According to Joe Perry, Angus Young could carry AC/DC as the frontman.
“Angus is really the frontman,” the Aerosmith guitarist told Classic Rock. “He’s the guy. So maybe they could do it without Brian if somebody else could go out there and sing. And I think they’d sell tickets, because people still want to hear those songs. But I don’t know, man. It’s a tough one. Without Brian, I think a lot of people would probably walk away wishing he was there. He’s such a huge part of that band.”
Perry added in the later part of the interview, “So bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones, we’re the last of a dying breed. There won’t be another AC/DC, just like there won’t be another Guns N’ Roses. It’ll be some other kind of music that people want to go see, and maybe there will be some new rock bands to fill the slot. There’s certainly contenders out there.”
The two AC/DC albums Perry loves the most are ‘Powerage’ and ‘Highway to Hell.’ He explained why he likes ‘Powerage’ in a 2021 chat with Classic Rock. The musician said, “All the early records with Bon Scott are great. ‘Powerage’ is definitely one of my favourites.”
Joe continued, “To me, it perfectly distilled everything that I like about rock’n’roll down to its essence. As a guitar player, obviously, I’m going to be drawn in by the riffs and the way Angus just tore it up on every solo. But then you listen to Bon’s story-telling and that’s just wonderful.”
The rocker also noted, “People will know ‘Highway To Hell’ and ‘Back In Black’ because they’re the albums with the big radio songs. But there’s so many great, great songs on ‘Powerage.’ People who’re really into AC/DC understand that ‘Powerage’ is a classic album, a milestone. With each album that came out, they were refining their basic sound. They weren’t trying to invent anything new. By the time they reached ‘Powerage,’ the songs were just getting better and better.”
Perry’s Aerosmith bandmate Steven Tyler inducted AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.