AC/DC pt. 1: A Satanic Serial Killer, A Police Man Hunt, and a Media Witch Hunt

DISGRACELAND

Jake Brennan

True Crime, Music, Society & Culture

4.6 • 13.1K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the 1980s, AC/DC’s biggest fan was a notorious serial killer. The band was an international best-selling hit machine, and members like the late Bon Scott and die-hard Angus Young became rock icons. But when the press caught wind of the disturbing fandom of the serial killer Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez, the news quickly dragged the world’s most fun, pure rock ‘n’ roll band straight down the highway to hell and into the center of a media firestorm around Satanic Panic and the inspirations of a murderer. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including graphic depictions of violence and sexual assault. To see the complete list of contributors, visit ⁠disgracelandpod.com⁠ This episode was originally published on February 21, 2023. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠ Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter) ⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠ ⁠TikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Double Elvis.
0:06.7	This episode contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners.
0:11.0	Please check the show notes for more information.
0:14.8	Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis.
0:32.6	The connections between ACDC and Richard Ramirez, the Nightstocker, are insane.
0:37.2	ACDC's song Night Prowler inspired the killer's moniker.
0:43.3	An ACDC hat was the first and for a time only clue in the serial homicide case that gripped Greater Los Angeles in the 1980s.
0:47.4	Richard Ramirez, the Nightstocker, carved a pentagram, a satanic symbol, into one victim's body,
0:53.6	painted the symbol on another victim's
0:55.2	wall, and carved it into the palm of his hand. And Bond Scott, ACDC's lead singer, wore a
1:02.2	pentagram around his neck on the cover of the Highway to Hell album, a detail that was not lost
1:07.7	on the sensationalist news media. The Nightstocker killed 13 people that we know about.
1:14.0	Men, women, and children savagely beaten, strangled, stabs, shot, and raped, most while
1:20.0	sleeping peacefully in their homes.
1:22.6	Richard Ramirez loved to kill, and Richard Ramirez loved ACDC's music.
1:29.3	Great music.
1:30.9	Unlike that music, I played for you at the top of the show.
1:34.1	That wasn't great music.
1:36.0	That was a preset loop from my Melotron called UK Limo MK2.
1:42.4	I played you that loop because I can't afford the rights to Can't Fight This Feeling by
1:47.5	R.O. Speedwagon. And why would I play you that specific slice of crawl upon the floor,
1:54.5	cheese, could I afford it? Because that was the number one song in America on March 17, 1985, and that was the day that
	...

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