Meta Description: Discover how AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock album defined their legacy in hard rock and inspired legends like Dave Grohl to follow in their footsteps.
AC/DC and hard rock are practically synonymous. In today’s music landscape, whenever a heavy riff blares or an electrifying live performance unfolds, AC/DC immediately comes to mind. This connection was solidified with the release of their iconic album Let There Be Rock.
For Angus Young, Let There Be Rock was the defining moment for AC/DC. “Let There Be Rock, for me, is the album,” Young shared. “My brother, George, [asked] me and Malcolm… ‘What sort of album do you wanna do this time?’ And Malcolm just looked at me and said, ‘We just want an album that’s just gonna be pure hard rock guitar.’”
This decision was a bold statement of intent. While the musical landscape was shifting toward punk and new wave, AC/DC chose to stay true to what mattered most to them—hard rock. “I thought it was great because everyone else in the world was into whole other genres—there was punk music, there was new wave; it was all this other stuff that was coming out,” Young continued. “And I just thought, ‘This is pure magic’. And that album defined AC/DC in my eyes.”
Indeed, Let There Be Rock didn’t just affirm that AC/DC was a hard rock band—it established them as the hard rock band. Fans of loud, rowdy music across the globe were captivated, including a young Dave Grohl. Hearing the album was a turning point for Grohl, who recalls, “I didn’t want to play my guitar anymore, I wanted to smash it.”
Much like AC/DC is linked to hard rock, Dave Grohl is known for his energetic, messy, and thrilling music, particularly during live performances. He attributes much of his approach to AC/DC, especially after watching their live concert film, Let There Be Rock.
“When I was maybe— I don’t know—10 years old, I went to see that movie Let There Be Rock, the [AC/DC] live concert film in a movie theatre,” Grohl reminisced. “This is before I was punk rock. That was the first time I saw a performance and heard music that made me wanna break something. And still to this day, I use that as a reference for how I like to play a show. I wanna be like AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock. That’s a live band.”
Grohl’s admiration for AC/DC remains strong, and their influence continues to shape his live shows. “*[That film] is everything that live [rock] and roll should be. Sweaty. Loose. Loud. A relentless performance from the perfect band. It was the first time I lost control to music.”
AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock is more than just an album—it’s a testament to the raw power of hard rock and a source of inspiration for generations of musicians who followed.
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