Kitch's Top 10 Classic Australian Rock Songs - #1 "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"

"It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)" – AC/DC

 

Writer(s): Angus Young, Malcolm Young & Bon Scott

Album: T.N.T.

Released: 1975

Peak Chart Position: #9

The song I beleive is the quintessential one about rock and roll. AC/DC's signature tune is by far Bon Scott’s finest hour as front man of AC/DC. A powerful song with an understated film clip - the group on a parade float, travelling slowly through 1970s Melbourne is now a classic - and the song perhaps single-handedly responsible for making bagpipes cool in rock. And, has there been a cooler bagpipe refrain than on this song?

Often imitated, yet never bettered – a familiar refrain from these guys – this is one song that AC/DC have stopped performing live now that Brian Johnson is fronting the band, doing so out of respect for, and because of the song’s deep ties to Bon. 

It’s the story of life on the road, and not necessarily a pretty one – the song’s lyrics speak of many hardships, including being beaten up and assaulted – and was recently voted as the ninth greatest song in Australian history by the Australasian Performing Rights Association. They had it eight spots too low, for mine.