Angus Young criticised Led Zeppelin as “poor imitators” of The Who, arguing that the band’s later live shows became overlong and less engaging before relying on older rock-and-roll songs to revive audiences. The remarks matter because they underline Young’s long-held preference for direct, energetic rock over musical complexity or experimentation that, in his view, loses momentum.

Young nevertheless praised Led Zeppelin’s early work and did not dispute their technical ability; his objection was to what he saw as indulgence and a departure from rock’s raw appeal. He contrasted this with AC/DC’s deliberately consistent, riff-driven approach and rejected claims that rock and roll is dead, with singer Brian Johnson saying the genre repeatedly returns “like a bloody phoenix”.