Credit: Far Out / Dena Flows

Tim Coffman@timmusic13

Tue 17 June 2025 21:47, UK

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All good AC/DC songs are about keeping things as simple as possible.

The mantra of “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” exists for a reason, and every riff that comes out of the Young brothers’ amplifiers is straight to the point, whether it’s the blaring sounds of ‘TNT’ or the open-chord clangour of ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’. Although Angus Young may be known for his simplistic approach to soloing most of the time, there is one AC/DC track that gives him trouble now and again.

By the time the band entered the 1980s, they had already experienced one of the most significant blows of their career. Losing frontman Bon Scott to alcohol poisoning, Malcolm Young was convinced they should carry on, drafting in Brian Johnson from the band Geordie on their comeback album, Back in Black. 

Although the masses embraced the group for paying tribute to their fallen bandmate, the next few years would see AC/DC fluctuate between the biggest hits of their career and albums that saw them not messing with the formula too much. Despite having a few massive hits like ‘For Those About to Rock’ after Back in Black, it wasn’t until The Razor’s Edge in the early 1990s that they started to become a household name once again.

Featuring the trademark hit ‘Thunderstruck’, AC/DC would create one of the biggest songs of the post-Scott era, featuring a fiery guitar lick from Angus that never lets up throughout the entire tune. Although the song remains a staple in the band’s live show, Angus still thinks that the guitar figure gives him trouble now and again.

The relentless precision behind AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ riff

For a band obsessed with primal power and unrelenting riffs, ‘Thunderstruck’ was AC/DC veering dangerously close to finesse. It’s not flashy in the Steve Vai sense of the word, but for Angus Young – a guitarist who built a legacy on raw voltage – it’s about as technical as it can be. The opening lick may sound like it’s tumbling out of the amp on instinct, but it’s pure repetition and endurance. There’s no room to slack off; the moment your hand cramps, the entire intro crumbles like bad scaffolding. Even Angus, a lifelong human metronome in an undeniably cringe-inducing schoolboy outfit, admits that getting through it on stage requires a pre-show ritual of warmups and grim focus.

And the madness doesn’t stop once the riff lands. ‘Thunderstruck’ is one of the rare AC/DC tracks that doesn’t ride the groove so much as absolutely batters it into shape. The rest of the band charges in like a bar fight in slow motion, but Angus has to be a surgeon, not a slugger. Each note demands exact timing and sharp articulation, and live, there’s nowhere to hide.

Initially, though, Angus didn’t want to make a song from the lick. Using it as a warm-up exercise on an acoustic guitar instead. However, his brother Malcolm eventually convinced him to give it a shot, which turned into the massive pull-off figure that gets stadium crowds hyped to this day.

Considering the amount of dexterity that it takes to play the lick with trademark ACC/DC power, Angus would say that he has to pay special attention to playing the song correctly, explaining, “When we perform it live, I have to sit down for an hour and make sure I’ve got my fingers warmed up to take on that track. It’s got an unrelenting intricacy. I have to be confident whenever I play it”.

When broken down, though, the notes that Angus is playing are relatively simple. Despite the massive run down one string, the lion’s share of the lick outlines a basic scale shape. The challenge comes with doing the pull-offs correctly, which gives the fretting hand a workout, making sure that every note is articulated and played with pinpoint accuracy.

Whereas Angus usually puts in a certain level of showmanship playing live, he didn’t even bother getting flashy on the recording, initially picking the riff on the track to give the notes a sharper attack when they hit the speakers. While most of AC/DC’s licks might pride themselves on being simple, this is the one track in their catalogue where it’s okay to show off for a little bit.

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