AC/DC are a band that are hard to criticise, although that doesn’t stop people from trying. One of the common critiques the group faces regards the simplicity of a lot of their music, with snobs turning their noses up at the three-chord structure while complaining it doesn’t offer enough.
Although there might be some truth in the idea that AC/DC follow a relatively straightforward arrangement with their music, it would be wrong to suggest that this in any way is a hindrance. Having only a few chords at the centre of a song is the equivalent of having an even ground to build upon. There are few obstacles to creating something new and exciting, which is what AC/DC have always managed to do with their music.
In their tracks, a range of different musical elements come through and provide a massive amount of excitement to listeners. This could be a face-melting solo, fun licks between chord progressions, exciting vocal rhythm, call and response and, in some cases, all of the above.
Putting all those different elements into a song could get messy, as it could sound like the band is trying too hard to produce something out there, making a mish-mash of rock clichés in the process. Well, there is a song where they manage to inject all of those various elements, and it doesn’t sound messy. Quite the opposite since it’s arguably one of the band’s best tracks.
Brian Johnson admitted in an interview that it’s hard to know when a song will resonate with fans and when it might not. However, when he first heard ‘Thunderstruck’, he knew they were on to a winner. He was right, too. Which of us doesn’t get excited the minute that song starts playing?
“One that I knew, from the get-go, was going to be fabulous was ‘Thunderstruck’,” said Johnson, “I heard that guitar that Angus had put on, this was the charge and start. When all went together, the ‘aaaahhhh, aaaahhhh…’ Then they let me loose, ‘I was caught in the middle…’ Then of course, when all that’s done, you got a ‘thunder!’ It had everything!”
The song took the world by storm as soon as it was released. The entire album The Razors Edge acted as a slight resurgence for the band, who had found themselves in a creative slump for the few preceding albums.
It doesn’t come without a price, as the complexity of the song means that it is tough to play live. Angus Young, guitar extraordinaire, has admitted that ‘Thunderstruck’ is one of the songs he gets most nervous about playing due to how difficult it is and how much he needs to concentrate throughout.
AC/DC might lean towards simplicity regarding chord structures, but they use that simplicity to build complex and exciting songs. While some tracks have different elements that make them stand out, ‘Thunderstruck’ is one that truly has everything, hence why it’s a favourite for both the fans and the band.
