Aerosmith is an American rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band." Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.
Aerosmith is the best-selling American rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, including 66.5 million albums in the United States alone. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine number-one Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and were included among both Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Biography[]
Legends. Icons. Idols. These are the words used to describe those rare bands that have been adored for a lifetime and immortalized as distinct creators of rock and roll. But what these reverent words are missing is the notion of now. How do you reconcile a generation-spanning word like icon with the quick beat of the present? Aerosmith does it. The band members are legends, icons and idols, dynamic in the present; as cool and innovative now as they were thirty years ago. They are a phenomenon, a force of nature, trail-blazing, unstoppable, showing no signs of slowing down.Unique even among the select handful of rock bands who are still active after their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Aerosmith has sold over 100 million albums.
Think for a second about how big a number that is and how many people have heard their music. Huge! Steven Tyler on vocals, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on guitars, Tom Hamilton on bass, and Joey Kramer on drums. They’ve outdone the trends and fads of rock and roll to become one of the most powerful and electrifying forces in popular music.
Rewind for a minute to the early ‘70s, when the phrase “sex, drugs and rock & roll” was a rebellious teenager. Enter Aerosmith with a sexy swagger and thrusts of metal, glam and boogie woogie. Tyler’s lyrics laced with double entendres and witty humor perfectly complimented by the entire group cool urban charisma. Beyond driving rock and roll tunes, Aerosmith created quintessential power ballads such as Dream On. This dual skill set gave the band a string of gold and platinum albums, including Get Your Wings, Toys in the Attic and Rocks.
The early ‘80s were rockier times, with Perry and Whitford temporarily leaving the Aero fold to pursue solo projects. The guitarists returned in 1984 and soon after, Aerosmith was back in the saddle again. And they have been on top of the charts ever since. Albums like Permanent Vacation, Pump, Get a Grip and Nine Lives, Just Push Play, and their latest release, the blues-inspired 'Honkin' on Bobo', have all been huge successes. And the killer videos – a driving force of the video medium, these Boston rockers led the look, style and attitude of the ‘80s MTV generation. Videos for Dude Looks Like a Lady, Livin’ On the Edge and Crazy (starring Liv) are solid MTV classics. And later, with videos like Pink and Jaded, Aerosmith continued to cut the edge.
Always a step ahead of the pack, Aerosmith’s Just Push Play is the first album to be produced by band members Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (along with Mark Hudson and Marti Frederiksen). The unforgettable pop melodies and bone-shaking rock riffs that are Just Push Play sent Aerosmith even further on their path to musical immortality.
'Honkin' on Bobo' was released in March 2004, and as one Rolling Stone review put it: "Aerosmith don't have much time for pain on Honkin' on Bobo. The songs are mostly about gettin' some, then gettin' outta there -- Dixon's "I'm Ready," Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" -- and the attack is heavy Sixties shindig: snarling guitars, thunderclap drumming, Steven Tyler's 3-D snake hiss and widescreen yowl. Bobo is really a combined tribute: to the originators of the blues' core repertoire and the explosive, electric inventions of 1960s British bands such as the Yardbirds, Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac." (David Fricke, Rolling Stone)
With such an unstoppable passion for creating great music, a unique creative vision and an unyielding appreciation for their fans, there are no limits to what the future holds for Aerosmith.
References in That 70's Show[]
Tornado Prom - Eric and Donna have a circle at the WFPP radio station where Donna was working. To occupy the other two seats, they place cardboard cutouts of Joe Perry and Steven Tyler. Eric does bad impressions of them, which amuses Donna, before the cardboard cutouts seem to talk from themselves.
Eric's Drunken Tattoo - Eric has read Donna's journal in which she reveals she had a dream about Eric as Steven Tyler. After reading this, Eric also fantasizes about himself as Steven Tyler, which prompts him to question if Donna would prefer a man more like that.