AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who have remained the sole constant members. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal and are sometimes classified as such, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll". To date they are one of the highest grossing bands of all time.
AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, on 17 February 1975. Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but Scott's parents urged them to continue and hire a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their highest selling album, and ultimately the third highest-selling album by any artist, Back in Black.
Malcolm Young (born Malcolm Mitchell Young, 6 January 1953) is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist best known as a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist, and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band, AC/DC. He has remained with AC/DC since its November 1973 inception but for a brief absence in 1988. In 2003, Young and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Though his younger brother Angus (born 31 March 1955) is the more visible of the brothers, Malcolm has been described as the business and brains behind AC/DC. As the rhythm guitarist, he is responsible for the broad sweep of AC/DC's sound, developing many of the band's guitar riffs and co-writing the band's material. He is married to Linda Young and has two children, Cara and Ross Young.
Malcolm Young's parents, William Young (1911–1985) and Margaret Young (1913–1988), emigrated from the Cranhill area of Glasgow, Scotland, to Sydney, Australia, in May 1963 with their children George, Margaret, Malcolm, and Angus (leaving behind son, Alex, who would later form the London-based band, Grapefruit). They eventually settled in the suburb of Burwood. Before emigrating, Malcolm and brother Angus were keen football/soccer fans of the Glasgow-based Rangers Football Club and remain so to this day.