When Wal-Mart noticed its AC/DC  t-shirts were among some of its best-selling, the world’s biggest retailer realized some type of partnership with the rock band might make sense.

Now, as AC/DC prepares for the Oct 20 launch of its latest album, that partnership is coming to life — it goes far beyond shirts.

Wal-Mart, which was chosen by the band to exclusively sell the “Black Ice” album in its stores in the U.S., is setting up ”Rock Again AC/DC Stores” inside all of its 3,500 Walmart locations. They will be stocked with the new album, AC/DC clothes, DVDs, the band’s earlier albums, games, and an area to try out the new AC/DC Rock Band video game.

Wal-Mart is also making its presence known in Manhattan, an island currently Wal-Mart free. On Friday, it parked its ”Black Ice” truck in Times Square and set up  a stage so passers-by could try out the new AC/DC Rock Band video game.

Melissa O’Brien, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said the band appeals to everyone from 50-year-olds to 15-year-olds, and the retailer was watching to see if the AC/DC push would attract new shoppers to its stores.

At Times Square, 39-year-old Bill Voccia said he was ”definitely one of the band’s biggest fans.” A member of an AC/DC tribute band, he could not wait to get his hands on the new album. Voccia said he prefers to buy CDs rather than get his music online – a good thing considering AC/DC is among a handful of musicians who refuse to put their music on iTunes.

Juan Delaluz could also be described as a big fan. The 13-year-old was dressed in an AC/DC hat, an AC/DC t-shirt and AC/DC pin. Delaluz, who informed his teachers he would miss school on Friday because of the Time Square event, said he was one of the only ones among his friends who still buy CDs — everyone else listens to music on their iPods.

But not everyone in the crowd was an AC/DC fan or quite sure what the event in Times Square was all about.

When this reporter asked one teenager if she was a fan of AC/DC, she responded with a puzzled look.

“I don’ t know who they are,” she said.

She was more interested in watching her friends play Rock Band–not realizing the songs on the video game were all AC/DC songs.

(Photo: A picture of Voccia playing Rock Band in Manhattan. Provided by Wal-Mart)