When the band originally formed in 1968, they were known as Band X, and featured vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Michael Wagener (who later went on to become a famous record producer, mixer, and engineer), bassist Dieter Rubach and drummer Birke Hoe. The band officially became Accept in 1976, when Udo assembled a new lineup, featuring Udo on vocals, Wolf Hoffmann and Gerhard Wahl on guitar, Peter Baltes on bass and Frank Friedrich on drums.

Accept have reformed and called it quits several times. They first split-up in 1989, reformed in 1992 and then broke up again in 1997. In 2005, the key members of Accept briefly reformed for a tour that was believed to be their last due to Udo Dirkschneider's insistence that he would not be involved with any further recordings with Accept. In May 2009, however, the rest of the line-up from the 2005 tour regrouped permanently with Mark Tornillo as the new vocalist.

Lyrical collaborator "Deaffy" was a pseudonym used by long-time band manager Gaby Hauke, who is now married to Wolf Hoffmann.

Michael Wagener became a producer after quitting his role as Accept's guitarist.