This piece looks back at AC/DC's turbulent 1980, when frontman Bon Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning in February that year, threatening to end the band before they had properly established themselves. Instead, the Young brothers pressed on with new singer Brian Johnson, whom Scott had reportedly recommended, and the resulting album, Back in Black, went on to become one of the best-selling records of all time, cementing the band's legacy despite the loss of their original frontman.

The article traces how AC/DC's raw sound was forged in rough Sydney pubs and a deliberate rejection of the era's more elaborate rock acts, and explains that some musical ideas for the new record had already been sketched with Scott on drums shortly before he died. Under pressure from their record label and facing unfair press comparisons between Scott and Johnson, the band pushed through to finish the album, released in July 1980. Malcolm Young is said to have regarded the track "Hells Bells" as pivotal, calling it "timeless" and a key moment that confirmed they were on the right path with their new line-up.