AC/DC’s Timeless Hit Is Only Getting Bigger

AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” hits new peaks on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, while also setting longevity records for the band. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 21: Brian Johnson of AC/DC performs during the Power Up tour at Nissan Stadium on May 21, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

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More than three decades after it first dropped, AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” continues to find new life on the charts all around the world. The hard rock staple is currently climbing, and this week, it does something no other song in the band’s discography ever has by rocking higher than ever.

“Thunderstruck” Hits New Highs on Billboard’s Global Rankings

“Thunderstruck” reaches new highs on both of Billboard’s worldwide rankings this week. The track rises from No. 143 to No. 111 on the Billboard Global 200 and improves from No. 151 to No. 134 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Those positions now stand as the band’s peaks on the two tallies.

“Thunderstruck” Is AC/DC’s Longest-Charting Global Smash

As it climbs to new heights, “Thunderstruck” also hits a new milestone in terms of longevity. The song has now spent 104 weeks — a full two years — on the Billboard Global 200, becoming the first AC/DC release to hit that number on any global chart. No other track in the group’s catalog even comes close, as the runner-up, “Back in Black,” has only managed six frames on the same list.

On the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, “Thunderstruck” is up to 19 total weeks. That’s also a record for the band. “Highway to Hell” comes in second among the band’s cuts, with 13 stints.

The numbers show that while AC/DC’s international fanbase is huge, U.S. listeners — whose activity is counted on the Billboard Global 200 but not on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart — are largely responsible for keeping the song so high.

AC/DC’s Other Global Hits Don’t Compare

“Highway to Hell” ranks as the band’s second-highest-rising track on the two tallies. The smash has peaked at No. 142 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 152 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. That gap makes the success of “Thunderstruck” all the more impressive.

“Thunderstruck” Closes In on 300 Weeks on Hard Rock Chart

In the U.S., “Thunderstruck” continues to find space on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart. It dips slightly this week, falling from No. 6 to No. 8, but extends its run to 270 total weeks on the roster. That makes it one of the longest-charting tracks of all time on any Billboard list, regardless of genre.

A Decades-Old Hit That Keeps Getting Bigger

Released back in 1990 as the lead single from The Razors Edge, “Thunderstruck” wasn’t able to chart globally in its prime, since Billboard’s worldwide lists didn’t exist at the time, and wouldn’t for decades. More than three decades later, it’s proving to be AC/DC’s biggest song all over again, and one of the rare rock tracks that keeps getting louder with age.