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Drummer

Phil Rudd: AC/DC's drummer, decoded

Phil Rudd has anchored AC/DC across most of the band's catalog from 1975 onward. Sonor / Ludwig kit, Zildjian cymbals, Remo Powerstroke 3 kick batter, the canonical hard-rock pocket.

AC/DC · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·

Phil Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd, May 19, 1954, Melbourne, Australia) has anchored AC/DC across most of the band's catalog from 1975 onward. Sonor / Ludwig kit, Zildjian cymbals, Remo Powerstroke 3 kick batter (documented). Defining hard-rock pocket: Highway to Hell (1979), Back in Black (1980), and the band's continuous catalog. Departed twice (1983-1994 substance issues, 2014-2018 legal issues in New Zealand) and returned both times. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with AC/DC (2003).

At a glance

Role

Drummer

Also known as

Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd, Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis

Active

1972–present

Based

Tauranga, New Zealand

Genres

Affiliations

Notable credits

  • AC/DC, High Voltage (1975)
  • AC/DC, Highway to Hell (1979)
  • AC/DC, Back in Black (1980)
  • AC/DC, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
  • AC/DC, The Razors Edge (1990)
  • AC/DC, Black Ice (2008)
  • AC/DC, Power Up (2020)
Sourcing3 citations · reviewed 2026-04-27· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Phil Rudd is

Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd, born May 19, 1954, in Melbourne, Australia, has anchored AC/DC across most of the band's catalog from 1975 onward. He played on the band's defining records (High Voltage, Highway to Hell, Back in Black, For Those About to Rock) and has continued through the 2020 Power Up record. He departed the band twice (1983-1994 over substance issues + interpersonal conflict; 2014-2018 over legal issues in New Zealand) and returned both times.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with AC/DC (2003).

Style signatures

Three things across the AC/DC catalog you can identify as Rudd's:

  1. Pocket-first hard-rock minimalism. Locked-in 4/4 backbeat with no fills + no flourishes; the discipline is the technique. Songs run 3-5 minutes with the same drum pattern throughout.

  2. Hi-hat metronome. Hi-hat on every 8th-note across nearly every AC/DC song; the metronomic clave drives the band's groove.

  3. Kick simplicity. Kick on 1-and-3, no double-bass, no syncopation. The deliberate spartanness is what makes AC/DC sound like AC/DC.

Related

The catalog. AC/DC, High Voltage (1975) through Power Up (2020).

Documented gear. Remo Powerstroke 3 Coated kick batter.

Drummer hub. Drummers index.