AC/DC have a lot to celebrate this year. Not only are the Australian hard-rock legends launching their first tour in eight years but they’re commemorating their 50th anniversary.
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In honor of the milestone, AC/DC has announced a reissue campaign that will see the band’s entire catalog released as limited-edition “vibrant gold vinyl LPs.”
The gold-vinyl initiative will kick off on March 15, when nine albums from the earlier part of AC/DC’s career will be released. The albums that will be reissued first are the band’s 1976 international debut High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (also 1976), Powerage (1978), Highway to Hell (1979), Back in Black (1980), For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981), Who Made Who (1986), The Razors Edge (1990), and the 1992 concert album AC/DC Live.
Each of LP will be packaged with a 12-by-12-inch print specific to that album. The prints also will feature new AC/DC 50 artwork, and will be suitable for framing.
AC/DC 50 Promo Video
To introduce the campaign, AC/DC posted a promo video on its socials featuring an animated record player with a floating stylus shaped like the lightning bolt in the band’s logo playing a gold LP. As the group’s classic 1999 song “Highway to Hell” plays, little AC/DC lightning bolts rain down. We then see the AC/DC’s albums appear one by one until nearly the band’s whole catalog is seen. As the clip ends, an image of guitarist Angus Young in his trademark schoolboy outfit appears, surrounded by lightning bolts, followed by the new AC/DC 50 logo.
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Reissues from the Bon Scott Era
AC/DC began their career with two albums released only in Australia in 1975— High Voltage and T.N.T. The international version of High Voltage is made up mostly of songs culled from those first two Australia-only albums. The 1976 album featured “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” and “T.N.T.”
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1981, capitalizing on the massive success of Back in Black, it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Among its standout songs are the title track, “Big Balls,” and “Problem Child.”
Powerage included the memorable song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation,” which was released as a single in Australia.
Highway to Hell was the last AC/DC album to feature frontman Bon Scott. The raspy-voiced singer died in February 1980 at age 33 from alcohol-related causes. The album reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, and featured the classic title track, “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It,” and “Night Prowler.”
Reissues from the Brian Johnson Era
The first AC/DC album to feature singer Brian Johnson, Back in Black made the band international superstars. Featuring such classic songs as the title track, “Hells Bells,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” Back in Black has become the best-selling studio album ever by a band.
For Those About to Rock We Salute You became AC/DC’s first album to top the Billboard 200.
Who Made Who was the soundtrack to the Stephen King movie Maximum Overdrive. It featured three new songs, including the title track, plus a number of older AC/DC tunes.
The Razors Edge peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It featured the Top 30 hit “Moneytalks,” “Are You Ready,” and the classic “Thunderstruck.”
AC/DC Live features renditions of various popular AC/DC tunes recorded in various locations during the band’s 1991 tour.
You can pre-order the first nine gold-vinyl AC/DC reissues now.
AC/DC’s 2024 Tour
As previously reported, AC/DC will mount a 2024 tour in support of its 2020 album, Power Up. Only a European leg has been confirmed so far, scheduled from a May 17 show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, through an August 17 concert in Dublin, Ireland.
Tickets for the shows are on sale now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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