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Bon Scott

For me, what I like about AC/DC and the Bon Scott-era thereof in particular is how unapologetically pure it is. There is no gimmick. There are no bells and whistles. AC/DC has made the same album, over and over again, since 1975... And they ROCK. Bonny was like the living embodiment of everything the moral authorities feared about Rock 'n' Roll music. He was a brawling, leering, drunken goon with a howling voice. He looked like he was strung out or high all the time, he probably stank of booze, and all of his songs were about fighting, sex, or drinking too much. He was unapologetically himself, right up until the very end. I wish he chose a different path, but that would not have been the same. Bonny was the PERFECT frontman for AC/DC in their formative years. He was the MC for a traveling gang of hooligans, and their music reflects that sentiment.

That being said, I don't think AC/DC would be as notable had Brian not stepped in after Bonny drank himself to death. 'Back in Black' immortalized Bonny, but only after 'For Those About to Rock' went to the top of the Billboard charts. The 'Back in Black' album was a sleeper for the first year after its release. The 'For Those About to Rock' album was an immediate success, and it spawned a bunch of singles. AC/DC still closes their shows with the title track from Brian Johnson's sophomore album. It was not until after that success that 'Back in Black' became a success, and once people figured out the meaning of the title track's lyrics, the band's older Albums started to sell more copies. That's why '74 Jailbreak' was released: renewed interest in the band's earlier albums.