Aerosmith

For the band's self-titled debut album, see Aerosmith (album).

Aerosmith
Aerosmith members. Clockwise, from top left: Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford, Joe Perry and Joey Kramer
Aerosmith members. Clockwise, from top left: Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford, Joe Perry and Joey Kramer
Background information
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyDiscography
Years active1970–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Members
Past members
Websiteaerosmith.com

Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970.[1][2][3] The group consists of Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums), and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock,[4][5] has also incorporated elements of pop rock,[6] heavy metal,[4] glam metal,[7] and rhythm and blues,[8] and has inspired many subsequent rock artists.[9] Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston"[10] and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".[11][12][13][14] The primary songwriting team of Tyler and Perry is sometimes referred to as the "Toxic Twins".

Perry and Hamilton were originally in a band together, the Jam Band, where they met up with Tyler, Kramer, guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith; in 1971, Tabano was replaced by Whitford. They released a string of multi-platinum albums starting with their eponymous debut in 1973, followed a year later by Get Your Wings.[15] The band broke into the mainstream with their next two albums, Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976).[16] Draw the Line and Night in the Ruts followed in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Throughout the 1970s, the band toured extensively and charted a dozen Hot 100 singles, including their first Top 40 hit "Sweet Emotion" and the Top 10 hits "Dream On" and "Walk This Way". By the end of the decade, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army".[17] Drug addiction and internal conflict led to the departures of Perry and Whitford in 1979 and 1981, respectively.[5] The band did not fare well and the album Rock in a Hard Place (1982) failed to match previous successes.

Perry and Whitford returned to Aerosmith in 1984. After a comeback tour, they recorded Done with Mirrors (1985), which did not meet commercial expectations. It was not until a 1986 collaboration with rap group Run–D.M.C. on a remake of "Walk This Way", and the band's multi-platinum album, Permanent Vacation (1987), that they regained their previous level of popularity.[18] In the late 1980s and 1990s, the band won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997), while they embarked on their most extensive concert tours to date. Their biggest hits during this period included "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Angel", "Rag Doll", "Love in an Elevator", "Janie's Got a Gun", "What it Takes", "Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'", and "Crazy". The band also filmed popular music videos and made notable appearances in television, film, and video games. In 1998, they achieved their first number-one hit with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon's soundtrack and the following year, their roller coaster attraction opened at Walt Disney World. Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock history.[4][5] Additional albums Just Push Play (which included the hit "Jaded"), Honkin' on Bobo (a collection of blues covers), and Music from Another Dimension! followed in 2001, 2004, and 2012, respectively. In 2008, they released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which is considered to be the best-selling band-centric video game. From 2019 to 2022, the band had a concert residency in Las Vegas, which was interrupted from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After Tyler suffered (and ultimately failed to recover from) a vocal injury in 2023 during the third date of their farewell tour, the band retired from touring in 2024.

Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including over 85 million records in the United States.[19][20] With 25 gold, 18 platinum, and 12 multi-platinum albums, they hold the record for the most total certifications by an American group and are tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American group. They have achieved twenty-one Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100, nine number-one Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and were ranked number 57 and 30, respectively, on Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[21] In 2013, Tyler and Perry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2020, the band received the MusiCares Person of the Year award.

  1. ^ "Aerosmith | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. April 15, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Burlingame, Jeff (December 15, 2018). Aerosmith. Enslow Publishing, LLC. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-9785-0521-6.
  3. ^ Furniss, Matters (February 2012). Aerosmith - Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78158-014-1.
  4. ^ a b c Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Aerosmith Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Aerosmith: Biography: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  6. ^ Cater, Darryl. "Aerosmith & KISS will be performing at the Tweeter Center on September 26, 2003". ChicagoGigs.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
  7. ^ Pareles, Jon (July 10, 1988). "Heavy Metal, Weighty Words – NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  8. ^ Coleman, Mark. "Aerosmith: Get A Grip: Music Reviews: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  9. ^ "allmusic – Pop-Metal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
  10. ^ "Aerosmith Biography". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  11. ^ Newman, Melinda (August 15, 1998). "The Billboard Interview – Aerosmith". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 33. pp. 19–20. ISSN 0006-2510. ...it becomes clear why Aerosmith has been tagged 'America's Greatest Rock 'N' Roll Band.'
  12. ^ Ives, Brian. "Aerosmith's Opening Night: Crazy Amazing For Hell's Angels And 'Jaded' Kids". MTV. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference NewHampshire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Whatever there is to say now about Aerosmith, the long-lasting, hard-rocking quintet that has often been billed or hyped as America's greatest rock and roll band, it could have been said two decades ago. Mieses, Stanley (August 9, 1997), "Still Walking the Walk, Leading the Way", Newsday, p. B.05
  15. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 341. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  16. ^ "Aerosmith Just Keeps on Rockin'". Articlecity.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  17. ^ Davis, p. 239
  18. ^ "Aerosmith – Full Biography". The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  19. ^ DiGiacomo, Robert (August 27, 2014). "Aerosmith guitarist Perry tells all; band hits A.C. Sunday". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  20. ^ "Top Selling Artists". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA.com). Archived from the original on July 1, 2007.
  21. ^ "The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 57) Aerosmith". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2008.