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By Matt Friedlander
AC/DC has shared the exciting news that they will launch a North American tour in 2025. It will mark the hard-rock legend's first tour of the continent in nine years. The 13-date trek is scheduled to run from an April 10 concert in Minneapolis and through a May 28 show in Cleveland.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential hard-rock bands of all time, with plenty of memorable songs showcasing the unique and powerful vocals of both their late early lead singer Bon Scott and his successor, Brian Johnson.
Of course, all of AC/DC's songs were powered by the blazing riffs of founding guitarist Angus Young.
The energy and grit of AC/DC is difficult to recreate, and yet many artists have tried their hands at covering songs by the band, with varying results. In honor of the group's impending tour, here are four noteworthy renditions of AC/DC songs by some very well-known singers and musicians.
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" - JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS (1990)
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was the title track of AC/DC's third studio album, which originally released in 1976 only in Europe, New Zealand and the band's native Australia.
The album finally was released in the U.S. in 1981, a year after Scott's death and following the massive success of Back in Black, the first AC/DC album to feature Johnson. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was sung by Scott and co-written by him, Angus Young and Malcolm Young. It eventually reached No. 4 on Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and has become one of the band's most popular tunes.
JOAN JETT recorded an inspired version of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" for her 1987 covers album The Hit List. Boasting the shortened title of "Dirty Deeds," the song became a Top-40 hit for Jett, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jett's version, recorded with her band The BLACKHEARTS, added a bit of 1980s production sheen to the tune, but still rocked hard. It featured a blues-infused solo by BLACKHEARTS guitarist Ricky Byrd.
"You Shook Me All Night Long" - Shania Twain (2004)
"You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of AC/DC's biggest hits and best-known songs. The lead single from the Back in Black album, the tune was co-written by Johnson and the Young brothers.
The song became AC/DC's first single to crack the Top-40 of the Hot 100, peaking at No. 35.
In 2003, country star Shania Twain offered up her own twangy, acoustic take on the hard-rocking tune for her live NBC concert special, Up! Close & Personal. Twain had an interesting connection to the song: Her then-husband, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, famously was the producer of the Back in Black album.
For her version, Twain changed some of the song's more suggestive lyrics to more family-friendly ones. She also changed some pronouns to make the tune from a woman's point-of-view.
"Back in Black" - Santana (Featuring Nas) (2010)
"Back in Black," of course, is the classic title track to AC/DC's chart-topping 1980 album. Like "You Shook Me All Night Long," it was co-written by Johnson and the Young siblings. It cracked the Top 40 of the Hot 100, reaching No. 37.
Santana recorded a unique version of "Back in Black" for the band's 2010 collaborative album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. The cover, which featured acclaimed hip-hop artist Nas on lead vocals, blended rap with heavy metal and hard rock.
Carlos Santana seems to be channeling Jimi Hendrix on a blistering guitar solo that's one of the track's highlights. One of the instrumental breaks is accompanied by an original rap by Nas. The song's choruses also feature powerful vocals by young female singer Robyn Troup.
"Highway to Hell" - Tom Morello (Featuring Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder) (2021)
"Highway to Hell" is probably the most famous AC/DC song from the Bon Scott era. The hard-rock anthem was the title track of the band's sixth studio album, released in 1979. It was the last AC/DC album recorded by Scott.
Tom Morello recorded a version "Highway to Hell" for his 2021 solo album, The Atlas Underground Fire. The founding Rage Against the Machine guitarist also recruited two of the world's most famous rock singers to lend their talents to the trackâ€"Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder.
The track features Springsteen and Vedder trading off lead vocal parts, and an otherworldly guitar solo from Morello.
Tom had performed "Highway to Hell" live several times with Springsteen and the E Street when he was touring with them in 2014.
At the time he released his cover, Morello said in a statement, "Our version of 'Highway to Hell' pays homage to AC/DC, bringing this legendary song into the future. One of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs of all time sung by two of the greatest rock 'n' roll singers of all time, and then I drop a shredding guitar solo. Thank you and good night."
