"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" is a single by the Australian rock band

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

, and the first track on their ''

Powerage ''Powerage'' is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 5 May 1978 in the United Kingdom and 20 May 1978 in the United States, by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. This was the band's first album to feat ...

'' album, released in 1978. The single version is an abbreviated version of the album track, with a time of 3:05, as opposed to the album track's length of 3:37. The album track "Sin City" was the B-side in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Japan. In the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, it was "Kicked in the Teeth," also from the album. In Australia, however, the B-side was "Cold Hearted Man," which appeared on initial UK and European pressings of the album, and was eventually removed when "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was added (see below).

Song details

Written by

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

Malcolm Young Malcolm Mitchell Young (6 January 1953 – 18 November 2017) was an Australian musician who was the rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the hard rock band AC/DC. Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was a member of AC ...

and

Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer who was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. In the July 2004 issue of ''Classic Rock (m ...

, it was played live by the band during the ''Powerage'' tour, and was also played live during the 2003 world tour, sung by

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980 at the age of 32, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. Johnson was one of the founding members of th ...

, Scott's replacement since his death in 1980. It also appeared on the 1978 live album '' If You Want Blood You've Got It''. The song also featured on the soundtrack album for

Iron Man 2 ''Iron Man 2'' is a 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is the sequel to ''Iron Man'' (2008) and the third film in the Marvel Cinem ...

. "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was the final track recorded during the ''Powerage'' sessions, after the record company persuaded the band to go back into the studio and come up with a radio-friendly single that could garner some airplay. The move found some success, giving the band its first charting single in the UK where it peaked at #24. The song features handclaps and maracas and does not have a traditional guitar solo, unlike most other AC/DC songs. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said the song "has a monster guitar hook and rocks harder than just about anything around." On the first pressing of the UK version of ''Powerage'', "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" does not appear; side 1 opens with "Gimme a Bullet". Some later UK and European pressings tacked the single version of "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" on as the opening track of the album. Eventually the full version of the song became the standard. "Cold Hearted Man," which had appeared on initial UK and European pressings, was removed from the album around the time that "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was added. However, a 10-track LP including both songs does exist in (at least) the UK (catalog number K 50483 (SD19180), which is identical to the 9-track version), Germany (ATL 50 483), and Portugal (ATL 50483 SD 19180).) These versions contain the single version of "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" and have a fade out for "Riff Raff" (UK Cassette Versions had the full version of "Riff Raff" up until the 1994 remasters).

Personnel

– vocals *

– lead guitar *

– 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 g ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals *

Phil Rudd Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis, 19 May 1954) is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints (1975–1983, 1994–2015, 2018–present). On the 1977 departure of bass g ...

– drums

Charts

References

External links

Lyrics
{{Authority control Songs about rock music AC/DC songs 1978 singles Songs written by Angus Young Songs written by Bon Scott Songs written by Malcolm Young Song recordings produced by Harry Vanda Song recordings produced by George Young (rock musician) 1978 songs Atlantic Records singles