Rocking since the early 1970's, Aerosmith may one day give the Rolling Stones a run for their money as far as longevity goes. Since the 1970's Aerosmith has certainly experienced their share of ups and downs. It all started with their first single "Dream On" in 1972. Aerosmith did just that, dreaming up a total of 11 top 20 U.S. hits in their career.
In 1975 Aerosmith became a force to be reckoned with, with the release of "Toys in the Attic". Still one of the classic albums of all time, "Toys" included the hit songs "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way". Aerosmith closed out the '70's with the hit album "Rocks" and the minor hit "Draw the Line". It was after these albums that Aerosmith was tested by their fame. Drug use became more rampant and eventually led to the departure of guitarist Joe Perry. Perry would return in 1984 as Aerosmith began their comeback with the popular "Back in the Saddle" tour. Still struggling with drug abuse and only decent record sales, Aerosmith would soon get help from an unlikely source.
1985's collaboration with Run DMC on "Walk This Way" put Aerosmith back on the charts. 1987's "Permanent Vacation" was the album that proved Aerosmith was back and better than ever. Their next album "Pump" was even better, producing 4 top 10 hits. In the 1990's Aerosmith's popularity continued to grow. Although their 'power ballad' days weren't received as kindly by critics, their sales and popularity were growing.
