Malcolm Mitchell Young (6 January 1953 – 18 November 2017) was an Australian musician who was the rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the hard rock band AC/DC.

In 1940, he joined the Royal Air Force and served in World War II as a flight engine mechanic.

[8] A TV advertisement shown in Scotland at that time offered assisted travel for families to start a different life in Australia.

[8] Fifteen members of the Young family left Scotland in late June 1963,[8] including fifth son George (1946–2017) and younger brothers Malcolm and Angus (b.

[8] The Young family then moved into a semi-detached house at 4 Burleigh Street in the Sydney suburb of Burwood.

[11] In 1988, Young missed the majority of AC/DC's Blow Up Your Video World Tour to address alcohol abuse issues.

During production of their album Power Up, a source inside the band leaked that they were working with tracks from as far back as 2003 that Malcolm had recorded.

[22] On 16 April 2014, AC/DC released a note stating that Young would be "taking a break from the band due to ill health".

[25] Stevie Young continued to fill in for Malcolm on the band's 2015 Rock or Bust World Tour and eventually became his full-time replacement.

[26] On 26 September 2014, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Young had been diagnosed with dementia and had been admitted to a nursing home where he could receive full-time care.

He added that AC/DC would continue according to his brother's wishes and standards: "Look, even with his health, Malcolm was touring until he couldn't do it anymore."

[28] In an interview with Guitar Player about Young's songwriting credits in Rock or Bust, Angus stated: Mal kept doing what he could until he couldn't do it anymore, but I have all the material he was working on.

[29]Young died from the disease on 18 November 2017 at the age of 64,[30] at Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay.

This is contrary to a common belief of many rock guitarists that rhythm guitar should involve loud and overdriven power chords.

[35] Dave Mustaine of Megadeth stated in a 2004 interview that he considered himself, Young, Rudolf Schenker of The Scorpions, and James Hetfield of Metallica to be the best rhythm guitarists in the world.

[36] In 2006, he was the subject of a song (and album) title by Australian punk rock band Frenzal Rhomb: "Forever Malcolm Young".

On the day of Young's passing, several of the biggest names in rock and metal sent out tributes to Young, including Eddie Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Billy Idol, Paul Stanley of Kiss, Joe Walsh, Joe Satriani, Def Leppard, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Foo Fighters, Alice Cooper, Muse, and Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe and many more.

Many of these artists covered an AC/DC song at their concerts on the day of or around the time of Young's passing as part of their tribute, including Foo Fighters and Guns N' Roses.