Thunderstruck (song)

Thunderstruck is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released as the lead single from their twelfth studio album The Razors Edge (1990). It peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, No. 1 in Finland, and No. 5 on the US "Billboard" Album Rock Tracks chart. In 2010, "Thunderstruck" topped Triple M Melbourne's Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Australia.^[3] The song is used in movies such as Deadpool 2 (2018), Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014), Varsity Blues (1999), The Longest Yard (2005), Battleship (2012), The Fall Guy (2024), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), and Daddy's Home (2015), among others, as well as TV shows such as Cobra Kai (2025). It is one of the best selling singles of all time with over 15 million units sold.

"Thunderstruck"
Single by AC/DC
from the album The Razors Edge
B-side	"Fire Your Guns"
Released	10 September 1990
Recorded	1990
Genre	Hard rock[1][2] arena rock
Length	4:52
Label	ATCO
Songwriter(s)	Angus Young Malcolm Young
Producer(s)	Bruce Fairbairn
AC/DC singles chronology
"That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll" (1988) "Thunderstruck" (1990) "Moneytalks" (1990)
Music video
"Thunderstruck" on YouTube

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, based on our favourite childhood toy ThunderStreak, and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power. That's the basic idea.^[4]

The song has sold over a million digital copies since it became available for digital download.^[5]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, "Thunderstruck" was ranked No. 8.^[6]

The song is one of the most recognizable in the band's entire catalogue and it is a set list staple having been performed at nearly all shows since its release. With the exception of new material from albums they are touring behind, it is one of only four songs released after Back in Black (1980) that are still performed live by the band.

Music video

The video which accompanied the single, directed by David Mallet, 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.^[7]

Critical reception

"Thunderstruck" is widely considered one of the band's best songs. In 2020, The Guardian ranked the song number eight on its list of the 40 greatest AC/DC songs,^[8] and in 2021, the British rock magazine Kerrang! ranked the song number six on its list of the 20 greatest AC/DC songs.^[9]

It appears in a 2025 in American television TV commercial for Starbucks Coffee.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990–2024) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[10] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 65 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 4 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 20 Denmark (Tracklisten)[14] 29 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 33 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] 1 France (SNEP)[17] 45 Germany (GfK)[18] 21 Global 200 (Billboard)[19] 144 Hungary (Single Top 40)[20] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[21] 5 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 3 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 8 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 22 UK Singles (OCC)[28] 13 US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[29] 16 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[30] 5 US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[31] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Australia (ARIA)[32] 43 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[33] 45 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] 47 Chart (1991) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[35] 85 Germany (Official German Charts)[36] 49 Chart (2017) Position Hungary (Single Top 40)[37] 87 Chart (2018) Position Hungary (Single Top 40)[38] 98 Chart (2019) Position Hungary (Single Top 40)[39] 55 Chart (2020) Position Hungary (Single Top 40)[40] 51 Chart (2021) Position Global 200 (Billboard)[41] 194 Hungary (Single Top 40)[42] 54 Chart (2022) Position Global 200 (Billboard)[43] 148 Hungary (Single Top 40)[44] 45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[45]	10× Platinum	700,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[46]	Platinum	60,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[47]	Diamond	800,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[48]	2× Platinum	180,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[49]	3× Gold	900,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[50]	3× Platinum	300,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[51]	3× Platinum+Gold	210,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[52]	6× Platinum	180,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[53]	Platinum	40,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[54]	3× Platinum	180,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[55]	3× Platinum	1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA)[56]	Diamond	10,000,000‡
Ringtones
Canada (Music Canada)[57]	Platinum	40,000*
United States (RIAA)[58]	Platinum	1,798,000[59]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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

Cyber attack of the Iranian nuclear program

The song was reportedly used as part of the payload of a computer virus which attacked the Iranian nuclear program in 2012. In an email sent to Finnish computer security expert, Mikko Hypponen of F-Secure, one of the scientists involved in the nuclear program was quoted as saying:^[60]

...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.

See also

• List of best-selling singles in Australia
• List of highest-certified digital singles in the United States

References

1. Brown, Jake (16 July 2013). AC/DC in the Studio - The Stories Behind Every Album. John Blake Publishing, Limited. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-78219-677-8.
2. Smith, Benjamin (2 February 2014). "Celebrate The Super Bowl With Hard Rock's Top 10 Jock Jams!". VH1. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
3. "Triple M's Ultimate Rock 500". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.. Triple M. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
4. Young, Angus (2003). The Razors Edge (booklet). AC/DC. Epic Records.
5. Grein, Paul (14 January 2015). "Nick Jonas's 'Jealous' Hits a New Peak". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
6. "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
7. "Music video". YouTube. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. Hann, Michael (30 July 2020). "AC/DC – their 40 greatest songs, ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
9. Law, Sam (3 February 2021). "The 20 greatest AC/DC songs – ranked". Kerrang. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
10. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
11. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
12. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
13. "Top Singles - Volume 53, No. 3 Dec 01, 1990". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
14. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Tracklisten. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 October 1990. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
16. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
17. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
18. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
19. "AC DC Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
20. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Thunderstruck". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – AC/DC" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
23. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
24. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
25. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
26. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
27. "AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
29. "AC DC Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
30. "AC DC Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
31. "AC/DC – Chart history". Billboard Rock Digital Songs for AC/DC. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
32. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1990". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
33. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1990". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
34. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1990". Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
35. "Jaaroverzichten 1991". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
36. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
37. "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2017". Mahasz. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
38. "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2018". Mahasz. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
39. "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2019". Mahasz. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
40. "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2020". Mahasz. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
41. "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
42. "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2021" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
43. "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
44. "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2022" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
45. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
46. "Brazilian single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
47. "Canadian single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
48. "Danish single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
49. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Thunderstruck')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
50. "Italian single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
51. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 10 December 2020. Type AC/DC in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Thunderstruck in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
52. "New Zealand single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Radioscope. Retrieved 10 January 2025. Type Thunderstruck in the "Search:" field.
53. "Portuguese single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
54. "Spanish single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
55. "British single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
56. "American single certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
57. "Canadian ringtone certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
58. "American ringtone certifications – AC/DC – Thunderstruck". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
59. "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 09/28/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
60. "Emails from Iran". F-Secure Labs. 23 July 2012.

External links

• "Thunderstruck" at AllMusic.com
• Songfacts for Thunderstuck
• The Ultimate AC/DC Discography