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In 1979, AC/DC were asked to write a disco song. Instead, they came up with the best riff of their career
Record company staff asked AC/DC to make a disco hit during the genre’s late 1970s popularity. Malcolm Young recalled that the band instead made ‘Highway to Hell’, sticking with their blues-influenced hard-rock sound; the anecdote shows how they resisted pressure to follow musical trends.
The song became one of AC/DC’s best-known tracks, while the band continued to build on the direct rock style associated with the Young brothers and singer Bon Scott. The article contrasts their choice with Kiss, whose ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ found success as a disco-influenced track.
In short
- AC/DC were asked to make a disco hit.
- They answered with ‘Highway to Hell’.
- The band stuck to its hard-rock sound.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AC/DC’s choice can be seen as artistic integrity: they trusted the blues-based hard-rock sound they had developed rather than chasing a passing trend. Staying true to that identity helped make the song distinctive and enduring, and showed that a band need not reshape itself to satisfy record-company expectations.
The case against
A record company could reasonably ask a band to explore a popular style as a way to reach new listeners and sustain commercial success. Trying disco would not necessarily have meant abandoning AC/DC’s identity; Kiss’s disco-influenced hit shows that experimentation could work, while refusing the request risked overlooking a worthwhile opportunity.