What if we told you that AC/DC is named after a home appliance?
Australian rock band AC/DC rose to international fame in 1979 with the release of Highway to Hell. Bridging rock ‘n’ roll and blues, they emerged as an early influence on the genre of heavy metal, with their powerful guitar lines and high energy.
Misunderstandings and misconceptions about the dark and twisted origins of the name “AC / DC” became even more widespread shortly after their first overseas tour. As rumors circulated, many believed that the letters were an abbreviation for “Devil’s Child Antichrist,” a theory that couldn’t be further from the truth.
What did AC/DC really stand for? And where did the team get that idea? Let’s turn up the volume and discover the mysterious meaning of this misunderstood name.
UP AC/DC
The Young brothers formed AC/DC in Sydney, Australia, in 1973. In 1974, Scottish-born Angus and Malcolm Young moved from Sydney to Melbourne, expanded their lineup, and released several records (including High power, TNT, and Dirty Deeds Done Cheap) which increased their popularity in Australia and Britain. The brothers, along with Bon Scott on vocals, Phil Rudd on drums, and Cliff Williams on bass, were released. Highway to Hell in 1979, launching AC/DC into the world spotlight. After Scott’s death in 1980, Brian Johnson stepped in as the band’s new vocalist.
That same year, AC/DC was released Back in Blackincluding such legendary hits as “You Shook Me Night Long,” “Hells Bells,” “Shoot to Thrill,” and “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.” They spent most of the 80’s on the road and started in the 1990’s Razor’s Edgewhich featured “Thunderstruck,” which is now one of their most popular singles of all time, surpassed only by “Highway to Hell” and “Back in Black.”
AC/DC maintained a steady output of new music throughout the 2000s. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and had their first album number 1 in 2008. Black Iceand won their first Grammy in 2010 for Best Hard Rock Performance with “War Machine,” nearly 40 years after their first record.
THE AC/DC RULE
Because of their rapid spread, questions about the meaning of their name quickly arose around the world. For years, people thought that AC/DC represented the “Anti-Christ Devil Child,” mainly because of the rebellious themes expressed in their music.
In 1985, Angus Young and Brian Johnson sat down with Entertainment Tonight to clear up a few rumors, and, to the dismay of conspiracy theorists, their names actually referred to something very common. Young explained that he found a short on the power board of his sister’s sewing machine in the early 1970s. “AC/DC” actually stands for “Alternating Current/Direct Current.” He thought it would be an appropriate name for the band, as heavy rock in those days was synonymous with electricity, and “AC/DC” (which appears in many everyday devices) symbolized energy.
FROM SHIPPING MACHINERY TO BIG INVESTMENTS
What started out as a direct sign of “power” slowly turned into something demonized through rumors and speculation. The misunderstanding highlights how quickly rumors can grow, turning a harmless abbreviation seen in household appliances into a source of controversy.
AC/DC’s origins had nothing to do with devil children and everything to do with power symbolism; rising from a simple sewing machine to electrifying audiences in stadiums around the world.
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