Why AC/DC's third album became a multi-million dollar headache for a random Illinois couple
In short: Released in Australia in 1976 but delayed in the U.S. until 1981, AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is a hard rock classic. Yet, its path to success was marred by corporate indecision, a bizarre lawsuit from a suburban couple, and a confusing history of edited tracks and international variations.
The album's title track features a phone number, 36-24-36, which was a functional number in 1960s Australia. In 1981, after the album finally hit the U.S. market, a couple from Libertyville, Illinois, filed a $250,000 lawsuit against Atlantic Records. They claimed the song’s digits, followed by an audible '8', matched their personal phone number, leading to hundreds of harassing prank calls. This legal friction was just one chapter in the album's turbulent history, which saw the band nearly dropped by their label before finding massive success.
The international release of the album was a patchwork affair, significantly different from the original Australian version. Tracks like 'Jailbreak' and 'R.I.P.' were removed, replaced by 'Rocker' and 'Love at First Feel'. Furthermore, songs like the title track and 'Ain't No Fun' were edited for length, with the latter losing its final minutes of guitar licks and chanting. These edits were restored on a 1994 remastered CD, only to be reverted to the shorter versions in 2003, creating a complex legacy for collectors and fans trying to track the 'true' version of the record.
Despite the chaos, the album eventually achieved 6× platinum status in the U.S., trailing only Highway to Hell and Back in Black in AC/DC's American sales. However, its late 1981 U.S. release was criticized by industry insiders as a 'crass' move that cannibalized the momentum of the band's newer work, For Those About to Rock We Salute You. By the time the record finally arrived in American stores, the band had already moved on, leaving the album to exist as a strange, gritty relic of their early, unpolished era.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/culture-dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in UK & Irish culture · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics
