Which AC/DC album was the first to be recorded without Malcolm Young?

Which AC/DC album was the first to be recorded without Malcolm Young? The answer is Rock or Bust.

Released on 28 November 2014, Rock or Bust was AC/DC’s sixteenth studio album and the first to feature Stevie Young on rhythm guitar in place of founding member Malcolm Young. Stevie, Malcolm’s nephew, had previously filled in for him during parts of the 1988 Blow Up Your Video tour, but Rock or Bust marked his first appearance on an AC/DC studio album.

Malcolm’s absence was caused by serious health problems, later identified as dementia. He retired from the band in 2014 and died in 2017. The album was recorded in Vancouver with producer Brendan O’Brien, and its lineup still included Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd, although Rudd’s legal troubles soon affected the touring lineup.

A common mix-up is Power Up, released in 2020. That album also followed Malcolm’s death, but its songs were largely built from previously developed ideas and recordings involving Malcolm. Rock or Bust is the clear first album made without him.