Why is AC/DC founder leaving band?

AC/DC has announced that Malcolm Young, far left, will not be returning to the group. AC/DC has been one of the hardest-rocking -- and longest-lasting -- bands on the scene. The group formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia. Here's a look back at the rockers through the years:

The band hangs out with their manager Michael Browning, right, in 1976.

Angus Young sits on Bon Scott's shoulders while performing at the Town Hall in St. Albans, England, in 1976. Young is known for performing in a schoolboy uniform.

AC/DC performs at the Kursaal Ballroom in England in 1977.

Left to right: Phillip Rudd, Angus Young, Mark Evans, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott pose for a photo in 1977. Scott, who was the lead singer of the band in the '70s, died in 1980.

Angus Young performs in Chicago in 1979.

Devoted fans wait in the cold and snow to buy tickets for AC/DC's Denver show in 1982.

The band poses for a photo at a bar in Rhode Island in 1985.

AC/DC performs at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, in 1986.

Brian Johnson and Angus Young perform in Leiden, Netherlands, in 1991. Johnson took over as lead singer and sang on AC/DC's biggest hits, including "Back in Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long."

The "Hells Bells" bell is seen on stage at an AC/DC concert in 2000.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, center, poses with AC/DC at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2003.

The band shoots the video for their song "Rock 'n' Roll Train" in London in 2008. The group's 2008 album "Black Ice" was the second-biggest album of the year, with 6 million sold.

Angus Young performs with the band onstage in Melbourne in 2010.

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• AC/DC founder Malcolm Young won't be returning, band says


• Young has been suffering from an undisclosed illness


• His nephew, Stevie Young, will take over, band says


• Group's new album is due out in December

(CNN) -- AC/DC founder Malcolm Young won't be returning to the group, the band has announced.

The group's new album, "Rock or Bust," does not include Young. It will be released December 2, with a single, "Play Ball," due to make its debut Saturday during the TBS postseason baseball campaign. (TBS, like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner.)

In April, the band revealed that Young was struggling with an undisclosed ailment. A press release said the illness was the reason he was unable to return.

"Unfortunately, due to the nature of Malcolm's condition, he will not be returning to the band," the statement said. "AC/DC will undertake a world tour in support of 'Rock or Bust' in 2015. Stevie Young, nephew of founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, plays rhythm guitar on 'Rock or Bust' and will accompany the band on tour."

AC/DC's Malcolm Young ill, 'taking a break' from band

The band hasn't disclosed the nature of Malcolm Young's illness, but one musician told an Australian radio station in April that the situation was "serious."

Mark Gable told Australia's ABC Radio that Young "is sick. ... It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious." Gable's remarks were reported at the time in The Sydney Morning Herald.

In July, lead singer Brian Johnson told Classic Rock magazine that Young was in the hospital.

"We miss Malcolm obviously. He's a fighter. He's in hospital but he's a fighter. We've got our fingers crossed that he'll get strong again," Johnson told the magazine.

AC/DC is one of the biggest-selling bands in music history with more than 70 million albums sold in the U.S. alone, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

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