In a new interview on a special airing on AXS TV, Bret Michaels declared AC/DC as the greatest rock band ever, a statement that earned agreement from fellow rocker Sammy Hagar.
“If I had to answer the greatest, straight up, in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll band… it’s AC/DC,” said the Poison frontman, with Hagar quickly chiming in that even legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix wouldn’t want to follow AC/DC on stage.
For Michaels, this isn’t just a passing comment. He has long been a vocal fan of the iconic band, especially following the passing of AC/DC’s founding guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017. At the time, Michaels shared his heartfelt condolences: “My thoughts, prayers & deepest condolences go out to the family, friends & everyone within the AC/DC camp on the loss of the truly great Malcolm Young. AC/DC has always been one of my favorite bands & Malcolm will certainly be missed.”
This admiration for AC/DC extends to Michaels’ musical aspirations. In a 2022 interview with The Arizona Republic, he revealed his desire to record a new Poison song with a sound reminiscent of AC/DC’s classic hits, particularly “You Shook Me All Night Long.” “I know I could get outvoted on this, but I said, ‘Guys, I beg you. Let’s just write a straight-up rock song.’ A ‘Nothin’ But a Good Time,’ but modern. ‘Talk Dirty to Me.’ A great guitar riff, good lyrics, a hook in the chorus. Just something that’s fun for us to write. And who knows? Maybe it could be a modern-day [AC/DC] ‘You Shook Me All Night Long.’”
In other news, Poison is gearing up for a major milestone. The band plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, with a tour set for 2026. Drummer Rikki Rockett recently shared that they’re already planning a minimum of 40 dates for the anniversary run, with the possibility of more. “It’s not figured out yet,” Rockett said. “We have agreed to do a minimum of 40 dates and maybe more. So whatever it works out to be, but it’s for sure gonna be that many, at least.”
Rockett also touched on the possibility of touring with another band that makes sense for the anniversary celebration: “If there’s somebody that we can package with that makes sense, great. If there isn’t, then we’ll headline. Whatever makes sense. I don’t know who’s going out yet that year, in ’26, but if it makes sense to package with somebody, we’ll do it.”
With such an exciting year ahead, fans of both Poison and AC/DC can expect plenty of rock ‘n’ roll moments to remember.
