The meaning of “classic rock” according to AC/DC’s Brian Johnson
When AC/DC embarked on their musical journey, they were simply a rock band, yet over time, they’ve been labelled with the tag of “classic rock”. However, this categorisation is often met with disdain by many, including the band’s frontman, Brian Johnson, who feels that the genre merits more respect.
Classic rock is a catch-all term to describe acts of a certain age who stay loyal to the principles of rock and are of legendary standing in the business. Confusingly, acts such as Fleetwood Mac are lumped in alongside AC/DC despite the vast musical differences between the two bands, making it a difficult genre to define.
At the time they emerged, these acts were offering a fresh alternative, but as music has evolved over the decades, they have become defined as classic. For Johnson, the genre is more about the feeling that it evokes inside listeners rather than musical similarities between artists, and he believes it’s a term which can encompass a broad horizon of songs.
Part of the frustration with the label comes from how reductive it can feel. Grouping together artists with vastly different sounds under one umbrella risks flattening what made them unique in the first place. For bands like AC/DC, whose identity is rooted in a very specific brand of hard rock, being categorised alongside softer or more experimental acts can feel like a misunderstanding of what they actually represent.
At the same time, the term has taken on a life of its own over the years. Rather than describing a particular sound, it has come to signify longevity and cultural impact, a shorthand for music that continues to resonate long after its initial release. That broader interpretation is closer to what Johnson is getting at, even if the label itself remains imperfect.
During an interview with Absolute Radio in 2010, Johnson defended classic rock, stating: “Classic rock is the same as what people call classical music, it covers a lot of sins, that. There’s some great classical music, but there’s some bloody dirges out there. Some of them German operas last three days, I don’t want to hear it. It’s not classical; it’s just a dirge.”
He continued: “With classic rock, it’s stuff that stays with you as you’re growing older, and sometimes, it even gets better when you grow older, and you understand it more. You don’t need to bang your head up and down all of the time, you can enjoy it by sitting and driving in your car with a big smile on your face, that’s classic rock. It’s not pop; I’m sure there’s some classic pop songs, but classic rock is the stuff that you remember.”
The AC/DC singer concluded his passionate plea regarding the genre by claiming, “Classic rock should be treated like any other serious piece of music.”
If Johnson’s definition is accurate, classic rock is music that has stood the test of time and continues to strike a chord with people many decades after it initially came into the world. While some may dismiss them as primitive, they were boundary-pushing artists moving the goalposts and creating a fresh product when they were released.
While acts like AC/DC have stayed true to their roots rather than vastly expanding their sonic pallet over the years, this method continues serving the band well. When they play shows, audiences are united by the same euphoric pangs of nostalgia that prove their status. From a technical standpoint, ‘Back In Black’ is worlds apart from Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’, but it’s equally important culturally for Johnson.
