AC/DC Singer's Vacuum Jingle Landed Him Iconic Career

A vacuum cleaner commercial changed rock history, and the resurfaced footage is giving fans something to smile about decades later.

In 1980, Brian Johnson used his signature raspy voice to enthusiastically sing about Hoover's "new high-powered mover" in a British television ad. The backing track sounds like a proper rock song, and Johnson doesn't hold back one bit as he declares the vacuum "also cleans, it also sweeps, it brushes right to the edge."

The commercial itself is pure entertainment. But the story behind it makes the moment even better.

Johnson had spent years fronting the British rock band Geordie without much financial success to show for it. When a woman called asking him to audition for AC/DC in London following the death of lead singer Bon Scott, Johnson was hesitant about making another attempt at the music industry.

Then recording engineer André Jacquemin called with a paying gig. Hoover needed someone to sing an advertising jingle in London for £350, which Johnson described as "a big lump of money" at the time.

"I thought, hang on, I could probably go down and do the AC/DC thing on the same day," Johnson later recalled.

So he took the vacuum commercial job, which gave him a practical reason to make the trip to London. While there, he also auditioned for AC/DC.

The decision paid off spectacularly. On April 15, 1980, AC/DC officially announced Johnson as its new lead singer. Just over three months later, the band released "Back in Black" with Johnson on vocals.

Why This Inspires

Sometimes the smallest decisions create the biggest opportunities. Johnson almost passed on the audition that would define his career. A simple commercial gig for a vacuum cleaner became the bridge between uncertainty and one of rock's most iconic roles.

"Back in Black" became one of the best-selling albums in music history. AC/DC fans now joke about the unusual origin story, with one commenting, "They should have played that tune on tour!"

Not a bad return on £350 and a willingness to say yes when opportunity knocked twice in one day.