Malcolm Young

Malcolm Young

Malcolm Young was an Australian guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known for his work with AC/DC. His driving guitar style helped define the band’s hard rock sound.

Quick Facts

Canonical Name Malcolm Young
Born January 6, 1953
Birthplace Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom
Country Australia
Occupations guitarist, songwriter, record producer, musician
Instruments guitar
Gender male
Genres hard rock, blues rock, rock and roll
Associated Acts AC/DC
Active Years Active since 1969
Website www.acdcrocks.com

Identity and Aliases

Name Type Source
Malcolm Young Canonical Name System
Malcolm Mitchell Young Alias Wikidata
Malcolm Mitchell Young Legal name MusicBrainz
Malcom Young Search hint MusicBrainz
Young Alias MusicBrainz

Biography

Malcolm Young was an Australian guitarist and songwriter whose name is closely tied to AC/DC. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he became one of the key figures behind the band’s sound after the group’s formation in 1969, and he remained associated with AC/DC until 2014.

His work as a guitarist placed him at the center of hard rock, with blues rock and rock and roll also shaping his musical identity. Alongside his guitar playing, Young was credited as a songwriter and record producer, roles that reflected his broad influence within the band and in rock music more generally.

Young was the brother of Alexander Young, Angus Young, and George Young. He died on November 18, 2017.

Career Timeline

Year / Period Event Detail Source
1953 Born Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom Wikidata
1969 Career Start Active period begins Wikidata
1971–1972 Member of Velvet Underground MusicBrainz
1973–2014 Member of AC/DC MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of Marcus Hook Roll Band MusicBrainz

Musical Roles

Malcolm Young was a guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and musician. Guitar was his primary instrument, and his work is associated with hard rock, blues rock, and rock and roll.

Role Source
guitarist Wikidata
songwriter Wikidata
record producer Wikidata
musician Wikidata

Bands and Projects

Band / Project Relationship Source
AC/DC Member of Wikidata

Recorded Performances & Appearances

MusicBrainz-listed recording entries connected to Malcolm Young include:

Song Title Artist / Group Relationship Source
Rock Me Baby Malcolm Young Performer MusicBrainz

Musical Style and Instruments

Young’s musical style is associated with hard rock, blues rock, and rock and roll. As a guitarist, he was central to the sound of AC/DC.

Genres

hard rock blues rock rock and roll

Instruments

guitar

Collaborations and Guest Relationships

Artist Relationship Source
Alexander Young Sibling MusicBrainz
Angus Young Sibling MusicBrainz
George Young Sibling MusicBrainz

External Identifiers & Authority Control

Official and database profiles for Malcolm Young are available through AC/DC’s official website, MusicBrainz, Discogs, and other reference resources.

Platform Identifier Purpose Source Confidence Link
Official Website http://www.acdcrocks.com Official website Wikidata High View Profile
MusicBrainz ea719716-da05-46f8-bbd5-cc5803db3d0e Music metadata Wikidata High View Profile
Discogs 273543 Discography database Wikidata High View Profile
IMDb nm0949850 Film/media profile Wikidata High View Profile
VIAF 85728934 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
ISNI 0000000107850129 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
GND 134571681 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
Library of Congress n78011841 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile

Semantic Graph Data (Knowledge Graph)

Subject Predicate Object Source Confidence
Malcolm Young citizenship Australia Wikidata high
Malcolm Young date_of_birth January 6, 1953 Wikidata high
Malcolm Young family_name Young Wikidata high
Malcolm Young gender male Wikidata high
Malcolm Young given_name Malcolm Wikidata high
Malcolm Young place_of_birth Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom Wikidata high
Malcolm Young member_of AC/DC Wikidata high
Malcolm Young instrument guitar Wikidata high
Malcolm Young occupation guitarist Wikidata high
Malcolm Young occupation songwriter Wikidata high
Malcolm Young occupation record producer Wikidata high
Malcolm Young occupation musician Wikidata high
Malcolm Young genre hard rock Wikidata high
Malcolm Young genre blues rock Wikidata high
Malcolm Young genre rock and roll Wikidata high
Malcolm Young member of band Velvet Underground MusicBrainz high
Malcolm Young member of band AC/DC MusicBrainz high
Malcolm Young member of band Marcus Hook Roll Band MusicBrainz high
Malcolm Young sameAs Official Website Artist ID: http://www.acdcrocks.com Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs MusicBrainz Artist ID: ea719716-da05-46f8-bbd5-cc5803db3d0e Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs Discogs Artist ID: 273543 Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs IMDb Artist ID: nm0949850 Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs VIAF Artist ID: 85728934 Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs ISNI Artist ID: 0000000107850129 Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs GND Artist ID: 134571681 Wikidata High
Malcolm Young sameAs Library of Congress Artist ID: n78011841 Wikidata High

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who was Malcolm Young best known for?

A: He was best known for his work with AC/DC. His guitar playing helped shape the band’s sound.

Q: What instruments did Malcolm Young play?

A: His primary instrument was guitar. He is identified as a guitarist and musician.

Q: What genres is Malcolm Young associated with?

A: He is associated with hard rock, blues rock, and rock and roll. Those styles frame much of his work with AC/DC.

Q: Where was Malcolm Young born?

A: He was born in Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Q: What was Malcolm Young's citizenship?

A: He was an Australian citizen.

Q: Which bands is Malcolm Young associated with?

A: He is primarily associated with AC/DC. He also has band associations with Marcus Hook Roll Band and Velvet Underground.

Q: When was Malcolm Young active as a musician?

A: His work period is listed as 1969 to 2014. That span covers his years with AC/DC and related musical activity.

Q: Did Malcolm Young work as anything besides a guitarist?

A: Yes, he is also identified as a songwriter and record producer. Those roles sit alongside his work as a musician.

Data Quality and Sources

Quality Score
86/100
Last Updated
May 13, 2026
Entity Stats
31 Facts
8 Identifiers
22 Relationships
Primary Sources
Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Discogs, GuitarRank Editorial