Aerosmith – where do we even start? They’re the band that even the Tik-Tok generation knows (and hopefully appreciate), even though they haven’t officially put out new music since 2012. That last album (as of right now) came out a full forty years after their debut in 1973. Talk about a successful and long-lasting career! They gave us hits like “Dream On,” the character that is Steven Tyler, and the magic fingered guitarist, Joe Perry, among others. But how did this Boston-born band go from local jam group to global rockstars, even forty years later? A little bit of luck and a lot of talent!

Making Magic

Steven Tyler was the coordinator behind Aerosmith, from the beginning. He’s the one that was teenager-hood friends with Joe Perry. Perry recruited the legendary bassist Tom Hamilton and existed as a threesome for a short amount of time.

That was until they decided they needed another guitarist who could riff alongside Joe, and they added Brad Whitford. Finally, they rounded out their lineup with a drummer, Joey Kramer, and declared their group as complete as it could be. The group of five played local venues around Boston and New York for two years before they got attention from a record label in 1972.

Signing to Columbia Records: The Birth of a Legend

That same year the band signed to Columbia Records and put out their first debut album, Aerosmith. It did okay but didn’t break the top 100 on the album charts. Their next effort, Dream On, did much better, however, debuting at number 59. It was their third album, though, that got them the success they so deserved. Toys in the Attic cemented the group as national rockstars and gave them the fame they have today. They’ve put out just under 20 albums in their 40 years and have done just as many tours. Want to see them at their upcoming show? It’s nostalgia galore.