If you think Back In Black is AC/DC’s best album, you can stop reading right here. In truth it is the only good Brian Johnson album.

The top five AC/DC songs conveniently came out to one song per each of the first five albums, so I will list them chronologically.

It amazes me that, although I am generally very lyric agnostic, Bon Scott’s lyrics do a lot for me. Always perfect iambic pentameter (very important to me), always very rock ‘n’ roll. Therefore, I will include videos with words and the outstanding song lyric when possible.

Disclaimer – These aren’t about Beatles vs. Bob Dylan vs. Rolling Stones (especially since this one’s about only AC/DC). These aren’t necessarily the “correct” choices that you can find on every other internet or magazine list. These aren’t about who was the first to do this or that. Steveslist doesn’t care. These are about what I reach for and what turns my crank and what makes me smile.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer from High Voltage

I do believe this is the first album I played in the brand spankin’ new 8-track player my friend installed for me in my dad’s 1968 Rambler station wagon for my first solo drive after getting my drivers license. I felt like a damn Hell’s Angel.

Outstanding Lyric – “Yes I are.”

Ain’t No Fun Waitin’ Round To Be A Millionaire from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Seven minutes of boogie woogie drone. (This may well have made the Best 5 7-Minute Songs list if I had realized it was 7 minutes.) Brian Johnson AC/DC fans don’t understand this stuff whatsoever.

Outstanding Lyric – “I got patches, on the patches, on my old blue jeans. Well they used to be blue, when they used to be new, when they used to be clean.”

Overdose from Let There Be Rock

The second guitar’s entrance at 0:47. When the whole thing begins marching along at 1:25. Crazed barely-controllable (the whole thing is constantly threatening to degenerate into a feedback fest) buzzing bee guitars. Electric as electric gets.

Outstanding Lyric – “All over you.”

Gone Shootin’ from Powerage

Cool, light, feel-good, duel-guitar boogie woogie – about heroin. Could drone on forever as far as I’m concerned.

Outstanding Lyric – None to speak of.

Touch Too Much from Highway To Hell

This one was even a hit. Super lyrics all the way through.

Outstanding Lyric – “She had the face of an angel, smilin’ with sin, the body of Venus with arms. . .”