Taking the baton from the likes of Little Richard and Chuck Berry, at their peak, The Rolling Stones conjured good-time rock ‘n’ roll like no other. Like with those they deemed their heroes, this formula proved to be a hit, establishing them as one of the most influential acts of all time. Famously, one of their most prominent adherents is AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson.
Mirroring The Rolling Stones, AC/DC have consistently delivered a good time with their music. However, the Australian band have a distinctly harder edge than Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ outfit. They may be steeped in the blues, but their music is much heavier thanks to the electrifying guitar licks of Angus Young and the wailing vocals of Johnson and his late predecessor, Bon Scott.
Whilst there might be a slight stylistic disparity between the work of The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, there is also much that connects them. In his time, Brian Johnson has effused numerous times about the infectious brilliance of Mick Jagger and his band and has even been kind enough to name some of his favourite songs by them.
When speaking to BBC Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years in 2022, Johnson listed ten songs he deems his favourite. Unsurprisingly, The Rolling Stones track he picked as part of the collection was the energetic 1968 hit, ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. He also noted that 1971’s controversial ‘Brown Sugar’ as a great moment.
“Had to be (‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash), can’t be any other. I mean, of course (there is) ‘Brown Sugar’. (But) there is something about certain songs. There is no reason why I picked this song, except that the riff was so infectious. I’ll never forget that, (the song) made me go out and buy a pair of maracas,” Johnson said.
When discussing the genius of Mick Jagger in the 2022 documentary My Life As a Rolling Stone, Johnson recalled the first time he heard 1965’s ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and praised his fellow frontman’s “wonderful gift”. The AC/DC vocalist said: “I remember the first time I heard it and I just went ‘What the hell is that?’ I think that Mick Jagger has this wonderful gift. He can make a huge stadium seem like a small room and make everybody feel involved. That’s the secret”.
Elsewhere, when speaking to The Sunday Times in 2014, Johnson discussed his extensive collection of cars and also listed his 11 favourite anthems to drive to. One of them was 1981’s ‘Start Me Up’, one of the highlights of Tattoo You.
