Axl Rose’s favourite AC/DC song is a Bon Scott masterpiece
There’s no real surprise that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose is a lifelong fan of hard rockers AC/DC, as his style of vocal delivery is very close to that of both AC/DC frontmen, the late Bon Scott and the incumbent Brian Johnson. Following this, both groups share many stylistic similarities, with millions of fans worldwide due to their position as two of the finest purveyors of no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll.
Duly, when Johnson was experiencing severe hearing issues in 2016 and was temporarily forced onto the sidelines, AC/DC’s invitation to Rose as his substitute made a lot of sense. Notably, in his new memoir, Johnson looks back on the time, revealing that although he heard that Axl did a “great job” of replacing him, he still couldn’t watch footage of the band’s performances. He explains: “It’s like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favourite chair”.
Despite the despair that Johnson might have felt at seeing Axl Rose take his place, to everyone else, he was the best possible replacement, with his performances universally lauded. Even his Guns N’ Roses bandmates were ecstatic for him, with Slash praising his work in a January 2022 edition of Classic Rock.
“I came out to a gig in London, and it was phenomenal,” Slash recalled. “I was blown away, especially when he sang the Bon Scott stuff. That was a very proud moment, actually.”
“The fact that he got asked to do that was very cool,” he continued. “And he worked his ass off doing it, too. He really adhered to the whole AC/DC regimen and pulled it off.”
“In the moment, when it first came up, it was a little jarring, I have to say,” Slash concluded. “I was super-proud that he was doing it, but how that was gonna happen and go right into the Guns thing, I really didn’t know. But anyway, it worked out. So it wasn’t like a big deal.”
When touring with AC/DC, Axl Rose looked happier than ever. That April, fans were blown away after he was stopped at Los Angeles International Airport and asked the question everyone wanted to know; the identity of his favourite AC/DC song. He told TMZ: “Right now, ‘Touch Too Much’.”
‘Touch Too Much’ has long been a fan favourite of AC/DC fans and is one of the most anthemic they’ve ever released, with an earworm of a chorus and some high-octane licks from Angus Young. It was the final single from 1979’s Highway to Hell, the band’s last with Bon Scott before he passed away, so it holds that extra bit of significance. It’s a rousing number, and when listening, you quickly understand just how much of an impact Bon Scott had on Axl Rose.
