Everyone knows the AC/DC anthems, “Back in Black,” “Thunderstruck,” “You Shook Me All Night Long.” They’re the songs that built the stadiums, melted the amps, and made Angus Young a legend in a schoolboy uniform. But beyond the hits lies a treasure trove of underrated bangers, songs that show the band’s depth, swagger, and surprising emotional range.
These aren’t the tunes you’ll hear blaring between innings at a ballgame or on a car commercial. These are the deep cuts, the ones that make true fans smirk when they come on and say, “Ohhh, now this is AC/DC.”
So let’s turn the dial up to eleven and dig into five of the most criminally underrated AC/DC songs of all time.
Underrated AC/DC Songs
1. “Down Payment Blues” (from “Powerage,” 1978)
If there’s one album that real fans guard like a secret weapon, it’s “Powerage.” And the crown jewel of that record might just be “Down Payment Blues.” Forget the rock star glamour, this is Bon Scott at his rawest and most relatable. He’s broke, desperate, and trying to keep his cool about it: “I got myself a Cadillac, can’t afford the gas.”
It’s pure, gritty storytelling. The rhythm chugs like a freight train, Phil Rudd’s drumming is steady and unshowy, and Angus and Malcolm lock into that perfect blues-rock groove that makes you want to stomp your foot and smirk.
“Down Payment Blues” doesn’t need flash. It’s all feel. It’s the sound of a band that understood that real rock and roll is born from struggle, not success. It may not get much press in Rolling Stone, but it rocks.
2. “Overdose” (from “Let There Be Rock,” 1977)
Now here’s a song that’s as wild and dangerous as the title suggests. “Overdose” is Bon Scott-era AC/DC at their most unhinged, a slow-burning, sleazy love song that spirals into total madness by the end.
The intro is pure tension. Those ringing guitars sound like warning bells before Angus lets loose with one of his dirtiest riffs ever. And then Bon storms in, slurring, seducing, and howling about a love so intense it’s practically toxic. The beauty of “Overdose” is that it feels like it could fall apart at any second, but somehow it doesn’t.
3. “What’s Next to the Moon” (from “Powerage,” 1978)
Let’s stay on “Powerage” a little longer, because it’s just that good. “What’s Next to the Moon” is one of AC/DC’s strangest, coolest songs, a mythic blues tale wrapped in power chords and swagger.
Lyrically, it’s pure Bon Scott, mixing American mythology with his signature smirk. Musically, it’s lean and mean, Angus plays like a man possessed, firing off riffs that sizzle without ever getting showy.
There’s something hypnotic about it, too. The rhythm never stops, it just grinds forward, dirty and irresistible. If there was ever a song that showed how blues and mythology can crash into rock and roll perfection, this is it.
4. “Riff Raff” (from “Powerage,” 1978)
Okay, one more “Powerage” track, because seriously, that album doesn’t miss. “Riff Raff” is an absolute monster of a song that somehow still doesn’t get the mainstream love it deserves. It opens with one of the most electrifying intros in AC/DC history, a live-wire build-up that snaps into a full-speed, barroom brawl of a riff.
Bon Scott delivers one of his best vocal performances here. He’s sneering, defiant, full of attitude. The lyrics celebrate the misfits, the outcasts, the ones the world writes off, and if that doesn’t sum up the spirit of AC/DC, what does?
It’s fast, it’s filthy, and it never lets up. “Riff Raff” is the kind of song that makes you want to grab your leather jacket, slam your drink, and start a bar fight just because the groove demanded it.
5. “Spellbound” (from “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” 1981)
Everyone talks about “For Those About to Rock” for its title track, but the real hidden gem is “Spellbound.” It’s dark, hypnotic, and surprisingly heavy, a slow, stalking groove that feels like the sound of a thunderstorm rolling in.
Brian Johnson had just joined the band a year earlier, but here he sounds completely locked in, his raspy snarl riding over Iommi-level guitar crunch from Angus and Malcolm. The lyrics are pure rock mysticism, full of temptation and danger.
What makes “Spellbound” so underrated is its atmosphere. It’s not a party song, it’s a shadowy mood piece. The band shows restraint, letting the tension simmer instead of exploding. It’s AC/DC proving they didn’t always have to play fast to hit hard. Sometimes, slow and mean does the trick.
The Power of the Deep Cuts
AC/DC have never been about complexity, they’re about feel. But their best underrated songs reveal that there’s way more going on beneath the surface than they ever get credit for.
“Down Payment Blues” and “What’s Next to the Moon” show their blues roots in full bloom. “Overdose” and “Riff Raff” capture the manic, dirty energy that makes Bon Scott’s era so legendary. And “Spellbound” shows the darker, more cinematic side of the Brian Johnson years.
The beauty of these tracks is that they all hit different moods, swagger, desperation, rebellion, menace, but they’re united by that unmistakable AC/DC pulse. It’s the sound of electricity, of danger, of rhythm so tight it’s practically illegal.
The hits made AC/DC legends, sure, and that’s easy to see on Billboard’s tally of their best-selling songs. But it’s the deep cuts that made them immortal. They remind you that for every “Thunderstruck,” there’s a “Riff Raff.” For every “Back in Black,” there’s a “Down Payment Blues.”
So next time you’re queuing up a playlist, skip the greatest hits just once. Put on “Powerage,” light a cigarette you don’t plan to finish, and let these underrated songs do what they do best, make you feel alive, dangerous, and just a little bit spellbound.
Because with AC/DC, it’s not just about the hits, it’s about the heartbeat between them.
Sources and more: Check out more on AC/DC from Britannica. They have a great history on the band. The publication 8 Notes also has a comprehensive history of AC/DC. Finally, AC/DC’s official website is backed with knowledge and goodness.
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