AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young, the band’s rhythm guitarist, was buried on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia, after succumbing to dementia at the age of 64. Who doesn’t love a band that had bagpipes raging on the lead-off track to its international debut in 1976?
“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock & Roll)” actually came out as a 7-inch single the previous year: Dec. 8, 1975. The late, great Bon Scott (1946-1980) sang the song and played the bagpipes, which the singer purportedly had not done before the recording. Both his family and that of Malcolm and Angus Young had emigrated from Scotland to Australia.
Malcolm was all of 22 years when “It’s a Long Way to the Top” came out. He leaves leaves behind a wife, two children, and a musically legacy that will endure as long as recorded music is consumed on this mud ball. AC/DC spines this week’s playlist as we continue to shake off the bloat of Thanksgiving.
As a side note, it’s not easy curating a collection of songs that match up to the AC/DC sound. Most modern music sounds lightweight cued up next to the mammoth, metallic blues of Young & Co.
This article appears in December 1 • 2017.