Van Halen vs. AC/DC

**Eddymon** · 08.01.06, 09:24 PM

How do these bands messure up in comparison. I'm talking about the eras of both bands 1980-1985.
I got this idea for a topic while watching an interview pre-Castle Donnnington show I just watched on YOU TUBE that had a German interviewer interviewing Dave and Alex and Angus and Brian (separately) and they talk about if there is a rivalry amongst the two bands.

To me, those are the two bands who made me rock the most from the late 70's to even today.

I would love to see the two of them tour together and alternate headlining like Sam and Dave did.
It would have to be the Original VH and the current AC/DC (naturally).

A Sam led VH doing a tour like that just wouldn't fit.

Ticket prices would be over a hundred bucks, but well worth it IMO.

**ZachenFoot** · 08.01.06, 09:41 PM

If you're talkin' 1980-1985, then VH shits all over AC/DC. The two biggest from those years sales and popularity-wise were "1984" and "Back in Black," and second to that would be "For Those About to Rock" and "Women & Children" First. I believe those are the fairest comparisons.

However, popularity wise, "Fair Warning" and "Diver Down" dominate "Flick of the Switch" and "Fly on the Wall." There's no comparison. In my opinion, and apparently as well as the general public's opinion, those two AC/DC albums sucked. FW and DD were pretty successful, and still features some of Van Halen's best work. Although I'd like to point out I still consider to this day "Diver Down" being VH's weakest effort (the originals kick ass, but the covers kinda overshadow that), "Fly on the Wall" would be AC/DC's weakest, at least IMO.

Van Halen wins the battle. If this were 1986+ I'd say AC/DC and that's nothing against Sammy either. VH was successful everywhere in the world before that, and so was AC/DC, so there's room for argument. However, VH stopped touring Europe after the 1984 tour, and I never understood why as it had proven to be a successful market for them. AC/DC remained popular everywhere, as they had always been loyal to Europe as well as other parts of the world.

JMO of course...

**bigdrewhalenite** · 08.01.06, 10:12 PM

For me, it's a no-brainer: Van Halen, by a million miles. I've never been much of an AC/DC fan, because I find their music to be extremely redundant. You can only play the exact three chords over and over and over again, before it gets boring. I also think that Ed is by far a superior soloist to Angus. That being said, I'm sure that an AC/DC concert would be fun--lots of energy and a solid brick wall of sound.

**padraig5150** · 08.02.06, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Eddymon

I got this idea for a topic while watching an interview pre-Castle Donnnington show I just watched on YOU TUBE that had a German interviewer interviewing Dave and Alex and Angus and Brian (separately) [...]

Actually, I think that's an English bloke who's interviewing them.

**White Lightning** · 08.02.06, 10:22 AM

I think the fairest comparison of the two is that both bands were successful with two different lead singers. And both Brian Johnson and Sammy came out of the gates huge with Back In Black and 5150, respectively. That being said, there is no comparison beyond that. VH was way more influential and important to the progression of rock from the sounds of the Seventies to the more modern sound of Eighties rock. I love AC/DC, though, because they are one band that has always stuck to their guns. They are still the same band today that they were in 1976, in terms of style. They don't churn out hits anymore, maybe because everybody else has moved on. The best description of AC/DC was Eddie's quote that AC/DC keeps writing the same song over and over again, but it's a great song. I've read that Panama and Best of Both Worlds were both inspired by playing in an AC/DC, kinda three chord motif.

**smithjc** · 08.02.06, 10:52 AM

I agree with that post. Well put.

However, I do give props to Malcom and co. for their longevity as opposed to VH's instability.

btw - AC/DC rocks live!!!!

**broken9500** · 08.02.06, 11:23 AM

I've never been able to get into AC/DC...angus is good player and their song is a decent one but they just don't do it for me. And they maybe the only rock band with a singer whose voice is even more grating than Sammy Hagar's!

For me VH and AC/DC don't really belong on the same level...AC/DC is definately a tier or two below VH.

**sixstring** · 08.02.06, 11:28 AM

Lord knows I love the Thunder From Down Under

but this is no contest...VH, hands-down...

**Van Squalen** · 08.02.06, 11:40 AM

Posing this sort of poser on a VH tribute site is sorta like asking Christians if they groove da funk in Allah's disco. Of course VH is gonna trump for nearly 99.9% here. Including me. Who beats Halen for any of us? Zeppelin don't beat Halen for me, and that's just downright ridiculous, even Ed and Al would agree, but fax is fax, and VH are the kings.

Worldwide, however, and even in mainstream America, AC DC is the more popular and respected outfit. Doesn't help that VH's twenty year soap opera tarnished their once glowing reputation.

Anyone catch the newest cover of Rolling Stone? Led Zeppelin - Heaviest Band Ever. Is that the right adjective? Greatest band ever, sure...heaviest? Hmm. Page gotta lotta blues in him for that particular moniker to fit just right.

Yeah, yeah, heavy metal, hard rock, blah blah blah. Not goin' there again.

**chefcraig** · 08.02.06, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Van Squalen

Anyone catch the newest cover of Rolling Stone? Led Zeppelin - Heaviest Band Ever. Is that the right adjective? Greatest band ever, sure...heaviest? Hmm. Page gotta lotta blues in him for that particular moniker to fit just right.

Yeah, yeah, heavy metal, hard rock, blah blah blah. Not goin' there again.

Leave it to Rolling Stone to get it wrong, yet again.

The heaviest band of all time had to be B.T.O. (we used to call them Bachmann-Turner-Overweight ). Hell, the bassist C.F. Turner and Randy Bachmann must have been 300 pounds each .

**Van Squalen** · 08.02.06, 11:59 AM

**smithjc** · 08.02.06, 12:47 PM

Considering the state of today's music, the youth at RS probably do think that Zeppelin is heavy.

Hell anybody is heavy to da kids at RS nowadays. They're so clueless it's not even funny.

**sinner's swing** · 08.02.06, 02:29 PM

uh, Back to Ac/Dc for a sec . . . lest we forget that Edward has said that his favorite rock singer of all time was the late, great Bon Scott.

But to compare them, uh, no. It's like comparing Ferrari's to Mustangs. They're both gorgeous, go fast, and are the elite of their class.

**perticelli** · 08.02.06, 02:48 PM

Ac/dc ,back in black is one of the greatest albums of all time, and was my first concert.
I love Ac/dc and Angus.

But it aint no VH...

VH wins easily