Where Aerosmith ranks among best American bands as they announce an end to touring

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As a child of the ’80s and a lifelong rock fan, I’ve grown up with Aerosmith’s music playing in the background, like a soundtrack to my youth. From the raw, gritty blues-rock of their early days to their pop-infused comeback in the late ’80s and beyond, they’ve been a constant presence in my life.

Hey there fellow music enthusiast! As someone who’s grown up with a soundtrack of classic American rock, I must say I was left scratching my head after UltimateClassicRock.com published their list of the fifty greatest American bands of all time earlier this year. Now, don’t get me wrong – it’s always interesting to see what others consider the cream of the crop, but there were a few decisions that had me questioning whether we were listening to the same tunes!

As a dedicated music enthusiast, it’s hard to swallow that The Velvet Underground was placed at the 27th spot. Despite my deep-rooted admiration for Steely Dan, I find it tough to comprehend their placement above bands like Nirvana, Ramones, and Metallica. However, I must acknowledge that Ultimate Classic Rock (UCR) has one commendable aspect: they ranked Aerosmith at number five on their list.

That seems about right to me. Now that the bad boys from Boston are calling it quits – at least as far as touring goes – I’d like to offer a brief tribute. The UCR list has them behind the Beach Boys, Petty, Van Halen and Credence Clearwater Revival. I’d move them ahead of CCR, who only lasted as an album-releasing band for about five years but would probably have a couple other lower-ranked bands in the top five. No matter what, Aerosmith is without question one of the ten greatest American rock bands of all time.

Where should Aerosmith rank among the best American bands ever?

That really shouldn’t be in dispute, but it is. No American band has sold more albums worldwide than Aerosmith. No major American band has lasted as long with the same core lineup. Still, there have always been complaints. In the beginning, during their exceptional mid-‘70s run, they were called a poor man’s Stones.

Indeed, they bore a striking resemblance to the iconic duo, Mick and Keith. With a charismatic frontman sharing songwriting duties with their lead guitarist, their blues-rock sound clearly drew inspiration from them.

If your band comes close to equaling one of the top three legendary rock bands throughout history for an extended period, it significantly boosts your position among the greats. Notably, Aerosmith managed to revitalize itself after hitting rock bottom in the early ’80s and went on to achieve even greater success. This alone suggests that they should be included among those timeless greats.

Critics often face their troubles right there, as many of them shifted towards popular music and commercial success, disregarding much of the exceptional music they were still producing. The shift wasn’t as rooted in the blues as before, and a shocking move was made – power ballads were released! These power ballads, unfortunately, reached the pinnacle of sin by climbing up the mainstream charts.

I tend to be a bit harsh on Aerosmith when people rank them lower in their lists, as there’s a stronger argument to be made against them. The reason being, they’ve produced quite a bit of mediocre to poor music. Unlike the Rolling Stones, whose less impressive work can be explained by the massive volume of music they’ve created over several decades, Aerosmith has only released fifteen albums in total.

Although the Rolling Stones have produced a significant amount of music over four decades, it’s important to note that this extensive discography doesn’t necessarily make their achievement more impressive when you consider the length of time they’ve been active. Due to variations in British and American releases of their early albums, it can be challenging to determine an exact number of Stones albums.

Aerosmith’s fans might concede that their albums from the 21st century aren’t as brilliant as their earlier ones, but even their lesser works have some standout tracks. For instance, “Street Jesus,” off their much-criticized last album, “Music From Another Dimension, is a solid rock tune. Their 2004 covers album, “Honkin’ on Bobo“, would be an exceptional effort for any band other than Aerosmith.

As a dedicated gamer, I’d say, “Sure, I can understand if one considers the last three as watered-down versions of their predecessors. And let’s be honest, the gap between these games due to the 1982 release of ‘Rock in a Hard Place’ wasn’t ideal. But when you look at the big picture, it boils down to eleven games that span from exceptional to absolute masterpieces.”

In the early ’70s, Aerosmith emerged as rock & roll started to exhibit symptoms of midlife expansion. The genre, which had been pulsating with life in the late ’50s and pushing boundaries throughout the ’60s, began to display signs of becoming stale.

By the end of the ’60s, there was still a wealth of untouched music, but as rock became popular and mainstream, corporations saw an opportunity to profit – something that’s usually not beneficial for an art form. Consequently, the raw, gritty blues rock started fading away, only to be replaced by the more polished arena rock. It wasn’t until later we realized this period gave birth to a new genre known as Yacht Rock, though we were unaware of it at the time.

Aerosmith served as a strong defense for rock music, particularly during their first four albums: “Aerosmith” (1973), “Get Your Wings” (1974), “Toys in the Attic” (1975), and “Rocks” (1976). These releases offered an abundance of top-notch tracks, such as “Walkin’ the Dog,” “Movin’ Out,” “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Train Kept a’Rollin’,” “Walk This Way,” “Big Ten Inch Record,” “Back in the Saddle,” and “Rats in the Cellar.” These are just a few examples; their music during this period was vast.

Troubles arising from excessive drug use, particularly reminiscent of a rock star’s lifestyle, started to degrade the quality of their work around the late ’70s. This deterioration ultimately led to the departure of both guitarists. For a moment, it appeared as though the group had lost its enchantment within just ten years. The 1982 album titled Rock in a Hard Place seemed like it could have been their final act.

Initially, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford had departed from the band, but in 1984, they made an astonishing comeback. The album “Done With Mirrors”, released in 1985, signaled a rejuvenation of their traditional style. The opening track, “Let the Music do the Talking”, felt like a declaration. They built upon this with the release of “Permanent Vacation” in 1989, reaching great heights once more. However, some ardent fans argue that they strayed from their classic blues roots with songs like “Rag Doll” and “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”, which were considered too pop by purists. Yet, there’s no disputing the impact of these tracks.

On their subsequent three albums, they refined this unique sound that combined blues rock and radio-friendly ballads, achieving their sole number-one albums with “Get a Grip” and “Nine Lives” as the millennium neared its end. While they accumulated numerous number-one singles on Rock charts, their only mainstream number-one hit was in 1998, when “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” from the movie “Armageddon,” topped the charts. This song was notable as it starred Liv Tyler, Aerosmith’s frontman’s daughter.

I’ll admit that I am not a fan of the sensitive, ballad-singing Steven Tyler, but I would also suggest that songs like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and “Crazy” are orders of magnitude better than similar ballads from similar hard rockers.

Between the reformation in 1984 and the decline in the early 2000s, Aerosmith released two more albums that solidified their position among the top American rock bands. The 1991 album Pump, though not universally appreciated, gained enough popularity among music enthusiasts to reach number five on the mainstream album charts.

I’d contend that this album matches the brilliance of their initial chart-toppers, as it encompasses a wide variety of styles. It’s got raw energy, deep emotion, and even a touch of sentimentality. From the aggressive “Young Lust” to the poignant “Janie’s Got a Gun,” it showcases everything from adolescent testosterone to heart-wrenching ballads. There’s also plenty of enjoyable tunes like “Love in an Elevator,” and arguably their best power ballad yet, “What It Takes.” Every track on this album is top-notch.

In 1986, I found myself grooving to Run-DMC’s remake of “Walk This Way.” It was a game-changer, catapulting both bands into stardom and marking one of the first significant collaborations between rock and hip hop. As for its place in history, it’s hard to say, but I believe it’s undeniably among the most influential singles in the evolution of both genres.

For half a century, Steven Tyler has been belting out timeless rock anthems, but recently, his vocal prowess has begun to falter. The group officially declared that they will cease touring, although they left open the possibility of creating new music in the future.

For four decades now, Aerosmith’s primary members – Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer – have maintained their group, a feat rivaled only by the Rolling Stones. As they wind down their live performances, it appears they are chasing the legendary duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. However, considering that position is shared with the Rolling Stones, is that really such an undesirable spot?

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2024-08-03 18:01