Fans of AC/DC were in hysterics after old claims about the iconic band’s name made a resurgence online.
Formed in Australia by Scottish brothers Malcolm and Angus Young in the 70s, AC/DC won the world over with their sizzling guitar licks, high-voltage stage shows and die-hard devotion to a hard rock sound. The head-banging heroes shot to superstardom with their seminal Highway to Hell in 1979.
It wasn’t long until they found themselves embroiled in a bit of a furore, with some Christian fundamentalists declaring their name was code for “anti Christ/Devil’s child” – an unfounded claim. The band’s global success was such that they were even linked to notorious ’80s serial killer Richard Ramirez, though the connection was entirely baseless.
The subject was discussed on an ’85 episode of Entertainment Tonight, with Angus Young and bandmate Brian Johnson setting the record straight.
They were probed over their track Night Prowler after claims it had been inspiration for the murderer, who was dubbed the Night Stalker while the case was ongoing. After vehemently denying their influence on the unhinged killer, the band’s name and its meaning was brought up.
The host asked: “AC/DC, some people say that stands for ‘anti Christ/Devil’s child’. Does it?” Angus clarified: “It came from the back of my sister’s sewing machine… it’s on any electrical appliance. It just means ‘power’.” Indeed, it does mean alternating current/direct current.
The debate over the true meaning behind the rock band’s moniker reignited on social media, sparked by a Reddit query: “What does AC/DC actually stand for? To some Christians, AC/DC stands for ‘Anti-Christ/Devil’s Child’.”
To this, one individual responded: “alternating current/direct current, not anti-Christ/devil’s child lmao” while another dismissed: “That was just s*** stirred up during 80s Christian moms against rock music bs lol”.
A third contributor shared a different take: “I heard it as After Christ/Devils Comes lol”. Someone else chimed in, reminiscing: “Haven’t heard that Anti Christ/Devils Child BS in ages. I needed a good laugh”.
Another shared: “Alternating current/Direct current. My grandma told my dad that it stood for Anti-Christian Devil children lmao. Still think that’s funny”.
And a commenter explained: “Quite literally just power. Why? Because Mal & Angus got it from the back of their sister’s sewing machine. So it’s quite literally power. It also helps their name that they use a lot of power chords in their songs, so not only does their name mean power, but they also deliver it.”