Why Stripping Everything Down Didn't Work on AC/DC's 'Flick of the Switch'

AC/DC were on top of the world — and the charts — when they decided to clean house for the raw, back-to-basics 'Flick of the Switch.' In the process of purging, however, they seemed to forget the winning formula that turned them into rock 'n' roll superstars. The results was their lowest-selling and worst-reviewed album in years. Welcome to the latest installment of Doomed to Fail? with AC/DC.

0:00 Introduction
0:34 AC/DC in the '80s
0:55 It's time for a change
1:17 The album art
1:23 Angus Young explains the album
1:37 What's missing?
1:59 Burned out
2:04 Phil Rudd, Simon Wright
2:15 Tensions build
2:31 How did the album do?
2:49 The downward spiral
2:58 Turning things around
3:17 Conclusion

[ZRockReady]

Every song is excellent on this album, but it was a huge departure in sound with its raw edge. There’s not a bad song on this album.

[seansullivan]

Are you kidding me? This album is great. It has a bunch of good songs. I think it was just the timing of the album and many of their albums that came after. Hard rock and heavy metal was getting big at that time. AC/DC just got overlooked by many people because there was so much of that type of music to choose from.

[marpsr]

Someone said it’s Brian’s Powerage. I think that’s accurate. No hit singles but every song a winner.

[porkypile]

Disagree. It's a fking banger of a record. Screw those who state otherwise.

[tyke]

May not have been a commercial success but this is right up there.
Great album.

[macdonny]

This album rocks!! Love the raw sound, like you're there with them in the room, like real shit! One of goodest ones😊

[mwg]

Flick Of The Switch in my opinion is a really good album. It's really nicely produced - hell lotta better than Blow Up Your Video - and i generally like this record. I think it's a good one.

[jamesmoss]

In my mind flick of the switch is an excellent album that ac/dc did. 😀👍🤘🎸

[jessehorvath]

absolutely a hidden gem, and tragically underrated. Brian's "Powerage"

[danielhartin]

I guess it's all subjective. To my ears, FOTS is one of their best albums ever.

[MrNewman]

This is definitely a hidden gem. Most underrated album in the catalog along with Powerage.

[carlosdanger]

Flick of the switch is my favorite album 😂 WTF are you talking about.. the album is magic

[michaelsnell]

I think the record is very underrated.

[bysykler]

This album is too good to hear the critics voices.

[sellisti]

What is this BS? AC/DC never ”forgot about their winning formula”. Their winning formula has always been making great rock music and being a beast on stage. They have said in interviews that they didn’t like the way their albums were starting to sound and wanted to go back to the basics. Out of all their 80’s albums Flick of the Switch is the most similar to their early 70’s stuff, to me at least. Tight songs performed with great energy and raw sound, with nothing unnecessary. I can totally imagine Bon belting out the title track with his evil grin behind the mic. I think the song material on Flick in general is better than on For Those About To Rock, the only difference being the production and lack of a massive hit song. FTATR sold masses because it came out right after the untoppable Back In Black. Flick should have been a similar success. To me it’s one of their best albums and I will never be convinced otherwise.

[jaydoubleu]

They are all gems even Fly on the wall

[AppocolipticMessiah]

I don't care what anyone says. Flick of the switch is a great album.

[kellyremple]

LOVED "Flick Of The Switch"... Guns For Hire & Flick of The Switch are amazing tracks.

[MP-ihon]

Best Brian Johnson era album next to Back In Black.

[davidolivier]

I didn't appreciate this album when it first came out. However, listening to it now, it is definitely one of my favorites. It is a highly underrated album. I think after the "Bank in Black" and "For Those about to Rock" albums along with resurgence of "Highway to Hell" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" all of which were amazing at the time and put many of us in a constant elevated state of excitement about anything AC/DC for at least a year and a half, I think all the enthusiasm and excitement eventually gave way to burn out so when "Flick of the Switch" came out people weren't ready for it. Now, having heard their greatest hits so many times, "Flick of the Switch" sounds new to me and I love the raw, heaviness of it. I don't understand how I didn't recognize how great it was when it first came out.