“Let There Be Rock” Single by AC/DC from the album Let There Be Rock
B-side “Problem Child”
Released 30 September 1977 (UK), 31 October 1977 (Aus)
Label Albert, Atlantic
Songwriters Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott
Produces Harry Vanda, George Young
The song provides an encapsulated, fictionalised version of the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Building on a line from the Chuck Berry song “Roll Over Beethoven”: “… tell Tchaikovsky the news”, “Let There Be Rock” reveals that Tchaikovsky did in fact receive the message and subsequently shared it with the masses, resulting in the rise of rock ‘n’ roll.
The music video for “Let There Be Rock” was filmed in July 1977. It was recorded in the Kirk Gallery church in Surry Hills, Sydney and featured Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, and Cliff Williams, who replaced Mark Evans as the band’s bassist shortly after the Let There Be Rock album was released. This marked one of Williams’ first public appearances with AC/DC. Scott was dressed as a priest and the rest of the band as altar boys, with Angus Young wearing a halo prop on his head. Towards the end of the video it shows Angus, and the rest of the band jamming while he plays the guitar. In an alternate ending of the video, the colors are morphed and the camera zooms in on the stained glass window. According to an interview with the Young brothers, Scott injured himself in the final jump from the podium. In the video and studio recording, Scott also sings the pre-chorus incorrectly, introducing ‘sound’ before ‘light.’ This is corrected during live performances of the song.
An anthem for the band, AC/DC has played this song at every concert since 1978. They often play it very fast and the solo can be extended all the way to 20 minutes as Angus rises above the stage and does the “spasm.”
