding the rum ration, recommended that it be eliminated completely. However, rather than ending it the navy further halved it to an eighth of a pint per day, eliminating the evening serving of the ration.[2] This led to the ending of the ration for officers in 1881 and warrant officers in 1918.[citation needed]

text: On 17 December 1969 the Admiralty Board issued a written answer to a question from the MP for Woolwich East, Christopher Mayhew, saying "The Admiralty Board concludes that the rum issue is no longer compatible with the high standards of efficiency required now that the individual's tasks in ships are concerned with complex, and often delicate, machinery and systems on the correct functioning of which people's lives may depend". This led to a debate in the House of Commons on the evening of 28 January 1970, now referred to as the 'Great Rum Debate', started by James Wellbeloved, MP for Erith and Crayford, who believed that the ration should not be removed. The debate lasted an hour and 15 minutes and closed at 10:29pm with a decision that the rum ration was no longer appropriate.[3]

text: 31 July 1970 was the final day of the rum ration[4] and it was poured as usual at 6 bells in the forenoon watch (11am) after the pipe of 'up spirits'. Some sailors wore black armbands, tots were 'buried at sea' and in one navy training camp, HMS Collingwood, the Royal Naval Electrical College at Fareham in Hampshire, there was a mock funeral procession complete with black coffin and accompanying drummers and piper.[5] The move was not popular with the ratings despite an extra can of beer being added to the daily rations in compensation.[6]

text: A special stamp was issued, available from Portsmouth General Post Office, with the slogan "Last Issue of Rum to the Royal Navy 31 July 1970".[7]

text: Black Tot Day was subsequently followed in two other Commonwealth navies (the Royal Australian Navy having already discontinued the rum ration, in 1921): (i) 31 March 1972 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal Canadian Navy; and (ii) 28 February 1990 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal New Zealand Navy[8].


document_title: List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the United States

question_text: british ambassador to the us from 1961 to 65

text: Duties[edit]

text: The position of ambassador to the United States is considered to be one of the most important posts in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service, along with those of Permanent Representative to the European Union and Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

text: The ambassador's main duty is to present British policies to the American government and people, and to report American policies and views to the Government of the United Kingdom. He serves as the primary channel of communication between the two nations, and plays an important role in treaty negotiations.

text: The ambassador is the head of the United Kingdom's consular service in the United States. As well as directing diplomatic activity in support of trade, he is ultimately responsible for visa services and for the provision of consular support to British citizens in America. He also oversees cultural relations between the two countries.

text: History[edit]

text: The first British envoy to the United States was Sir John Temple, who was appointed Consul General in 1785 and was based in New York at the estate at Richmond Hill (Manhattan) which served previously as a headquarters for George Washington.[1]

text: George Hammond was appointed on 5 July 1791. He held the title of Minister in Washington or Minister to the United States of America.

text: In 1809, David Erskine and President James Madison negotiated a compromise to Anglo-American disputes over shipping in the Atlantic, which might have averted the War of 1812. However, the deal was rejected by King George III and the British Government recalled Erskine.

text: By the 1850s, the envoy's title was Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, and the United Kingdom had consulates in several American cities. Under the direction of Sir John Crampton in 1854 and 1855, British consuls attempted to enlist American volunteers to fight in the Crimean War. The American government strenuously objected, and President Franklin Pierce asked for Crampton to be recalled. The United Kingdom refused and, in May 1856, the American government dismissed Crampton, along with the United Kingdom's consuls in New York, Philadelphia and Cincinnati. After much negotiation, the United Kingdom was allowed to re-establish its Legation in Washington the following year, and Lord Napier became the new minister.

text: In 1893, the British diplomatic mission in Washington was raised from a Legation to an Embassy, and Sir Julian Pauncefote, Minister since 1889, was appointed as the United Kingdom's first ambassador to the United States, with the title Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States.

text: The role was offered to three former Prime Ministers: the Earl of Rosebery, David Lloyd George and Sir Edward Heath, all of whom declined.[2]

text: Heads of mission[edit]

text: Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary (1791–1893)[edit]

text:
1791–1795: George Hammond
1796–1800: Sir Robert Liston[3]
1803–1806: Anthony Merry[4]
1807–1809: Hon. David Erskine[5]
1809–1811: Francis Jackson[6]
1811–1812: Sir Augustus Foster
1812–1815: No representation due to the War of 1812
1815–1820: Hon. Sir Charles Bagot[7]
1820–1824: Stratford Canning[8]
1825–1835: Sir Charles Vaughan[9]
1835–1843: Sir Henry Fox[10]
1843–1847: Richard Pakenham[11]
1849–1852: Sir Henry Bulwer[12]
1852–1856: Sir John Crampton, Bt[13]
1857–1858: Lord Napier[14]
1858–1865: Lord Lyons[15]
1865–1867: Sir Frederick Bruce[16]
1867–1881: Sir Edward Thornton[17]
1881–1888: Hon. Lionel Sackville-West[18]
1889–1893: Sir Julian Pauncefote[19]

tag: ul

text: Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary (from 1893)[edit]

text:
1893–1902: Sir Julian Pauncefote (Lord Pauncefote from 1899)
1902–1903: Hon. Sir Michael Herbert[20]
1903–1906: Sir Mortimer Durand[21]
1907–1913: James Bryce[22]
1913–1918: Sir Cecil Spring Rice[23]
1918–1919: The Earl of Reading
1919–1920: Viscount Grey of Fallodon
1920–1924: Sir Auckland Geddes
1924–1930: Sir Esme Howard[24]
1930–1939: Sir Ronald Lindsay[25]
1939–1940: The Marquess of Lothian
1940–1946: Viscount Halifax
1946–1948: Lord Inverchapel[26]
1948–1952: Sir Oliver Franks
1953–1956: Sir Roger Makins[27]
1956–1961: Sir Harold Caccia[28]
1961–1965: Hon. Sir David Ormsby-Gore[29]
1965–1969: Sir Patrick Dean[30]
1969–1971: Rt. Hon. John Freeman[31]
1971–1974: The Earl of Cromer[32]
1974–1977: Hon. Sir Peter Ramsbotham[33]
1977–1979: Hon. Peter Jay[34]
1979–1982: Sir Nicholas Henderson[35]
1982–1986: Sir Oliver Wright
1986–1991: Sir Antony Acland[36]
1991–1995: Sir Robin Renwick
1995–1997: Sir John Kerr
1997–2003: Sir Christopher Meyer
2003–2007: Sir David Manning
2007–2012: Sir Nigel Sheinwald[37]
2012–2016: Sir Peter Westmacott[38]
2016–present[update]: Sir Kim Darroch

text: Ambassadors in fiction[edit]

text:
Sir Everard Everett, in Wodehouse's Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit
Lord John Marbury, in NBC's The West Wing.
Sir Mark Brydon, in the BBC's The State Within.
Lord Standish, in the film Sherlock Holmes


document_title: NFC Championship Game

question_text: when was the last time the eagles went to the nfc championship

text: NFC Championship Game

text: History[edit]

text: The first NFC Championship Game was played following the 1970 regular season after the merger between the NFL and the American Football League. The game is considered the successor to the original NFL Championship, and its game results are listed with that of its predecessor in the annual NFL Record and Fact Book.[1] Since the pre-merger NFL consisted of six more teams than the AFL, a realignment was done as part of the merger to create two conferences with an equal number of teams: The NFL's Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers joined the ten former AFL teams to form the AFC; while the remaining 13 pre-merger NFL clubs formed the NFC.

text: Every NFC team has played in an NFC Championship at least once. The Seattle Seahawks, who have been members in both the AFC and the NFC, hold the distinction of appearing in both conference title games. Only the Detroit Lions have yet to win an NFC Championship Game.

text: Playoff structure[edit]

text: At the end of each regular season, a series of playoff games involving the top six teams in the NFC are conducted. In the current (since 2002–03 season) NFL playoff structure, this consists of the four division champions and two wild card teams (those clubs that possess the two best won-loss records after the regular season yet fail to win their division). The two teams remaining following the Wild Card round (first round) and the divisional round (second round) play in the NFC Championship game.

text: Initially, the site of the game was determined on a rotating basis. Since the 1975–76 season, the site of the NFC Championship has been based on playoff seeding based on the regular season won-loss record, with the highest surviving seed hosting the game. A wild card team can only host the game if both participants are wild cards, in which case the fifth seed would host the sixth seed. Such an instance has never occurred in the NFL.

text: George Halas Trophy[edit]

text: Beginning with 1984-85 season, the winner of the NFC Championship Game has received the George Halas Trophy, named after the longtime owner and coach of the Chicago Bears, a charter member of the NFL. The original design consisted of a wooden base with a sculpted NFC logo in the front and a sculpture of various football players in the back.

text: It, and the Lamar Hunt Trophy that is awarded to the AFC champion, were redesigned for the 2010–11 NFL playoffs by Tiffany & Co. at the request of the NFL in an attempt to make both awards more significant.[2] The trophies are now a new, silver design with the outline of a hollow football positioned on a small base to more closely resemble the Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl.[3]

text: The George Halas Trophy should not be confused with the Newspaper Enterprise Association's George S. Halas Trophy which was awarded to the NFL's defensive player of the year from 1966 to 1996 or the Pro Football Writers Association's George S. Halas Courage Award.

text: List of NFC Championship Games[edit]

text:
Season
Playoffs
Winning team
Score
Losing team
Score
Location
Stadium

1970
1970–71
Dallas Cowboys (1)
17
San Francisco 49ers
10
San Francisco, California
Kezar Stadium[4]

1971
1971–72
Dallas Cowboys (2)
14
San Francisco 49ers
3
Irving, Texas
Texas Stadium

1972
1972–73
Washington Redskins (1)
26
Dallas Cowboys
3
Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium[5]

1973
1973–74
Minnesota Vikings (1)
27
Dallas Cowboys
10
Irving, Texas (2)
Texas Stadium (2)

1974
1974–75
Minnesota Vikings (2)
14
Los Angeles Rams
10
Bloomington, Minnesota
Metropolitan Stadium

1975
1975–76
Dallas Cowboys (3)
37
Los Angeles Rams
7
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum[6]

1976
1976–77
Minnesota Vikings (3)
24
Los Angeles Rams
13
Bloomington, Minnesota (2)
Metropolitan Stadium (2)

1977
1977–78
Dallas Cowboys (4)
23
Minnesota Vikings
6
Irving, Texas (3)
Texas Stadium (3)

1978
1978–79
Dallas Cowboys (5)
28
Los Angeles Rams
0
Los Angeles, California (2)
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2)

1979
1979–80
Los Angeles Rams (1)
9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
0
Tampa, Florida
Tampa Stadium

1980
1980–81
Philadelphia Eagles (1)
20
Dallas Cowboys
7
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Veterans Stadium

1981
1981–82
San Francisco 49ers (1)
28
Dallas Cowboys
27
San Francisco, California (2)
Candlestick Park

1982
1982–83 [7]
Washington Redskins (2)
31
Dallas Cowboys
17
Washington, D.C. (2)
RFK Stadium (2)

1983
1983–84
Washington Redskins (3)
24
San Francisco 49ers
21
Washington, D.C. (3)
RFK Stadium (3)

1984
1984–85
San Francisco 49ers (2)
23
Chicago Bears
0
San Francisco, California (3)
Candlestick Park (2)

1985
1985–86
Chicago Bears (1)
24
Los Angeles Rams
0
Chicago, Illinois
Soldier Field

1986
1986–87
New York Giants (1)
17
Washington Redskins
0
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Giants Stadium

1987
1987–88
Washington Redskins (4)
17
Minnesota Vikings
10
Washington, D.C. (4)
RFK Stadium (4)

1988
1988–89
San Francisco 49ers (3)
28
Chicago Bears
3
Chicago, Illinois (2)
Soldier Field (2)

1989
1989–90
San Francisco 49ers (4)
30
Los Angeles Rams
3
San Francisco, California (4)
Candlestick Park (3)

1990
1990–91
New York Giants (2)
15
San Francisco 49ers
13
San Francisco, California (5)
Candlestick Park (4)

1991
1991–92
Washington Redskins (5)
41
Detroit Lions
10
Washington, D.C. (5)
RFK Stadium (5)

1992
1992–93
Dallas Cowboys (6)
30
San Francisco 49ers
20
San Francisco, California (6)
Candlestick Park (5)

1993
1993–94
Dallas Cowboys (7)
38
San Francisco 49ers
21
Irving, Texas (4)
Texas Stadium (4)

1994
1994–95
San Francisco 49ers (5)
38
Dallas Cowboys
28
San Francisco, California (7)
Candlestick Park (6)

1995
1995–96
Dallas Cowboys (8)
38
Green Bay Packers
27
Irving, Texas (5)
Texas Stadium (5)

1996
1996–97
Green Bay Packers (1)
30
Carolina Panthers
13
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Lambeau Field

1997
1997–98
Green Bay Packers (2)
23
San Francisco 49ers
10
San Francisco, California (8)
3Com Park (7)

1998
1998–99
Atlanta Falcons (1)
30a[›]
Minnesota Vikings
27
Minneapolis, Minnesota (3)
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

1999
1999–00
St. Louis Rams (2)
11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6
St. Louis, Missouri
Trans World Dome

2000
2000–01
New York Giants (3)
41
Minnesota Vikings
0
East Rutherford, New Jersey (2)
Giants Stadium (2)

2001
2001–02
St. Louis Rams (3)
29
Philadelphia Eagles
24
St. Louis, Missouri (2)
Edward Jones Dome (2)

2002
2002–03
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
27
Philadelphia Eagles
10
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2)
Veterans Stadium (2)

2003
2003–04
Carolina Panthers (1)
14
Philadelphia Eagles
3
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3)
Lincoln Financial Field

2004
2004–05
Philadelphia Eagles (2)
27
Atlanta Falcons
10
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4)
Lincoln Financial Field (2)

2005
2005–06
Seattle Seahawks (1)
34
Carolina Panthers
14
Seattle, Washington
Qwest Field

2006
2006–07
Chicago Bears (2)
39
New Orleans Saints
14
Chicago, Illinois (3)
Soldier Field (3)

2007
2007–08
New York Giants (4)
23a[›]
Green Bay Packers
20
Green Bay, Wisconsin (2)
Lambeau Field (2)

2008
2008–09
Arizona Cardinals (1)
32
Philadelphia Eagles
25
Glendale, Arizona
University of Phoenix Stadium

2009
2009–10
New Orleans Saints (1)
31a[›]
Minnesota Vikings
28
New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana Superdome

2010
2010–11
Green Bay Packers (3)
21
Chicago Bears
14
Chicago, Illinois (4)
Soldier Field (4)

2011
2011–12
New York Giants (5)
20a[›]
San Francisco 49ers
17
San Francisco, California (9)
Candlestick Park (8)

2012
2012–13
San Francisco 49ers (6)
28
Atlanta Falcons
24
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia Dome

2013
2013–14
Seattle Seahawks (2)
23
San Francisco 49ers
17
Seattle, Washington (2)
CenturyLink Field (2)

2014
2014–15
Seattle Seahawks (3)
28a[›]
Green Bay Packers
22
Seattle, Washington (3)
CenturyLink Field (3)

2015
2015–16
Carolina Panthers (2)
49
Arizona Cardinals
15
Charlotte, North Carolina
Bank of America Stadium

2016
2016–17
Atlanta Falcons (2)
44
Green Bay Packers
21
Atlanta, Georgia (2)
Georgia Dome (2)

2017
2017–18
Philadelphia Eagles (3)
38
Minnesota Vikings
7
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5)
Lincoln Financial Field (3)

tag: table

text: ^ a: Overtime

text: Appearances 1970–present[edit]

text:
Num
Team
W
L
PCT
PF
PA
Last appearance
Last championship
Home games
Home wins
Home losses
Home Win Pct.
Away games
Away wins
Away losses
Away Win Pct.

14
Dallas Cowboys
8
6
.571
317
264
1995
1995
5
4
1
.800
9
4
5
.444

15
San Francisco 49ers
6
9
.400
307
289
2013
2012
9
4
5
.444
6
2
4
.333

6
Washington Redskins
5
1
.833
139
78
1991
1991
5
5
0
1.000
1
0
1
.000

5
New York Giants
5
0
1.000
116
50
2011
2011
2
2
0
1.000
3
3
0
1.000

9
Los Angeles/St. Louis Ramsb[›]
3
6
.333
82
187
2001
2001
4
2
2
.500
5
1
4
.200

9
Minnesota Vikings
3
6
.333
136
175
2017
1976
3
2
1
.667
6
1
5
.200

7
Green Bay Packers
3
4
.429
143
126
2016
2010
2
1
1
.500
5
2
3
.400

7
Philadelphia Eagles
3
4
.429
109
119
2017
2017
5
3
2
.600
2
0
2
.000

3
Seattle Seahawksc[›]
3
0
1.000
85
53
2014
2014
3
3
0
1.000
0
0
0
-6 !—–

5
Chicago Bears
2
3
.400
80
86
2010
2006
4
2
2
.500
1
0
1
.000

4
Atlanta Falcons
2
2
.500
108
103
2016
2016
2
1
1
.500
2
1
1
.500

4
Carolina Panthers
2
2
.500
90
82
2015
2015
1
1
0
1.000
3
1
2
.333

3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1
2
.333
33
30
2002
2002
1
0
1
.000
2
1
1
.500

2
New Orleans Saints
1
1
.500
45
67
2009
2009
1
1
0
1.000
1
0
1
.000

2
Arizona Cardinals
1
1
.500
47
74
2015
2008
1
1
0
1.000
1
0
1
.000

1
Detroit Lions
0
1
.000
10
41
1991
N/A
0
0
0
-7 !—–
1
0
1
.000

text: ^ b: Includes appearances during their first tenure in Los Angeles (the 1970 merger to 1994), where they went 1–6 in NFC Championship Games; and their period as the St. Louis Rams (1995–2015), where they went 2–0 in NFC Championship Games.

text: ^ c: The Seahawks were members of the NFC in 1976 and then members of the AFC from 1977–2001, before rejoining the NFC in 2002. Including their only appearance in the AFC Championship Game (0–1), they hold a combined 3–1 record between both Conference Championship Games.

text: NFC Championship Game records[edit]

text:
Most victories: 8 – Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1975, 1977–1978, 1992–1993, 1995)
Most losses: 9** – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1983, 1990, 1992–1993, 1997, 2011, 2013)
Most appearances: 15 – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1983–1984, 1988–1990, 1992–1994, 1997, 2011–2013)
Most consecutive appearances: 4 (tie, 2 teams, 3 times)

Dallas Cowboys (1970–1973, 1992–1995)
Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2004)

Most consecutive victories: 2 – (tie, 6 teams, 8 times)

Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1977–1978, 1992–1993)
Minnesota Vikings (1973–1974)
Washington Redskins (1982–1983)
San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989)
Green Bay Packers (1996–1997)
Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014)

Most victories without a loss: 5** – New York Giants (1986, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011)
Most appearances without a win: 1 – Detroit Lions (1991)
Most consecutive losses without a win: 6 – Minnesota Vikings (1977, 1987, 1998, 2000, 2009, 2017)
Most defensive shutouts: 2**; – New York Giants (Jan 11, 1987, 17–0 vs Redskins and Jan 14, 2001, 41–0 vs Vikings)
Most times shut out: 2**; – Los Angeles Rams (Jan 7, 1979, 0–28 vs Cowboys and Jan 12, 1986, 0–24 vs Bears)
Most consecutive losses: 3* – (tie, 3 times)

Los Angeles Rams (1974–1976)
Dallas Cowboys (1980–1982)
Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2003)

Most games hosted: 9 – San Francisco 49ers (1970, 1981, 1984, 1989–1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2011)
Most numerous matchup: 6** – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1992–1994)
Most points scored: 49 points – January 24, 2016 – Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals (2015)
Largest margin of victory: 41 points – January 14, 2001 (2000), New York Giants (41) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0)
Closest margin of victory: 1 point – San Francisco 49ers (28) vs. Dallas Cowboys (27), 1981 NFC Championship Game**
Fewest points scored, winning team: 9**[›]; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fewest points scored: 0*; (tie, 5 teams, 6 times)

Los Angeles Rams 0 vs Dallas Cowboys 28 January 7, 1979
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 vs Los Angeles Rams 9 January 6, 1980
Chicago Bears 0 vs San Francisco 49ers 23 January 6, 1985
Los Angeles Rams 0 vs Chicago Bears 24 January 12, 1986
Washington Redskins 0 vs New York Giants 17 January 11, 1987
Minnesota Vikings 0 vs New York Giants 41 January 14, 2001

Most points scored, losing team: 28 (tie); January 15, 1995 (1994) – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers, January 24, 2010 (2009) – Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Most combined points scored: 66; January 15, 1995 (1994) – San Francisco 49ers (38) vs. Dallas Cowboys (28)
Fewest combined points scored: 9**; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams (9) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0)
Longest game: 71 minutes, 52 seconds**; January 17, 1999 (1998) – Atlanta Falcons (30) @ Minnesota Vikings (27), OT
Most NFC Championships won in overtime: 2** – New York Giants (2007, 2011)
Most NFC Championships lost in overtime: 2* (tie) – Green Bay Packers (2007, 2014) Minnesota Vikings (1998, 2009)
Current teams which have never won an NFC Championship:

Detroit Lions (0–1)***

Longest drought without appearing in an NFC Championship Game: 26 years

Detroit Lions (last appearance – 1991)
Washington Redskins (last appearance – 1991)

Longest drought without an NFC Championship: 48 years***; Detroit Lions
Largest comeback: 17 points (trailed 17–0; won 28–24), San Francisco 49ers, 2012
Overtime games:

1998 Atlanta Falcons 30 Minnesota Vikings 27
2007 New York Giants 23 Green Bay Packers 20
2009 New Orleans Saints 31 Minnesota Vikings 28
2011 New York Giants 20 San Francisco 49ers 17
2014 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22

text: Notes:

text:
*Tied for Conference Championship record
^ **: Conference Championship record
^ ***: Lions most recently won the NFL Championship in 1957 – pre-Super Bowl era

text: TV ratings[edit]

text:
2006: 35.233 million viewers; Post Gun: 24.641 million; Post Game: 15.279 million
2007: million viewers; Post Game: million [1] [2]
2008: million viewers; Post Game: million [3]
2009: million viewers; Post Game: 23.83 million (10:27pm–11:02pm) [4]
2010: 57.9 million viewers [5]
2011: 51.9 million viewers;
2012: 57.6 million viewers [6]; Post Game: million [7]
2013: 42.0 million viewers; Post Game: million [8]
2014: 55.91 million viewers(peak: 66.3 million viewers); (6:42-9:59pm); Post Game (9:55-9:59pm): 44.903 million [9]; The OT (9:59-10:19pm): 30.339 million viewers [10] [11] [12]
2015: 49.8 million viewers (peak: 60.5 million viewers); The OT: 16.280 million viewers (6:40-7:06pm)[13]


document_title: AC/DC

question_text: who was the first lead singer for ac dc

question_tokens: who was the first lead singer for ac dc

text: AC/DC

text: History[edit]

text: Background and name[edit]

text: Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney with most of their family in 1963. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of The Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful bands of the 1960s. In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song "Friday on My Mind".[19] Malcolm followed in George's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York-based Velvet Underground).[20] Their older brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests. In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London-based band Grapefruit—initially called "The Grapefruit"—with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham.

text: Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine. "AC/DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current/direct current" electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power-driven performances of their music.[21][22] "AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia.[23][24] The AC/DC band name is stylised with a high voltage sign separating the "AC" and "DC" and has been used on all studio albums, with the exception of the international version of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.[25]

text: Early years[edit]

text: In November 1973, Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer.[26] Pushing hard for the band's success were Australia's legendary roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. Gene Pierson booked the band to play at Bondi Lifesaver on New Year's Eve, 1973.[27]

text: By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret's. Angus had tried other costumes: Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang.[20] In its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit.

text: On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with Sherbet prior to Daryl Braithwaite. Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band's ill feeling toward Evans.[28] By the middle of 1974, the band had built up a strong live reputation which led to a support slot for the visiting Lou Reed.

text: Some time in 1974, on the recommendation of Michael Chugg, veteran Melbourne promoter Michael Browning booked the band to play at his club the Hard Rock. Browning had previously managed Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, unsuccessfully trying to break them into the UK market. He did not like their glam rock image and felt that Evans was the wrong singer for the band, but was impressed by the Young brothers' guitar playing. Shortly afterwards, he received a call from the band; Laughlin had quit as manager, and they were stuck in Adelaide with no money. Browning agreed to bail them out and booked them for another gig at the Hard Rock. Following the gig, they agreed to take him on as their new manager, with the co-operation of their older brother George and Harry Vanda.[29]

text: The Young brothers decided to abandon the glam rock image which had already been adopted by Melbourne band The Skyhooks and pursue a harder blues-rock sound. To this end they agreed that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group.[28] Around this time, they also moved their base to Melbourne, where they frequently played at the Hard Rock.

text: Bon Scott era (1974–1980)[edit]

text: Beginnings (1974–1975)[edit]

text: In September 1974, Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans[30] after friend Vince Lovegrove recommended him to George Young.[8] Like the Young brothers, Scott was born in Scotland and emigrated to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, "Can I Sit Next To You, Girl" / "Rockin' in the Parlour"; eventually, the song was re-written and re-recorded with Bon Scott as "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" [Track 7 on the Australian album TNT (1975), and Track 6 on the international release of High Voltage (1976)].

text:
"It's a Long Way to the Top" (1975)

The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of the bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band.

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: By October 1974, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days[31] and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band's line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single "It's a Long Way to the Top", for which a well-known promotional video was made for the program Countdown, featuring the band miming the song on the back of a flatbed truck. The song is regarded as their perennial rock anthem.[32] It was included on their second album, TNT (1975), which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. T.N.T. featured the song "High Voltage", which was the first song written and recorded for the album. Because "High Voltage" was released as a single before T.N.T. was released, some people thought it was the title track to AC/DC's debut album.

text: AC/DC were scheduled to play at the 1975 Sunbury music festival, however they went home without performing following an altercation with the management of headlining act Deep Purple.[33]

text: Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum's Countdown, the ABC's nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.[31]

text: International success (1976–1980)[edit]

text: Browning sent promo material to contacts in London, which came to the attention of Phil Carson of Atlantic Records. In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records. On arrival in London, their scheduled tour with Back Street Crawler was cancelled following the death of Paul Kossoff. As a result, they went back to playing smaller venues to build a local following until their label organized the "Lock Up Your Daughters" tour sponsored by Sounds magazine, the only major music magazine which was still relatively receptive to traditional rock music. At the time, punk rock was breaking out in London and came to dominate the pages of the major music weeklies, NME and Melody Maker. AC/DC were sometimes identified with the punk rock movement by the British press, however in reality they hated punk rock, believing it to be a passing fad - according to manager Michael Browning "it wasn't possible to even hold a conversation with AC/DC about punk without them getting totally pissed off".[29] Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time.[7] Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.

text: The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album has to date sold three million copies worldwide.[34][35] The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., and included only two songs from their first LP. The band's next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured the T.N.T. track "Rocker", which had previously never been released internationally. The original Australian version included "Jailbreak" (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP '74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.

text: After a brief tour of Sweden, they returned to London where they set new attendance records during their residency at the Marquee. However, their appearance at the 1976 Reading Festival failed to get a response from the crowd. They toured extensively throughout Europe, then returned to tour Australia in late 1976 to rebuild their finances and record the Let There Be Rock album.

text: In early 1977 they returned to Britain and began a European tour with Black Sabbath. While Bon Scott and Ozzy Osbourne quickly became friends, relations were less than cordial between the other members of the respective bands. In one incident, Geezer Butler pulled a knife on Malcolm Young.[36] Later in the year they toured with Rainbow.

text: Towards the end of 1977, bassist Mark Evans was fired; purportedly to find someone who could sing backup vocals.[8] Evans described disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor.[8] He was replaced by Cliff Williams.[8] Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, "You knew Mark wasn't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy."[20] Mark Evans' autobiography, DIRTY DEEDS: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC/DC, including being fired.[37]

text: AC/DC were a somewhat formative influence on new wave of British heavy metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s hard rock bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions and Judas Priest, were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned."[38]

text: AC/DC's first American exposure was through the Michigan radio station AM 600 WTAC in 1977. The station's manager, Peter C. Cavanaugh, booked the band to play at Flint's Capitol Theater. The supporting act was MC5, who had just briefly reunited and agreed to play at the event. The band opened with their popular song "Live Wire" and closed with "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[39] They gained invaluable experience of the stadium circuit, supporting leading rock acts such as Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with Cheap Trick.[31]

text: The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock.[40] Only one single was released from Powerage, "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation/Sin City". An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You've Got It, featuring such songs as "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Problem Child", and "Let There Be Rock", as well as lesser-known album tracks like "Riff Raff". Powerage was the last album produced by Harry Vanda and George Young that had lead vocals by Bon Scott, and is claimed to be AC/DC's most under-rated album.[41]

text: The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer "Mutt" Lange on the album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC/DC record, along with Powerage.[42] It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching No. 17,[31] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[7] Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats.[43] The final track, "Night Prowler", has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing.[7]

text: Scott's death (1980)[edit]

text: As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see it finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear's house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death,[44] and the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning".[45] Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[46]

text: Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[45] Additionally, Scott was asthmatic,[47] and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.

text: Brian Johnson era (1980–2016)[edit]

text: Rebirth (1980–1983)[edit]

text: Following Scott's death the band briefly considered quitting, but encouraged by the insistence from Scott's parents that he would have wanted them to go on, they eventually decided to continue and went about finding a new frontman.[8] Various candidates were considered for his replacement, including: Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems,[48] ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and then Slade vocalist, Noddy Holder.[49] The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson.

text: Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him."[50]

text: For the audition, Johnson sang "Whole Lotta Rosie" from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits".[22] He was hired a few days after the audition. With Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Scott for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" and the title track. The album reached No.1 in the UK and No.4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.[31]

text: The follow-up album, 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band's most popular singles: "Let's Get It Up"[51] and the title track, "For Those About to Rock", which reached No.13 and No.15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums.[52]

text: Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–1987)[edit]

text:
"Back in Black" (1980)

"Back in Black"'s riff is one of the most recognised in hard rock history.[53] The song ranked No.187 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reached No.37 in the US.

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text: After having problems with drugs and alcohol,[54] drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation after which Rudd was fired.[22] Former Procol Harum drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used, as Rudd had already completed his drum parts.[55] Rudd was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held over 700 auditions in the US and UK.[56] Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company fame, and Paul Thompson of Roxy Music were two of the drummers auditioned.[57]

text: Later in the year, AC/DC released the self-produced album Flick of the Switch, which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable.[52] One critic stated that the band "had made the same album nine times".[58] AC/DC were voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached No.4 on the UK charts,[22] and AC/DC had minor success with the singles "Nervous Shakedown" and "Flick of the Switch". Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[59] A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.

text: In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who". The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive;[41] it brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Ride On", with newer songs such as title track "Who Made Who", and two new instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".

text: In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame.[60]

text: Back to commercial success (1987–1990)[edit]

text: AC/DC's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val, France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive "filler",[61] it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching No.2 on the UK charts—AC/DC's highest position since "Back in Black" in 1980. The album featured the UK top-twenty single "Heatseeker"[51] and popular songs such as "That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll". The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm's place.

text: Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce,[22] so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Rock or Bust in 2014.

text: Popularity regained (1990–1994)[edit]

text: The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major comeback for the band, and included the hits "Thunderstruck" and "Are You Ready", which reached No.5 and No.16 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and "Moneytalks", which peaked at No.23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[51] The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten. Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s.[62] AC/DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show during this tour, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. During The Razors Edge tour three fans were killed at a concert at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in January 1991. When the concert began fans rushed the stage crushing the three and injuring others. It took 20 minutes before venue security and the group understood the severity of the situation and stopped the concert. AC/DC settled with the victims' families out of court. As a result of this incident, the Salt Palace eliminated festival seating from future events.[63][64] A year later, AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, and was released as a single, reaching No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band's first No.1 single on that chart.[31]

text: Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)[edit]

text:
In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band's strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles by the reunited 1980–83 line-up and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was "Hard as a Rock". Two more singles were released from the album: "Hail Caesar" and "Cover You in Oil".
In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; Volts (a disc with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two-sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick.[65]

text: In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[66][67] The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached No.1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; No.2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; No.3 in Australia; No.5 in Canada and Portugal; and No.7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, "Stiff Upper Lip", remained at No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[31] The other singles released also did very well; "Satellite Blues" and "Safe in New York City" reached No.7 and No.31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively.

text: In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music,[68] who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes.[69] In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007. Also in 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

text: On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history.[70] The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[71] and sixth for 2006,[72] despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC's full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008.[73]

text: On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing "School Days", "TNT", "She's Got Balls", and "It's a Long Way to the Top". As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.[74]

text: AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with "Let There Be Rock" included as a playable track.[75] The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.[76]

text: No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-ray and DVD of the band's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[77]

text: Black Ice (2008–2011)[edit]

text:
"Rock 'n' Roll Train"

Sample of Black Ice's lead single "Rock 'n' Roll Train". The song is built on guitar riffs and elemental drum beats,[78] and features harmonic backing vocals during the chorus.[79]

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text: On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15-track album was the band's first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Walmart and Sam's Club and the band's official website.[80]

text: "Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video.[81] Black Ice debuted at No.1 on album charts in 29 countries and also was Columbia Records' biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil). The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[82]

text: On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members.[83]

text: With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created "Rock Again AC/DC Stores" to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created "AC/DC Rock Band Stores" in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. "Black Ice" trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.[84]

text: In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers.[85] On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.[86]

text: On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.[87]

text: On 19 April 2010, AC/DC released Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the eponymous film.[88] One month later, the band headlined Download Festival at Donington Park,[89] and closed the Black Ice World Tour in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which AC/DC went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated audience of over five million people.[90] Three concerts in December 2009 at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina were released as the DVD Live at River Plate on 10 May 2011.[91] An exclusive single from the DVD, featuring the songs "Shoot to Thrill" and "War Machine", was issued on Record Store Day.[92] In 2011, the band also issued on DVD and Blu-ray the concert movie AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, which had its theatrical release in 1980.[93]

text: Multiple lineup changes, Rock or Bust (2011–2016)[edit]

text: Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying, "Now we're thinking, 'How can we ever better the 'Black Ice' world tour?' But we will."[94] At the band's Live at River Plate DVD premiere on 6 May 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, Angus said that there were plans for the group to release a new studio album "within the next couple of years", which the tour would support.[95]

text: In May 2012, Malcolm Young confirmed that the band were working on a potential follow-up to 2008's Black Ice. But he warned that fans were in for a longer wait than expected, after lead singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material the next year. Malcolm stated, "You know what Brian's like. He just says things and then walks away. It'll be a little while – a year or two anyway. I've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more."[96]

text: On 19 November 2012, AC/DC released Live at River Plate,[97] their first live album in 20 years.

text: Malcolm Young's retirement[edit]

text: On 16 April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young being seriously ill and unable to perform,[98] Brian Johnson commented that AC/DC are not retiring, stating "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We're going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we'll record it."[99] AC/DC subsequently announced in an official statement on their Facebook page that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his ill health. It ended: "The band will continue to make music."[100] In June, Johnson announced that AC/DC are "very likely" to be on the road again before the end of 2014.[101] In July 2014, AC/DC confirmed that they have finished recording their next album and that Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young replaced Malcolm in the studio.[102]

text: Drummer Phil Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job, on 29 August 2014. He confirmed that there would be another AC/DC tour, and stated that the band had no intention of retiring, adding, "We'll all have to be dead before it stops."[103]

text: "Rock or Bust"[edit]

text: On 23 September 2014, Alberts management confirmed that founding member Malcolm Young had officially departed from the band and revealed that their new record entitled Rock or Bust featuring eleven new tracks would be released on 28 November 2014 as the first AC/DC album in the band's history without Malcolm Young on the recordings.[1] The band also announced plans for a world tour to promote the new album with Malcolm and Angus' nephew Stevie Young as Malcolm's replacement.[104]

text: Phil Rudd's replacement[edit]

text: On 6 November 2014 Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis, following a police raid on his home.[105][106] The charge of attempting to procure a murder was withdrawn the following day, but the other charges remained.[107] AC/DC released a statement clarifying that the tour promoting Rock or Bust would continue, but did not say whether or not Rudd would participate, or if he was still a member of the band.[108]

text: In an interview on 13 November, Angus Young stated that the band had experienced problems with Rudd earlier in the year when recording Rock or Bust, and that his situation had taken the band by surprise. Rudd had also missed video and photo shoots, and with reference to Rudd's future in the band, Young added, "So, at this stage, it's a pretty tough call for us."[109] He also said the band would continue: "He's got to sort himself out I think ... At this point it's kind of a question mark. But if we're touring, there will be a drummer in place, put it that way."[110]

text: At the charity signing before the Grammy awards, the band was photographed together with former drummer Chris Slade. It was later confirmed that he had rejoined the band for the Grammys and upcoming tour.[111] In April 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant.[112] Shortly thereafter, the band's web site removed Rudd as the band's drummer and replaced him with Slade.[113] On 9 July 2015 Rudd was denied a discharge without conviction and sentenced to eight months' home detention.[114]

text: Brian Johnson's hearing loss and departure[edit]

text: On 7 March 2016, the band announced that the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust World Tour would be rescheduled as Johnson's doctors had ordered him to stop touring immediately, as his hearing loss had accelerated and he risked complete deafness if he persisted on the road. The ten cancelled dates would be performed "likely with a guest vocalist" later in the year, leaving Johnson's future in touring with the group uncertain.[115] Johnson himself later stated on The Howard Stern Show that his hearing loss didn't come from having performed for 36 years with AC/DC, but rather his love of auto racing and having forgotten to put ear plugs in during one race left him with a ruptured ear drum in his left ear.[116]

text: However, on 15 March 2016, American comedian Jim Breuer (a friend of Johnson) revealed on his podcast that Johnson had received a second opinion on his hearing and it was not as bad as initially thought. Nonetheless, Breuer mentioned that Johnson told him that he was essentially fired from AC/DC and that he hadn't heard from the band since the announcement of the tour being postponed, adding that Angus Young wants to continue the band for at least another ten years and do at least one more studio album and world tour.[117] Breuer later clarified his comments on Facebook that did not end speculation on Johnson's future with the band.[118]

text: On 19 April 2016, Johnson made an official statement regarding his health problems and inability to tour. In the statement, he acknowledged his ongoing hearing difficulties but stated his intentions to continue recording and potentially resume touring if his health improves sufficiently. He also specifically thanked Angus Young and Cliff Williams for their support during his AC/DC tenure.[119]

text: Axl Rose joins[edit]

text: On 16 April 2016, AC/DC released a statement announcing the addition of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose as the band's lead vocalist for the remainder of their 2016 tour dates. The statement reads: "AC/DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures. As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian's decision to stop touring and save his hearing. We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments to everyone that has supported us over the years, and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment. AC/DC will resume their Rock or Bust World Tour with Axl Rose joining on vocals."[120][121]

text: Departure of Cliff Williams[edit]

text: On 8 July 2016, Cliff Williams indicated he was retiring from the band in an interview with Gulfshore Life, saying "It's been what I’ve known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I’m backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it’s a changed animal. I feel in my gut it’s the right thing."[122] At the end of the Rock or Bust Tour he released a video statement confirming his retirement.[123]

text: Following the band's final show with Williams on 21 September 2016 in Philadelphia, PA it was announced that Axl Rose would be joining the band full-time and that he and Angus would continue AC/DC with different musicians.[124][125]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[126] During the ceremony the band performed "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band's power chords as "the thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body."[127] During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song "Let There Be Rock".[128]

text: On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as "Calle de AC/DC" ("AC/DC Street"). Malcolm and Angus attended the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.

text: In May 2003, the Young brothers accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which Malcolm paid special tribute to Bon Scott, who was also a recipient of the award.[129]

text: On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. The City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[130] The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit "It's a Long Way to the Top".[32]

text: They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2000 at that point. Additionally, the group's commercial success continues to flourish despite their choice to refrain from selling albums in digital online formats for many years.[131] However, in November 2012, the entire catalogue (excluding the TNT album and the Australian versions of the High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock albums) became available on the iTunes Store.[132]

text: In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the tenth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna and Mariah Carey.[10] The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which made it the fifth-best-selling album of all-time in the US.[13] It is currently the second-best-selling album worldwide.

text: Band members[edit]

text: Current members[edit]

text:
Angus Young – lead guitar, occasional backing vocals (1973–present)
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1988, 2014–present)
Chris Slade – drums (1989–1994, 2015–present)
Axl Rose – lead vocals (2016–present)[125][133]

text: Former members[edit]

text:
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973–2014)
Dave Evans – lead vocals (1973–1974)
Bon Scott – lead vocals (1974–1980)
Phil Rudd – drums (1975–1983, 1994–2015)
Mark Evans – bass guitar (1975–1977)
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (1977–2016)
Brian Johnson – lead and backing vocals (1980–2016)
Simon Wright – drums (1983–1989)

text: Note: Before their debut album, High Voltage (1975), AC/DC had several line up changes. For a more comprehensive list of members that were part of the band before 1975, see List of AC/DC band members.

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Discography[edit]

text: Studio albums[edit]

text:
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)

text: Tours[edit]

text:
Date
Tour

1973–75
Australian Clubs Tour

1975
High Voltage Australian Clubs Tour

1975–76
TNT/Lock Up Your Daughters Summer Vacation Tour

1976
Lock Up Your Daughters

1976–77
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/A Giant Dose of Rock and Roll

1977
Let There Be Rock Tour

1978
Powerage Tour

1978–79
If You Want Blood Tour

1979–80
Highway to Hell Tour

1980–81
Back in Black Tour

1981–82
For Those About to Rock Tour

1983–84
Flick of the Switch Tour/Monsters of Rock Tour

1985–86
Fly on the Wall Tour

1986
Who Made Who Tour

1988
Blow Up Your Video World Tour

1990–91
The Razors Edge World Tour

1996
Ballbreaker World Tour

2000–01
Stiff Upper Lip World Tour

2003
Club Dates/Rolling Stones Tour

2008–10
Black Ice World Tour

2015–16
Rock or Bust World Tour