The 12 Best Candidates To Replace Brian Johnson In AC/DC

ICYMI: AC/DC are currently in the market for a new frontman (or woman) to replace Brian Johnson for the remainder of their Rock Or Bust world tour dates, after the singer was ordered by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk permanent hearing loss.

Johnson joined Acca Dacca following the death of their iconic frontman Bon Scott in 1980, and has since become an icon in his own right, serving with the band for a whopping 35 years.

He’s become such a fixture that many fans reckon he can’t be replaced, with 47% of respondents in a recent Fairfax poll voting that Acca Dacca should just throw in the towel, rather than try to go on without him.

While others reckon that guitarist Angus Young is – and always has been – the heart and soul of the band, and as long as he’s still shredding in his schoolboy uniform, AC/DC will still be AC/DC.

Regardless of your opinion, the veteran Aussie rockers have vowed to continue on – at least until the end of their world tour – with a guest vocalist at the helm. But they’ve yet to announce who said vocalist might be.

So we’ve put on our thinking caps and come up with a list of the top 12 best candidates for Brian Johnson’s stand-in.

After all, it can’t be just anyone. It needs to be someone with a very particular set of skills, skills they have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make them a nightmare for people like this:

It needs to be someone with a huge vocal range, powerful pipes and a passion for AC/DC’s songs.

But not just that, he or she needs to be a real performer who embodies the true spirit of rock & roll. I.e. no indie/hipster/shoegaze BS. Bonus points for being a bit of a scoundrel and double bonus points for being an Aussie.

*SPOILER ALERT* You’ll find no mention of Dave Grohl in this countdown. While the Foo Fighters frontman may seem like a good match – he’s a proud AC/DC fan, after all, and would even have the time to commit to the band with the Foos’ recent hiatus – we just don’t think Dave’s got the vocal range to pull off all of Brian Johnson’s parts.

Another name you won’t find on the countdown is AC/DC’s original vocalist Dave Evans. Despite the 62-year-old telling Fairfax he’d be up for the challenge, Evans was replaced by Bon Scott during the band’s early days for a very good reason. In Malcom Young’s words: “The day we got fuckin’ rid of him, that’s the day the band started.”

Check out our pics for the top 12 singers to replace Brian Johnson in AC/DC in the gallery below, or turn to page 2 to check out some videos of them flexing their chops.

And as for two singers who should definitely not be considered? Sorry Celine Dion and Anastasia, cool try though.

Gallery: The Top 12 Best Candidates To Replace Brian Johnson In AC/DC

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