AC/DC has an album that many devoted fans consider the band’s finest example of classic rock songwriting, often praised as a standout in their catalog for its pure, powerful sound and unforgettable riffs.
By Website Content Manager
“Though we’re small in size, we create a huge amount of sound and impact.”
It was just before midnight when AC/DC arrived at CBGB. Staff at the East Village venue reportedly had no idea the band had been invited, yet as opening act Marbles left the stage, the Australians made their way through the crowd with guitars and amplifiers in hand, unchallenged and fully intent on performing.
The group had already played earlier that night as the opening act on a three-band bill headlined by The Dictators at the Palladium. Guitarist Angus Young had not even changed out of his signature schoolboy outfit, carrying that same look straight into downtown New York. The band’s bold, confrontational style matched the chaotic energy of CBGB, a venue they seemed to approach with a sense of mischief and curiosity.
Although they often rejected the punk label and its associated image—insisting they were simply a rock ’n’ roll band—they still expressed a degree of respect for the emerging American punk scene. Malcolm Young, for example, had emphasized in interviews that they did not identify as punk, while Angus Young acknowledged that the movement represented something fresh and exciting in the United States.
Record executive Ahmet Ertegun later attended a CBGB show in August 1977 and reportedly witnessed a strikingly uninhibited performance. The band played with intense, chaotic energy, including moments of theatrical interaction such as Angus being carried through the crowd while performing.
One performance even saw Angus leave the stage entirely during a solo, continuing to play outside the venue amid the surrounding streets. The band’s raw, unrestrained style contrasted sharply with other acts of the era and left a strong impression on observers.
Shortly afterward, the band received their first major coverage in The New York Times, where critic John Rockwell noted both their theatrical excess and Angus Young’s skill as a guitarist, though he was less impressed with the band’s overall material and vocal performance. He described the act as entertaining but lacking emotional depth.
Despite such mixed early reviews, AC/DC would soon return with music that would ultimately challenge and outlast their critics, reinforcing their reputation as a band that thrived on skepticism and opposition.