Aerosmith is a hard rock band with a strong blues influence. The band’s music, however, contains elements of pop, rhythm and blues, and even heavy metal. Aerosmith was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Joe Perry, the lead guitarist, Tom Hamilton, the bassist, Stephen Tyler, the singer, Joey Kramer, the drummer, and Ray Tabano, another guitarist, made up the original lineup. Before they met the other guys and formed Aerosmith, Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton were in a band called the Jam Band.
In 1971, Ray Tabano was replaced by another guitarist, Brad Whitford, who became known as “The Bad Boys from Boston.” Aerosmith quickly gained a following in Boston, and the band signed a deal with Columbia Records in 1972. Following its signing, it went on to release a string of multi-platinum albums. By 1975, the band had entered the mainstream, and by 1976, its fame had grown to the point where the band members were among the most well-known hard-rock stars of the time. The albums Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976) helped them get there, in addition to their debut album, Aerosmith, released in 1973.
Despite the band’s success and devoted fan base, problems began to arise. Drug addiction, as well as conflicts among band members, wreaked havoc in the late 1970s. By 1981, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford had both left the band. As replacements, Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay joined the band.
Unfortunately, the band did not have the same level of success in the early 1980s; they did release one album, Rock and a Hard Place, during this time, but it did not have the same level of success as before. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford eventually rejoined the band in 1984, and the band signed a record deal with Geffen Records. Despite this, addiction continued to be a problem for the band and hampered their continued success. With the release of its album Permanent Vacation in the late 1980s, the band finally woke up and regained its former level of popularity. The band’s success continued throughout the rest of the 1980s and 1990s, with multiple hits and awards for albums like Nine Lives and Pump.
Aerosmith is still touring and recording music today. It is, in fact, regarded as one of the most successful bands to emerge from the United States. Fans all over the world have purchased more than 150 million albums from the band. Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and Rolling Stone Magazine named the band one of the 100 greatest artists of all time.