Aerosmith is a band that can fall from a tree (or at least a bath tub) and still keep running.
Just when we think the iconic band from Boston might take its final bow, or break up, there’s another album, single, or at least movie soundtrack that keeps them on the scene. Aerosmith doesn’t necessarily reinvent themselves, they just seem to keep going… maybe they share some DNA with the Rolling Stones.
So Cheers (get it, another Boston reference, we’re so clever) to Aerosmith who since the band first formed in 1970 have been rockin’ ever since.
The boys from Boston began as two different bands in the mid to late 1960’s: Chain Reaction (Steven Tyler‘s band in New Hampshire) and Jam Band (Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton). Drummer Joey Kramer was the catalyst who brought them together by knowing Steven and playing with Jam Band. They played a gig (different bands, same night) when they started the idea of combining the bands. Steven Tyler who was at the time backup vocalist and drummer for Chain Reaction moved to lead vocalist and the positions were pretty much set from there (1970).
Aerosmith was officially formed in 1970 and has had its ups and downs. They parted ways and/or took long breaks a couple times. Perry and Brad Whitford left Aerosmith in 1979 (When Joe was doing his “The Joe Perry Project”… guess he wanted to be like Alan Parsons or something. But then in 1984 the iconic Back in the Saddle Tour brought the key members together on stage again. The first record to record and release post-first-reunion was Done with Mirrors. It did OK, but only went Gold.
However the following record, Permanent Vacation, was a much bigger success. Overall it was a much more produced album using a couple outside songwriters (Desmond Child, for one was an interesting addition, but one that worked very well), and produced by Bruce Fairbairn who tended to put more production bling into songs than anything Aerosmith had done in the past. Dude (Looks Like a Lady), Angel, and Ragdoll were all on Permanent Vacation.
Learning from P.V. Pump was released and got even more attention (and earned Aerosmith a spot on Wayne’s World). These two albums sold over 7million and ensured they would appear just about everywhere from tours in Dubai to guest appearances on The Simpsons, so being the soundtrack to roller coasters in Florida (and the movies haven’t even started yet)
After Pump Aerosmith released (studio albums): Get a Grip, Nine Lives, Just push Play, Honkin’ on Bobo, and then in 2012 after a 8-year gap in new studio albums, Music from Another Dimension. Of course there was another bit of a fight, some drug use and rehab inside the band between all those record releases, but hey, that’s rock’n roll, right?
Looking at their discography, Aerosmith has recorded 9 records that are at least double platinum… and 21 singles in the top 40. Toys in the Attic is 8 times platinum, Pump, and Get a Grip both 7 times. We *think* it’s been said that they are the best selling “American rock band” of all time. Not too shabby, boys.
