"Guns for Hire" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, from their album '' Flick of the Switch'', released on 19 August 1983. Written by band members,

Angus Young Angus McKinnon Young (born 31 March 1955) is an Australian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and only remaining original member of the hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolbo ...

, Malcolm Young and

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

, it was also released in September as a single with "Landslide" as the B-side. It charted at No. 37 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and No. 84 on the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also reached No. 19 in Ireland. '' Cash Box'' said that "raucous as ever, the track includes a matured guitar solo and is fused with a high rock ‘n’ roll energy." The track served as the opening song during the band's performances on the tour in support of ''Flick of the Switch'', but has never been performed on any other AC/DC tours since. A promotional

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

was produced for the song, which featured drummer Simon Wright rather than

Phil Rudd Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecius, 19 May 1954) is an Australian drummer, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints. On the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans from AC/DC, Rudd became ...

. Rudd had left the band during the recording of ''Flick of the Switch'' and was replaced by Wright before the start of the tour.

Personnel

– lead vocals *

– lead guitar * Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Cliff Williams Clifford Williams (born 14 December 1949) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He started his professional music career in 1967 and had previously been in the English ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals *

– drums

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guns For Hire AC/DC songs 1983 songs Songs written by Angus Young Songs written by Brian Johnson Songs written by Malcolm Young Atlantic Records singles