Little-known facts about AC/DC
Australian rock band AC/DC is one of rock’s most successful groups of all time. Their 1980 album Back in Black is the second-highest selling album of all time (after Michael Jackson’s Thriller).
“AC/DC” by New York + Philly Live! is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Here are some electrifying facts about AC/DC you might not know:
They got their name from a sewing machine
Brothers and band founders Malcolm and Angus Young got the name “AC/DC” when their sister Margaret pointed out the symbol on the adapter of her sewing machine. AC/DC is an acronym for “Alternating Current/Direct Current,” which means a device can use both types of power.
The band name is pronounced “Acca Dacca” in Australia
While most of the world pronounces AC/DC as “A-C-D-C”, in their native Australia, they go by “Acca Dacca”.
Angus Young dressed up as Zorro, a gorilla, and more.
“Angus Young, Barcelona Spain, 2009” by Edvill is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
While trying to find a gimmick costume before settling on his iconic schoolboy look, guitarist Angus Young tried on a lot of different alter-egos – including a superhero called Super-Ang.
A couple sued the band over “Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap”
“Dirty Deeds” almost ended up not being dirt cheap for AC/DC. The song’s lyrics “36 24 26 hey” were interpreted by some fans as being a phone number (with the “hey” being an “8”), resulting in a seven digit phone number which a lot of people called. The phone number’s owners, a couple from Libertyville, Illinois, said that they were getting hundreds of calls a day, and sued the band and record label for $250,000 in damages (also demanding that they re-record the part in the song with the numbers). However, the judge in the case found that accidentally using someone’s phone number is protected under the First Amendment.
Apparently, sharks love AC/DC
According to Australian Geographic, an Australian tour operator has reported that playing hits like “Shook Me All Night Long” and “Back in Black” underwater draws sharks toward the boat. He said that he tried several bands to no effect, but when the great whites heard the AC/DC songs, they swam up and rubbed their faces against the source of the music.
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