Thunderstruck (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Thunderstruck" |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Single by AC/DC | ||||
| from the album The Razors Edge | ||||
| B-side | "Fire Your Guns" | |||
| Released | 10 September 1990 | |||
| Recorded | January 1990 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:52 | |||
| Label | ATCO | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Bruce Fairbairn | |||
| AC/DC singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Thunderstruck" is a very famous song by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was the first song released from their 1990 album, The Razors Edge.
The song was released as a single in countries like Germany, Australia, and Japan. It became very popular, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the U.S.. In 2010, "Thunderstruck" was voted the top rock song in a countdown by Triple M radio in Melbourne, Australia. In fact, the top five songs in that countdown were all by AC/DC!
Contents
How the Song Was Made
Angus Young, one of the guitarists for AC/DC, explained how "Thunderstruck" started. He had a cool guitar trick he liked to play. He showed it to his brother, Malcolm Young, who was also in the band. Malcolm then came up with a great rhythm idea to go with it.
They worked on the song for a few months until all the parts fit together perfectly. When it came to the lyrics, they just needed a good title. They thought of "Thunderstruck" because it reminded them of a childhood toy called "ThunderStreak." Angus felt that "AC/DC = Power," and the name "Thunderstruck" fit that idea perfectly.
This song has been downloaded digitally over a million times. In January 2018, "Thunderstruck" was ranked number 8 in Triple M's "Ozzest 100," which listed the 'most Australian' songs ever.
The Music Video
The music video for "Thunderstruck" was filmed in London at a place called Brixton Academy. This happened on 17 August 1990.
For the video, everyone in the audience was given a free T-shirt. These shirts had "AC/DC – I was Thunderstruck" on the front and the date on the back. All the fans wore these shirts during the filming, making the video look even cooler!
Song Popularity Around the World
"Thunderstruck" was a hit in many countries. Here's how well it did on music charts:
Weekly Charts
| Chart (1990–2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 4 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 65 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 4 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 20 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten) | 29 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 1 |
| France (SNEP) | 45 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 5 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) | 21 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 6 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 3 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 3 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 8 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 22 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 13 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard) | 16 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard) | 5 |
| US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard) | 4 |
Year-End Charts
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 43 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 45 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 47 |
| Chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 85 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) | 49 |
| Chart (2017) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 87 |
| Chart (2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 98 |
| Chart (2019) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 55 |
| Portugal (AFP) | 463 |
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 51 |
Awards and Sales
"Thunderstruck" has sold many copies and received awards for its popularity in different countries. These awards are called "certifications."
| Region | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 5× Platinum | 350,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Denmark) | Gold | 5,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Mexico (AMPROFON) | 3× Platinum+Gold | Expression error: Missing operand for *.^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000^ |
| Ringtones | ||
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 40,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,798,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
||
The Band Members
The people who played on "Thunderstruck" were:
- Brian Johnson – lead singer
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, also sang backup
- Cliff Williams – bass guitar, also sang backup
- Chris Slade – drums and other percussion instruments
A Strange Story: The Song and a Computer Attack
Between 2009 and 2010, "Thunderstruck" was involved in a very unusual event. A special computer program, sometimes called a computer virus, was used to attack a nuclear program in Iran. This program was designed to cause problems with the machinery.
One strange thing that happened was that "Thunderstruck" would sometimes play very loudly and randomly on computers late at night. One scientist working there even said in an email:
...There was also some music playing randomly on several of the workstations during the middle of the night with the volume maxed out. I believe it was playing 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC.
- [ "Thunderstruck" at AllMusic.com]
See also
In Spanish: Thunderstruck para niños
