Aerosmith: the history of an iconic American band in photos

One of the most iconic bands in rock music history is about to say goodbye to its fans. Aerosmith announced in 2024 that it would not continue playing concerts due to the vocal problems of its famous singer, Steven Tyler. He is 76 years old.

Aerosmith is leaving us with unforgettable songs, music videos that marked TV history, and Steven Tyler's amazing voice. It also leaves us with outrageous stories of excesses and downfalls. Let's have a look at the history of the band.

As many know, Aerosmith is from the city of Boston. The East Coast rockers Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (lead guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar), and Joey Kramer (drums) came together in 1970. At that time, the city of Boston was going through great changes with civil rights movements asserting themselves and poverty slowly making room for economic growth.

In the midst of this, Boston Globe writer Brett Milano states, "Big noise was coming from five rough-and-tumble rockers blasting at a crash pad at 1325 Commonwealth Ave. Drawing musically from heavy English blues-rock and visually from the emerging Bowie/New York Dolls glitter scene, Aerosmith was as flashy as anyone around."

Before they did, though, the musicians played in other bands. Chain Reaction was the band where Steven Tyler used to sing and The Jam Band was where Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton played. The two groups sometimes often crossed paths, and eventually, they joined forces. That's how Aerosmith was born.

It may be difficult to imagine today, but Tyler was initially the drummer and backup singer in Chain Reaction. However, when Aerosmith was created together with The Jam Band, his vocal talents helped him get the lead singer spot.

Signing with an important label is always a big step forward in the history of bands. In 1972, Aerosmith signed with Columbia Records, and in January 1973, they released their first album 'Aerosmith'. Immediately, they had a rock classic in their hands: 'Dream On'.

Over the course of the 70s, Aerosmith rose to fame with singles such as 'Same Old Song and Dance', 'Train Kept A-Rollin', 'Last Child,' and 'Back in the Saddle.' Their third album, 'Toys in the Attic', was especially important with singles like 'Sweet Emotion' and 'Walk This Way'. Thanks to multiple platinum albums, Aerosmith became one of the leading rock bands in the world.

In the 80s, the song 'Walk This Way' reappeared as a hip-hop/rock version in collaboration with Run-DMC. The song got a second life and the band became popular with a new generation of fans.

The mid-80s were really a comeback for Aerosmith in the charts. The band had suffered from excesses and fallouts in the late 70s and early 80s. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were called 'Toxic Twins' due to their excessive use of drugs both on and off stage. According to Tyler himself on '60 Minutes Australia,' he probably spent around 6 million dollars on illegal substances on his own.

According to various media reports, summarized in the Disgraceland podcast about Aerosmith ('Toxic Twins, M-80s, C 0 c a 1 n e, Eyeliner, and Living on the Edge'), Aerosmith band members trained the roadies to supply them with white powder while on stage. Steven Tyler's famous microphone scarves, for example, were tools to sneak the forbidden substance on stage and always have it handy.

In 1979, Joe Perry quit Aerosmith. Initially, the band claimed it had to do with an incident between Perry and Hamilton's wife. But in reality, Perry said in an interview for iHeart, the reason was that he needed a change in his life. "I just had to take care of myself," he said, referring to the excesses of the band.

In the 80s, while listening to Van Halen's first album, Perry thought of new ideas for Aerosmith. He returned to the band in 1984 and remained there to this day.

Having returned to the charts in the mid-80s, Aerosmith reached great commercial success with 'Permanent Vacation'. The album had hits like 'Dude (Looks Like a Lady)', 'Rag Doll', and 'Angel'. With 'Pump' (1989), the band continued its rise to superstar status. It included chart-topping singles like 'Love in an Elevator', 'Janie's Got a Gun', and 'What It Takes'.

'Get a Grip,' one of the band's most popular albums, generated unforgettable music videos featuring Liv Tyler (Steven's daughter) and Alicia Silverstone, stars of the 90s. With hits like 'Livin' on the Edge', 'Cryin', 'Crazy', and 'Amazing', Aerosmith united the 70s and 90s generations of rock lovers.

With 'Nine Lives' (1997) Aerosmith sealed its status as a legendary formation blending hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal sounds. Among the most famous singles are 'Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)', 'Hole in My Soul', 'Pink' and 'Nine Lives'.

A year after the release of the album, their rock ballad for the movie 'Armageddon' would become Aerosmith's greatest hit. With a video featuring the movie's actress Liv Tyler (Steven's daughter), the family affair of 'I don't wanna miss a thing' turned out to be a massive success.

In 2001, Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The institute explained its choice like this: "The Boston-based bad boys - led by the combustible, magnetic duo of frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry - ooze confidence, danger, and rebellion."

Aerosmith continued to tour and make new music. In 2001, they released 'Just Push Play', which included the hit single 'Jaded' with a video starring Mila Kunis. In 2004, they released 'Honkin' on Bobo', an album of blues covers that paid homage to their early influences. Then, in 2012, they released the album 'Music from Another Dimension.'

In August 2024, Aerosmith brought the tough news that it was retiring. Steven Tyler's vocal cord injuries, which had already caused the band to cancel their 2023 tour, made it impossible to return on stage.

The announcement was made through the band's Instagram account. "We've always wanted to blow your mind when performing," they said. "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other.  He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury..."

"We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side," the group added. "Sadly, it is clear that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage."

Despite this saddening announcement, the legacy of music that the band leaves us, with years of rock and roll and good lyrics, will sound generation after generation.

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