AC/DC gave us the best drinking songs in rock: Study

Generations of fans probably already knew this, but now science has confirmed that AC/DC is the rock band with the most drinking songs.

In a study conducted by whisky retailer Flask & Barrel, they occupied four of the top 10 rock songs: first place was with 1990’s “Thunderstruck”, second place was with 1979’s “Highway to Hell”, fourth place was with 1980’s “Back in Black” and eighth place was with “You Shook Me All Night Long”, also from 1980.

Brian Johnson sang “Thunderstruck” and the Top 40 hits “Back in Black” and “You Should Me All Night Long,” while original frontman Bon Scott sang vocals on “Highway to Hell.”

READ MORE: The most overlooked song from any AC/DC album

Flask & Barrel analyzed Spotify playlists that contained titles that referenced drinking or partying. They found just over 23,400 of them and then sorted the tracks by genre. “Thunderstruck” was the top rock song, with 521 spots on party playlists. “Highway to Hell” appeared on 477 playlists, “Back in Black” on 447, and “You Shook Me All Night Long” on 393.

Overall, AC/DC appeared on 4,143 party playlists, the most of any song in that genre. Hip-hop, however, was the most popular genre with 70,249 songs. Usher’s “Yeah!” topped the list of hip-hop drinking songs with 1,191 appearances.

Third place among the rock songs was “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd with 470; fifth place was “Hotel California” by the Eagles with 430. Songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Fortunate Son”), Fleetwood Mac (“Dreams”), Journey (“Don’t Stop Believin'”) and Toto (“Africa”) completed the top 10 rock songs.

Most popular rock band performances on party playlists
1. AC/DC: 4,143
2nd Queen: 3,512
3. Rolling Stones: 3,242
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 2,885
5. Fleetwood Mac: 2,864
6. Nirvana: 2,788
7. Led Zeppelin: 2,713
8. Creedence Clearwater Revival: 2,603
9. Guns N’ Roses: 2,451
10. Green Day: 2,332

AC/DC talk about the creation of “Back in Black”