Malcolm Young, whose electrifying guitar riffs propelled Australian rock band AC/DC into rock and roll stardom, died Saturday at 64. Young, who cofounded the band with his younger brother, and lead guitarist, Angus, had been dealing with dementia for several years.

Young was regarded as one of the best rhythm guitarists by those in the rock and roll industry.

“As far as rhythm guitarist players are concerned, there’s James [Hetfield of Metallica, there’s me, there’s Malcolm Young and there’s Rudolf Schenker [of Scorpion],” Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine once said, “There’s no one else that touches the four of us. We’re the fantastic four.”
Members of AC/DC also acknowledged Young’s contribution to the band.

“As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special,” Angus said in a statement. “He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever. Malcolm, job well done.”

The Young brothers’ different guitar styles created the band’s iconic unrestrained, rowdy sound. While Angus captured most of the attention with his schoolboy uniform, exhilarating stage presence, and quick-fingered guitar playing, it was Malcolm who created the backbone of the band, both in terms of music and business. The two are credited as writers on every AC/DC song since the band’s inception in 1973, but it was Malcolm who came up with some of the band’s most iconic riffs including the opening of one of their biggest songs, “Back in Black,” which can still be heard in countless movie and television soundtracks today. Songs such as “Whole Lotta Rosie,” “If You Want Blood (You Got It),” and “Riff Raff” capture Young’s iconic playing style. In a genre where some believe more guitar distortion leads to a more rock and roll sound, Malcolm’s sound is still heavy, but clean. Each chord rings out with clarity, and it is the power of Malcolm’s right hand that adds the intensity and heft to every AC/DC song.

Malcolm Mitchell Young was born on Jan. 6, 1953 in Glasgow before the family emigrated to Sydney, Australia. While Malcolm and Angus would go on to find musical greatness, the family’s first taste of celebrity came on behalf of their older brother George. George was a cofounder of the Easybeats, once dubbed Australia’s response to The Beatles, and a few international hits caused fans to swarm the Young household. This newfound stardom inspired Malcolm to start his own band, and he asked his brother Angus to join him.

AC/DC became the band’s name after the brothers’ sister Margaret noticed a sign on her sewing machine that said “AC/DC.” Angus adopted AC/DC as their band name because he thought its meaning, alternate and direct electrical current, accurately described the band’s sound. The band’s first album, “High Voltage,” was released in 1975 and was produced by George Young. Fronted by Bon Scott, AC/DC found success with rebellious messages about sex, drugs and alcohol.

“Bon was the biggest single influence on the band. When he came in, it pulled us all together,” Malcolm said. “He had that real stick-it-to-’em attitude. We all had it in us, but it took Bon to bring it out.”

AC/DC consistently released an album a year with Scott—”T.N.T.” (1975), “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” (1976), “Let There Be Rock” (1977), “Powerage” (1978), and “Highway to Hell” (1979)—before the front man died of alcohol poisoning in 1980. The band members considered calling it quits, but it was Malcolm who pushed everyone to get back together and pay tribute to their late friend.

“We were back in London, and me and Angus were just sitting around doing virtually nothing. I wasn’t even playing my guitar,” Malcolm said. “And, eventually, we said, ‘Let’s just get together for the sake of ourselves, it doesn’t matter but at least we can play our guitars together and try to get through it.’”

The band came up with most of the music for the album, which would become “Back in Black” (1980), before looking for a new singer. Malcolm and Angus decided on singer Brian Johnson. Reflecting on Johnson’s hiring, the brothers said they were looking for someone who could carry on Scott’s legacy without imitating him. As of 2018, “Back in Black” is the sixth best-selling album in U.S. history.

Young’s tenure with AC/DC was not always without a hitch. Before the band went on tour to promote its “Blow Up Your Video” (1988) album, Young went on hiatus to deal with his alcoholism. Angus had convinced him to take a leave of absence by referring the death of Scott. Stevie Young, Malcolm’s nephew, took over as rhythm guitarist on tour. Malcolm later became sober and was back on the next album, “The Razors Edge” (1990).

Ever since “The Razors Edge,” the Young brothers have written all of the band’s songs. Johnson later disclosed that he felt too much pressure coming up with an album’s worth of lyrics.

In 2003, AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler called the band’s command of the power chord as the “thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body.”

In 2008, the band released its first album in eight years, “Black Ice.” Angus later revealed that Malcolm was having trouble with his memory and concentration during the Black Ice World Tour, which ended in 2010. Four years later, AC/DC announced that Young would be retiring from the band due to health issues, later revealed to be dementia. Stevie Young took over for his uncle on the recording of the band’s 2014 album “Rock or Bust.”
“Mal kept doing what he could until he couldn’t do it anymore, but I have all the material he was working on,” Angus said in an interview with Guitar Player. “There were a lot of riffs, ideas, and bits of choruses. The songwriting process didn’t really change, except for the fact that Mal wasn’t physically there.”

Young is survived by his wife, O’Linda, children, Cara and Ross, his brother Angus, a sister, and three grandchildren.