What is the best vocal take in AC/DC’s entire discography?
An article on Far Out Magazine debates which vocal performance stands as the finest in AC/DC's history, weighing the contrasting styles of the band's two frontmen, Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. The piece explores how each singer brought a distinct energy to the group's guitar-driven sound, with Johnson's raw, gritty delivery and Scott's smoother yet powerful tone both shaping the band's identity across different eras. The discussion matters to fans as it revisits a defining aspect of AC/DC's legacy, beyond the guitar work of Angus and Malcolm Young that typically dominates conversation about the band.
The article recounts how Bon Scott unknowingly praised his eventual successor, having once seen Johnson perform live and admired his stage presence, though he was unaware Johnson had actually been screaming due to a hernia at the time. Ultimately, the writer names Scott's performance on "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)" as the standout vocal take, citing his raw, isolated delivery without guitar backing and the poignant resonance of lyrics about struggling in the music industry, mirroring the band's own position at the time.
- Article debates the best AC/DC vocal performance between Scott and Johnson
- Bon Scott once unknowingly praised Brian Johnson's live performance
- Writer picks "It's A Long Way To The Top" as the standout take
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Bon Scott and Brian Johnson were AC/DC's two lead singers: Scott fronted the band from its 1973 formation until his death in 1980, after which Johnson took over and has remained the voice of AC/DC ever since. Alongside guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, they helped build the band's reputation as one of hard rock's most influential acts, known for a raw, guitar-driven sound. The two singers had markedly different vocal styles, with Scott's smoother yet powerful delivery often contrasted against Johnson's grittier, rasping approach.
This story centres on a Far Out Magazine piece revisiting that vocal legacy by asking which single performance by either singer best represents AC/DC at its peak. Such retrospectives are common in music journalism, offering fans a chance to reconsider the band's history through a specific lens, in this case singing rather than the guitar work that usually dominates discussion of the group.
The debate matters to AC/DC's large and enduring fanbase because it touches on the band's identity across two distinct eras, before and after Scott's death, and on how his and Johnson's contributions are remembered and compared decades later.