The 1979 song that made AC/DC enemies of the American religious conservatives
Broadly speaking, if you’re pissing off the racist, hyper-conservative gaggle of the American far right, you’re probably doing something right. Or at least, you’re probably doing something cool. Case in point? AC/DC.
There are many exhibits to pull out of the file for this one. You could look towards the south, going wild when John Lennon claimed that the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus”, leading to the KKK surrounding their shows and, eventually, being a factor that stopped the band from touring. Or instead, look towards the entire idea of ‘Satanic panic’ that swept the states in the 1980s and ‘90s after conservative parents became convinced the devil was speaking to their kids through the radio.
In 1979, AC/DC might have been the final push towards that mass hysteria, though, as an image of Angus Young with his lips curled into a snarl and a pair of dazzling devil horns growing from his head was probably too much for their delicate sensibilities.
When the band first presented Highway to Hell to their label, Atlantic, they were genuinely warned that this might be an issue. Their label was nervous about it as the second they hit play on the demo tape, and that huge opening riff gave way to the titular track, and the first suggestion of what was to be the album’s title, Angus recalled, “The American record company immediately went into a panic”. Remembering how Lennon was practically crucified, the label didn’t want to see their own rock investment put on the cross.
But the band wouldn’t bend. That was partly because ‘Highway to Hell’ was too obviously a good song to can, as Marcus Young called it foolproof, dubbing it, “Just loud rock ’n’ roll, wham, bam, thank you, ma’am!”
However, there was also an element where the band simply didn’t understand, or couldn’t even fathom, what kind of bad reaction could come their way. The gaggle of Aussies didn’t have anything like the classic American South super Christians back home. While religion, and intense religion, is obviously everywhere, this brand of scandalised conservatives was a whole different ballgame, and the band underestimated them.
“With religious things, I thought everywhere was like Australia. There, they call them Bible-thumpers, and it’s a limited species. Very limited,” Angus said. That kind of staunch attitude simply didn’t have as much hold down under as he added, “Christianity was never a popular movement. It’s that convict background!”
When the inevitable hit and the parents were losing their minds about the rock band proudly proclaiming “I’m on the highway to hell” with their kids strapped into the passenger seat, all the band could do was laugh.
“In America, you had guys in bed sheets and placards with prayers on picketing the gigs. I said: ‘Who are they here for?’ And they said: ‘You!’” Angus recalled. It all seemed ridiculous to him as he added, “We heard all that stuff about Highway To Hell, that if you play it backwards, you get these satanic messages. Fucking hell, why play it backwards? It says it right up front: Highway To Hell!”
No secret messages, just straight up, proud sin.
