<P> AC / DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States, adding them to the list of highest - certified music artists in the United States and the list of best - selling music artists . Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second - highest - selling album by any artist--and the highest - selling album by any band . The album has sold 22 million units in the US, where it is the sixth - highest - selling album of all time . AC / DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV . In 2004, AC / DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list, referred to AC / DC as "the greatest rock and roll band of all time". In 2010, AC / DC were ranked number 23 in the VH1 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". </P> <P> Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney with most of their family in 1963 . George was the first to learn to play the guitar . He became a member of The Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful bands of the 1960s . In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song "Friday on My Mind". Malcolm followed in George's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York - based Velvet Underground). Their older brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests . In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London - based band Grapefruit--initially called "The Grapefruit"--with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham . </P> <P> Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC / DC" on a sewing machine . "AC / DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current / direct current" electricity . The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power - driven performances of their music . "AC / DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia . The AC / DC band name is stylised with a high voltage sign separating the "AC" and "DC" and has been used on all studio albums, with the exception of the international version of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap . </P> <P> In November 1973, Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC / DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer . Pushing hard for the band's success were Australia's legendary roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack . Gene Pierson booked the band to play at Bondi Lifesaver on New Year's Eve, 1973 . </P>

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