Most people, when they progress, they progress up their own asses.
MALCOLM YOUNG
A decade ago, I would have told you that the greatest rock band ever was Led Zeppelin. I like the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who. Those were good bands in their day. Led Zeppelin took it to the next level. Then, I read an interview with Bret Michaels from Poison who said that AC/DC was the greatest rock band ever. This answer shocked me because I expected him to say Led Zeppelin. Yet, I have given it much thought, and I agree with Bret Michaels. I have changed my mind, and I now believe that AC/DC was the greatest rock band ever.
Led Zeppelin started off as a heavy band, but they progressed in their songwriting and sound. I like those songs very much, but they don't have the same quality as an AC/DC song. Here is Malcolm Young on Zep:
Their first couple of albums, they were a good band. After that, man, phew. If you want to get laid back, put on the headphones and smoke a joint, okay. But as far as getting things happening and having a party, that's boring shit. We try to keep it exciting all the time. We've never put anything different on a record, just guitars and drums. We've never expanded. Other bands are playing disco or synthesizers, or that Bowie stuff, which is disco with a little blues. We could do that, but it's got nothing to do with rock 'n' roll.
AC/DC has a certain energy that Zeppelin lacks. If you ever need motivation to get moving, put on an AC/DC album. Here's Malcolm on Led Zeppelin live:
I’ve seen that band live. They were on for three hours. For two-and-a-half hours, they bored the audience. Then at the end, they pull out old rock’n’roll numbers to get the crowd movin’. That’s sick. They’re supposed to be the most excitin’ rock’n’roll band in the world.
What killed Led Zeppelin as a rock band? The answer is progress. They aspired to higher things but gutted what made them great. AC/DC did the opposite. They stuck to the same formula which delivered again and again long after Zeppelin hung it up.
AC/DC is a potent example of the value of keeping to the basics. I love all things basic. Anything else strays into pretentiousness. AC/DC weren't artists. They were rock and rollers.
There are two other bands that I will mention that have that same AC/DC vibe. One is Rhino Bucket. The other is Airbourne. They stick to the basics just like AC/DC.
AC/DC is the greatest rock band ever. That is just my opinion, but I don't think I am alone in that opinion. I know of no other band that consistently delivered like AC/DC.