Thirty years ago today, a landmark hard rock album was released...acting as a blueprint for many hard rock acts that followed, even up to some of today's acts.

"Highway to Hell" by AC/DC was one of the first 8-track tapes I ever owned.  (Yes...8-track.  If you don't know, Google it).  I've also had it on vinyl...and currently have it on CD.

I remember looking at just the album cover and thinking the guy with the devil horns was just the coolest thing.  At the time I didn't know that was Angus...but over the years that bad boy image was personified in his on and off stage antics.

Since then I've come to know Angus inside and out...as well as the other members of the band.  I've got most of their albums...and not a week goes by that I don't crank one of them up in the car or on the MP3 player.

I've often used AC/DC to clear my mind while driving to and from work.  It came in especially handy when I lived and worked in Denver and had to engage in the "kill or be killed" 75 mph "Thunderdome on wheels" that was the commute in that town.  :)

When my friends and I all had AC/DC albums...and we would listen to them whenever we were hanging at each other's houses.  So when we all finally started to get our driver's licenses it was a natural move to have AC/DC tapes and cassettes in the car.

While I had heard AC/DC before..."Highway to Hell" was the album that really turned me onto the band.  Unfortunately, it was lead singer Bon Scott's last album before he died...and that tragedy only added to the band's mystique, setting the stage for a massive next album in the equally hard and heavy "Back In Black".

Ever since, die-hard fans have segmented the band's catalog into "BS" and "AB".  ("Bon Scott" AC/DC and "After Bon" AC/DC).  The stuff with Bon will always be my favorite.  "Powerage" and "Dirty Deeds" are two other must have records.  They are as hard rocking today as they were when they were released in the mid to late 70s.

And one need only listen to some of today's bands like "Jet", "Airbourne" and "The Answer" to hear their influence still ring out through those Marshall amps.

And Angus' weapon of choice, the Gibson SG, is now an icon of rock music.  Others played the SG before Angus...but the images of that little man, all of 100 pounds soaking wet, wielding that cherry red axe, has forever made that guitar his and his alone.

So at the risk of ticking off your neighbors...or the family in the mini-van next to you at the stop light...get out the CD, set the volume knob to "11" and get ready to rock out all over again.