AC/DC Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide

AC/DC's musical formula never really changed – and for good reason: They've long since proved that great rock music doesn't require much more than a couple of guitars, a couple of chords and a dirty mind.

Even so, that rock-steady sound wasn't always being made by the same few guys. During the particularly troubled Rock or Bust Tour, for example, three members of AC/DC were taken out of action by serious medical problems (Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson) and legal issues (Phil Rudd).

To complete that trek, AC/DC memorably called on the frontman from a group known for their own numerous lineup changes: Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses. Only two of the five musicians who recorded AC/DC's most recent album, 2008's Black Ice, were still standing on the final dates with Rose – lead guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams.

AC/DC then went dark for years before making a stunning return with a new album – and Brian Johnson. Yet, as the following complete guide to AC/DC lineup changes shows, the cast of characters behind him continued to shift.

The journey began decades earlier when they were still struggling unknowns, then continued through a string of departures and arrivals. AC/DC would become one of the best-known legacy acts in rock – and, in the end, only stalwart Angus Young remained.