Single:
It’s a Long Way to the Top entered the Australian singles chart* on 22 December 1975 and peaked at #9. The song was #70 on the Top 100 of 1976.
Album:
The song is on T.N.T. which entered the Australian albums chart* on 5 January 1976 and peaked at #2.
Songwriters:
Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott
Producers:
Harry Vanda, George Young
Record label of Australian release:
Albert Productions
Video:
The music video was filmed on 23 February 1976 for the Countdown television program. The band was on the back of a flatbed truck travelling down Swanston Street, Melbourne, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band (Alan Butterworth, Les Kenfield & Kevin Conlon). The video was directed by Paul Drane and the camera operator was David Olney.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It’s_a_Long_Way_to_the_Top_(If_You_Wanna_Rock_’n’_Roll)
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Footage filmed on the same day in 1976 at Melbourne’s city square was used in another video:
BONUS VIDEO BELOW – 374 pipers play in unison to AC/DC in Melbourne, breaking a world record
Wikipedia:
It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) by AC/DC is the first track of the group’s second album T.N.T., released only in Australia on 8 December 1975, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. The song combines bagpipes with hard rock instrumentation.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It’s_a_Long_Way_to_the_Top_(If_You_Wanna_Rock_’n’_Roll)
Songfacts:
This is an autobiographical song for AC/DC describing their struggles as they try to make it big by delivering a top notch live show night after night. It was genuine: At the time, they were just getting started and playing some seedy venues with even seedier business associates. The hard work eventually paid off, and several years later the band was selling out arenas.
“It’s A Long Way To The Top really summed us up as a band,” Angus Young told Rolling Stone. “It was the audience that really allowed us to even get near a studio.”
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/ac-dc/its-a-long-way-to-the-top-if-you-wanna-rock-n-roll
Lyrics:
Ridin’ down the highway
Goin’ to a show
Stoppin’ on the byways
Playin’ rock ‘n’ roll
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlists Bang a Gong – the 70s and Bang a Gong – rockin’ the 60s & 70s
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
BONUS VIDEO
Coinciding with AC/DC concerts at Melbourne’s huge MCG stadium in November 2025, 374 pipers assembled at Federation Square to break a world record for the biggest-ever bagpipe ensemble. With the 1976 Countdown video of It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) playing on a big screen, the pipers played in time to the song. It broke the previous record of 333 pipers set in Bulgaria in 2012.
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