Thunderstruck (song)

"Thunderstruck" is the lead single on the 1990 album The Razors Edge by the hard rock group AC/DC.

The song was released as a single in Germany, Australia, and Japan, and peaked at No. 5 on U.S. the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In 2010, "Thunderstruck" topped Triple M's Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Melbourne, Australia. The top five were all AC/DC songs.^[1]

With the exception of new material from an album they are touring behind, this is one of the only two songs released after "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" that the band still performs live in concert, the other being "Rock N Roll Train".

Background

Angus Young stated in the liner notes of the 2003 re-release of The Razors Edge:

"It started off from a little trick I had on guitar. I played it to Mal and he said 'Oh, I've got a good rhythm idea that will sit well in the back.' We built the song up from that. We fiddled about with it for a few months before everything fell into place. Lyrically, it was really just a case of finding a good title ... We came up with this thunder thing and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power. That's the basic idea."^[2]

The video which accompanied the single was filmed at London's Brixton Academy on 17 August 1990. The audience members were given free T-shirts with the words 'AC/DC – I was Thunderstruck' on the front and the date on the back, and these T-shirts were worn by the entire audience throughout the filming of the video.

The song has sold over a million digital copies since it became available for digital download.^[3]

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Certifications

Personnel

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Chris Slade – drums, percussion

Cover versions

• In 1992, the Serbian turbo-folk singer Džej released the cover version on Serbian language, with lyrics "Mrak, mrak".
• The rock band Hinder have released a cover of the song as the final track, track 12 (Australian version) off their second album, Take It To The Limit.
• In 2002, Australian hardhouse music duo, Blizzard Brothers Inc. released a remixed cover version of the song, which reached number 30 on the ARIA singles charts.
• Psytrance supergroup 1200 Micrograms released a trance song sampling and inspired by "Thunderstruck" called "Numberstruck" on their 2007 album Magic Numbers.
• Japanese rock band Beat Crusaders covered the song for the 2008 AC/DC tribute album Thunder Tracks.
• David Garrett covered the song in his 2009 album David Garrett.
• American band Ministry covered the song in the album Every Day Is Halloween: The Anthology, as a first single.
• Bagpiper Gordon Duncan arranged the tune for solo pipes,^[19] and recorded this on his album Thunderstruck. This arrangement has entered the bagpipe repertoire.
• The Red Hot Chilli Pipers play a version in the medley "Smoke on the Water/Thunderstruck/Upside Down at Eden Court" on their album Bagrock for the Masses and in concert.
• The Italian band El Cuento de la Chica y la Tequila released an acoustic version of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" on their 2013 EP The Wounded Healer.
• The cello duo, 2Cellos, released an instrumental version in February 2014.
• Finnish bluegrass band Steve 'N' seagulls made an acoustic cover of the song.

Usage

• The song is played just before every Chicago White Sox home game at U.S. Cellular Field as the Sox take their positions. In addition, before every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park, the song is played over the speaker system while a montage of player pictures, highlights, and Washington, D.C. landmarks can be seen on the main scoreboard. Elsewhere in Major League Baseball, The Arizona Diamondbacks use the song in connection with reliever J.J. Putz. An elaborate video presentation featuring "Thunderstruck" as a music track plays when Putz is brought into a game, and a snippet of "Thunderstruck" is played whenever he gets a batter out. "Thunderstruck" was also the entrance music for John Smoltz when he was the closer for the Atlanta Braves.
• The introduction to the song is played immediately prior to tip-off of Marquette Golden Eagles Men's Basketball home games at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The student section accompanies the song with a side-to-side clap in unison with the beat.
• The song is played just before every Los Angeles Kings home game at the Staples Center as the Kings and their opponents take their positions for the opening faceoff of the game.
• The song was used in the film, Varsity Blues, the sequence when the team is still drunk from the night at the strip club and have a Saturday football game. The song was also used on the Varsity Blues Original Soundtrack, although this version was performed by the band Sprung Monkey.
• The song along with "If You Want Blood" is used in the 2005 movie The Longest Yard before the movie's climatic final game.
• The song appears in the video games Madden NFL 11 and the Rock Band expansion AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack. However, in Madden NFL 11, the lyrics were slightly edited.
• The song is used during the opening for the fifth season for Supernatural.
• The song was one of the theme songs for WrestleMania XXVI.
• The song is used by Sussex County Cricket Club when players take to the pitch during Twenty20 matches.
• Thunderstruck was used in the pilot episode of the TV series The Good Guys (2010).
• The song was used for TV Spots for the 2010 film Iron Man 2 and it appears on the AC/DC compilation album released as the film's soundtrack.
• Thunderstruck is the unofficial theme song of the annual Thunder Over Louisville fireworks and air show in Louisville, Kentucky.
• In the film, Battleship, the sequence in which Lt. Hopper and Captain Nagata's crew and several World War II naval veterans reactivate the USS Missouri (BB-63) has this song playing on the soundtrack.
• The song is played at various times during Oklahoma City Thunder games.
• The song is played at various times during Marshall Thundering Herd games of Marshall University.
• The song is used by Manny Pacquiao during his ring walk.
• The song is used by the Melbourne Storm rugby league team when players take to the pitch during NRL matches.
• The song was part of the payload of a computer worm which attacked the Iranian nuclear programme.^[20]
• The song is played at Pittsburgh Steelers home football games, generally during the fourth quarter when the Steeler defense is on the field to pump up the team and crowd when the defense is in need of a big stop.
• The song is used by St Helens RLFC when the players take to the pitch during Super League matches.
• The song has been the official entrance music for North Dakota State University Bison athletics for much of the last 3 decades.
• The song is used by Juventus F.C. at Juventus Stadium as intro when Juventus players taking the field for pre game warming up.
• The song is played by Swansea City A.F.C. at the Liberty Stadium as part of an pre match intro when the players enter the pitch.
• The song is currently being used as the background track for the N.C. State baseball team's introductory video for the 2013 season.
• The song will appear in the soundtrack of the upcoming Disney video game Disney INFINITY.
• This song is the official entrance music for the National Ranked Bergen Catholic High School Wrestling Team.
• The song is played at Six Flags Great Adventure on the ride Sky Screamer while the ride is in motion.
• It was used in a baseball scene in the show The Crazy Ones.
• The song is used before first or second half kickoffs of many United States men's national soccer team home matches.
• The song was used in the pilot episode of the 2014 FOX television series Enlisted.
• The song is the official entrance for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pregame performance.
• The song was used in the fireworks display of New Year in Sydney 2014
• The song is official introduction of the Naptown Roller Girls A-Team, the Tornado Sirens.
• The Angry Birds Toons episode "Thunder Chuck" is a reference to this.
• The song has been used to showcase a proud parent's video editing and guitar skills accompanied by a children's choir.
• In Annoying Orange,"Monster Truck" is a parody of this.
• A popular drinking game played in Northeastern US colleges involves a circle of participants alternating chugs of beer every time the word "Thunder" is sung or chanted.
• The song is also featured in the 2014 Disney movie Planes: Fire & Rescue, just before the Smokejumpers battle a fire, and also in several trailers.
• The song is often heard before 3rd downs and after touchdowns at the National Football League's New England Patriots' home games.
• The song is used by the Virginia Cavaliers football and men's basketball teams to open games at Scott Stadium and John Paul Jones Arena, respectively. Students chant "Wahoos!" over the song's "Thunder" chant.
• The song is played before Alabama Crimson Tide football home games as the team takes the field.
• The song is often played by members of the British Army's 16th Airborne Brigade Pathfinder Platoon before they conduct a HALO jump^[21]

References

1. ↑ Triple M's Ultimate Rock 500 at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 February 2012). Triple M. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
2. ↑ Young, Angus (2003). The Razors Edge (booklet). AC/DC. Epic Records. 
3. ↑ Grein, Paul (January 14, 2015). "Nick Jonas's 'Jealous' Hits a New Pea". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved January 14, 2015. 
4. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
5. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
7. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3. 
8. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Tracklisten. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
9. ↑ "Lescharts.com – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
10. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 47, 2012". Irish Singles Chart.
11. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > AC/DC > Thunderstruck – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
13. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
14. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
15. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
16. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1990-09-29" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
17. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 December 2014. 
18. ↑ "American single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 December 2014.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
19. ↑ "Gordon Duncan Renowned musician and composer", The Herald (Glasgow), 22 December 2005, retrieved 2010-03-06  |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
20. ↑ PC malware hits Iranian nuclear facilities, Times of India Jul 26, 2012
21. ↑ David Blakely: Pathfinder: A Special Forces Mission Behind Enemy Lines (ISBN 9781409129028 )

External links

• "Thunderstruck" at AllMusic.com
• Songfacts for Thunderstuck
• The Ultimate AC/DC Discography
• "Thunderstruck" music video on YouTube
• Thunderstruck (Live at Donnington) on YouTube