Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston"[2] and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".[3][4][5][6] Their style, rooted in blues-based hard rock,[1][7] has come to also incorporate elements of pop,[8] heavy metal,[1] glam,[9] and rhythm and blues,[10] which has inspired many subsequent rock artists.[11] 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. By 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.

They were signed to Columbia Records in 1972, and released a string of multi-platinum albums, beginning with their 1973 eponymous debut album. In 1975, the band broke into the mainstream with the album Toys in the Attic, and their 1976 follow-up Rocks cemented their status as hard rock superstars.[12] By the end of the 1970s, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a loyal following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army".[13] However, drug addiction and internal conflict took their toll on the band, which resulted in the departures of Perry and Whitford, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. They were replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay.[7] The band did not fare well between 1980 and 1984, releasing a lone album, Rock in a Hard Place, which went gold but failed to match their previous successes.

Although Perry and Whitford returned in 1984 and the band signed a new deal with Geffen Records, it wasn't until the band sobered up and released 1987's Permanent Vacation that they regained the level of popularity they had experienced in the 1970s.[14] Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the band scored several hits and won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997). Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock 'n' roll history.[1][7] After 39 years of performing, the band continues to tour and record music.

Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time,[15] having sold 150 million albums worldwide,[16] including 66.5 million albums in the United States alone.[15] 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 #1 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 in 2005 they were ranked #57 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Studio albums

January 13, 1973 - Aerosmith
March 1, 1974 - Get Your Wings
April 8, 1975 - Toys in the Attic
May 3, 1976 - Rocks
December 1, 1977 - Draw the Line
November 1, 1979 - Night in the Ruts
August 1, 1982 - Rock in a Hard Place
October 21, 1985 - Done with Mirrors
August 18, 1987 - Permanent Vacation
September 12, 1989 - Pump
April 20, 1993 - Get a Grip
March 18, 1997 - Nine Lives
March 6, 2001 - Just Push Play
March 30, 2004 - Honkin' on Bobo




Singles


Aerosmith has had twenty-one songs chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100:

1975: "Sweet Emotion", #36
1976: "Dream On", #6
1976: "Last Child", #21
1977: "Walk This Way", #10
1977: "Back in the Saddle", #38
1978: "Come Together", #23
1987: "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", #14
1988: "Angel", #3
1988: "Rag Doll", #17
1989: "Love in an Elevator", #5
1990: "Janie's Got a Gun", #4 1990: "What it Takes", #9
1990: "The Other Side", #22
1993: "Livin' on the Edge", #18
1993: "Cryin'", #12
1994: "Amazing", #24
1994: "Crazy", #17
1997: "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", #35
1998: "Pink", #27
1998: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", #1
2001: "Jaded", #7



Filmography and videography

In addition to recording and performing music, Aerosmith has also been involved with films, television, video games, and music videos. In 1978, the band starred as the "Future Villain Band" in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Later, when the band resurrected itself in the late 1980s and 1990s, Aerosmith made further appearances, including the "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1990, the "Flaming Moe's" episode of The Simpsons in 1991, and the film Wayne's World 2 in 1993.[145]

The band has been the subject of several video games including Revolution X in 1994, Quest for Fame in 1995, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, in June 2008.[145] The band has also made over 30 major music videos,[146] and released seven home videos or DVDs.


Concert tours

1973: Aerosmith Tour
1974: Get Your Wings Tour
1975: Toys in the Attic Tour
1976-77: Rocks Tour
1977-78: Aerosmith Express Tour (supporting Draw the Line album)
1978: Live! Bootleg Tour
1979-80: Night in the Ruts Tour
1982-83: Rock in a Hard Place Tour
1984: "Back in the Saddle" Tour
1985-86: Done with Mirrors Tour
1987-88: Permanent Vacation Tour 1989-90: Pump Tour
1993-94: Get a Grip Tour
1997-99: Nine Lives Tour
1999-2000: Roar of the Dragon Tour
2001-02: Just Push Play Tour
2002: Girls of Summer Tour
2003: Rocksimus Maximus Tour
2004: Honkin' on Bobo Tour
2005-06: Rockin' the Joint Tour
2006: Route of All Evil Tour
2007: World Tour 2007
2009: Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour



Awards and achievements


Despite Aerosmith's popularity and success in the 1970s, it wasn't until their comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s that they started winning awards and major recognition. In 1987, Aerosmith won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single for the re-mix of "Walk This Way" with Run-D.M.C.. In 1990, Aerosmith won their first Grammy award, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and went on to win a total of four such awards (all of them in the 1990s) for "Janie's Got a Gun", "Livin' on the Edge", "Crazy", and "Pink". Aerosmith is second only to U2 in the number of awards won in that category.[72]

In addition, Aerosmith's music videos won numerous awards throughout the 1990s. Aerosmith ranks as the fourth most successful artist of all-time at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), with ten such awards to date. Aerosmith is also the all-time leader in the categories Best Rock Video (with four such awards) and Viewer's Choice (with three such awards). Aerosmith has also won once each in the categories Video of the Year, Best Group Video, and Best Video from a Film. The videos for which Aerosmith has won VMAs are "Janie's Got a Gun" (2 awards), "The Other Side", "Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'" (3 awards), "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", "Pink", and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".[66]

Over the course of their career (primarily 1990 and after), Aerosmith has also collected seven American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two People's Choice Awards, sixteen Boston Music Awards, and numerous other awards and honors.[66] Some of the high accolades Aerosmith have achieved include induction into Hollywood's Rock Walk in 1990, a declaration of "Aerosmith Day" in the state of Massachusetts by then-Governor William Weld on April 13, 1993, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.[53], and being honored with the mtvICON award in 2002.[116]

In the fields of technology and video games, Aerosmith has achieved several feats. In 1994, Aerosmith released the song "Head First" on the Internet, which is considered to be the first full-length commercial product available online. In 2008, Aerosmith became the first artist to have an entire Guitar Hero video game based around them with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Aerosmith also holds several chart and album sales feats, including the second highest number of number one singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for a group with nine,[47] the only number one debut on the Billboard Hot 100 by a rock group with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing",[148] and the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group.[149] From the Recording Industry Association of America, Aerosmith has achieved 25 gold, 18 platinum, and 12 multi-platinum album certifications, in addition to one diamond album and four gold singles. With 150 million albums sold worldwide and 66.5 million in the United States, Aerosmith is the second-bestselling American group (second to The Eagles) and the bestselling American hard rock band.


Rankings on lists

"Dream On", "Toys in the Attic", and "Walk This Way" (with Run-D.M.C.) are all listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
In 1993, "Rolling Stone: The Top 100 Music Videos" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #11 and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #95.
In 1999, "MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #5 and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #48.
In 2000, "VH1: 100 Greatest Rock Songs" included "Walk This Way" at #35 and "Dream On" at #47.
In 2000, ranked #11 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
In 2001, "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #11, "Crazy" at #23, and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #48.
In 2003, Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time included Rocks at #176 and Toys in the Attic at #228.
In 2003, "VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years" included "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" at #45.
In 2004, Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time included "Dream On" at #172, "Walk This Way" (with Run-D.M.C.) at #287, "Walk This Way" (original) at #336, and "Sweet Emotion" at #408.
In 2004, ranked #18 on the "Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years" chart.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Aerosmith #57 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[150]
In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked the original version of "Walk This Way" at #34 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.[151]
In 2009, "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" ranked Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" (original) at #8.

www.aerosmith.com