For over three decades, Aerosmith has been one of rock’s most revered and popular bands, crafting classic songs full of raw guitar runs as well as intensely energetic vocals.
The band first reached fame in the 1970′s with a string of hits including “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” Throughout this period, Aerosmith’s music defied easy categorization, falling someplace between hard rock/blues and early punk, with occasional power ballads here and there.
The group enjoyed major global recognition throughout the 1970′s, but a split from 1979-84, and the serious substance abuse and drug addictions that contributed to their decline, would nearly relegate them to the annals of history.
However, in 1984, Aerosmith was born again. They continued to take pleasure in resurgence in popularity that has made them one of the top-selling and most well-known rock bands in the world right now.
Through their difficult and rocky history, Aerosmith defied failure and even defied mediocrity in a fast-paced rock-and-roll world loaded with misfortune. Aerosmith signed with Columbia Records in 1972 and launched their initial album simply titled Aerosmith, which included the rock hard music hit song, “Dream On”.
After constant touring, the band produced Get Your Wings in 1974, which did pretty well on the rock music charts, however it was Toys in the Attic in 1975 that established Aerosmith as international superstars.
Initially pegged as Rolling Stones clones, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a very unique and original talent in their very own right. Part heavy metal, part glam rock, as well as part punk, Toys in the Attic was an immense success, starting with the single “Sweet Emotion”, then a successful re-release of “Dream On”, plus a new song from the album, “Walk This Way”.
Both of the group’s prior albums re-charted because of this. Aerosmith’s subsequent album, Rocks, went platinum quickly and featured two rock list music hits, “Back in the Saddle” and “Last Child”.
Aerosmith launched its mammoth-selling Greatest Hits record in 1980, and in 1981 the group suffered another loss with the loss of Brad Whitford.
Rick Dufay replaced Whitford and the band recorded their seventh album, Rock in a Hard Place. This album was considered a relative failure. The concert tour that followed this release is significant for Steven Tyler’s collapse onstage during a 1983 performance.
On Valentine’s Day 1984, Perry and Whitford went to see Aerosmith play. They eventually rejoined the ranks of Aerosmith again in April of that year.
Steven Tyler recalls, “You should’ve felt the buzz the moment all five of us got together in the same room for the first time again. We all began laughing – it was like the five years had never passed. We knew we’d made the right move.”