Aerosmith is a hard-rock band with a style foundation in blues. However, the band's music also includes some tones of pop, rhythm and blues, and even heavy metal. In 1970, Aerosmith was formed in Boston, Massachusetts. The original band consisted of Joe Perry--lead guitarist, Tom Hamilton--bassist, Stephen Tyler--singer, Joey Kramer--drummer, and Ray Tabano--another guitarist. Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton were in a band called the Jam Band before they met up with the other men and started Aerosmith.
Aerosmith, often called "The Bad Boys from Boston," replaced Ray Tabano with another guitarist, named Brad Whitford, in 1971. Soon, Aerosmith began to garner fans in Boston, and in 1972, the band signed a contract with Columbia records. Following its signing, it went on to make numerous albums that went multi-platinum. By 1975, the band was moving into the mainstream, and by 1976, its fame was growing, and the band members were on their way to being among the most popular hard-rock stars of the time. Besides their debut album, Aerosmith, released in 1973, the albums Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976) helped them get there.
Despite the band's success and its following of loyal fans, trouble began to brew. In the late 1970s, drug addiction as well as conflicts among band members caused great difficulties. Both Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band by 1981. Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay signed on with the band as replacements.
Unfortunately, the band did not experience as much success in the early 1980s; it did release one album during this time called Rock and a Hard Place, but it did not enjoy the same level of success as before. Eventually, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned to the band in 1984, and the band then went on to sign a record deal with Geffen Records. Still, addiction continued to cause problems and impair the band's continuing success. Finally, in the late '80s, the band sobered up and regained its former level of popularity when it released its album Permanent Vacation. The rest of the '80s and '90s continued to be good for the band, as it had multiple hits and also won awards for some of its albums, such as Nine Lives and Pump.
Today, Aerosmith continues to tour and make music. In fact, it is considered one of the most successful bands to originate in the United States. The band has sold more than 150 million albums to fans around the world. In 2001, Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the band was even ranked as one of the 100 greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
