B'z

Name	B'z
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Japan
Genre	Hard rock, rock, blues-rock, pop
Years active	1988–present
Label	Vermillion
Associated acts	TMG (Tak Matsumoto Group)
Url	Official website
Current members	Tak Matsumoto Koshi Inaba

is a Japanese hard rock duo, comprising and Koshi Inaba (稲葉浩志 Inaba Kōshi, lyricist, vocalist).

B'z has released 43 consecutive #1 singles, 23 #1 albums, and sold more than 79 million records in Japan alone. Under the recommendation of Steve Vai, B'z became the first band from Asia to have their handprints and signatures put up in the Hollywood's RockWalk.

History

Early works: 1988–1990

Tak Matsumoto, who was already a professional guitarist in band TM Network led by Tetsuya Komuro, had been extremely busy with various recording sessions and live performances. On 21 May 1988, Tak released his first solo album, Thousand Wave. He saw this as a finishing of a chapter as a solo guitarist, and began his search for band members. He later met vocalist Koshi Inaba, who would later start the band with him. At the time, Japan's music scene was loaded with many new bands being created. With all the digital sounds in mainstream music, the only sounds that they felt could not be expressed and replicated were the guitar and the human voice. As a result, they decided to keep it a two-man unit. On 21 September 1988, B'z, with their first album, B’z, and single, "Dakara Sono Te Wo Hanashite (だからその手を離して)", made their debut. Their music was very much a product of its times, with synthesizers and samplers sharing equal time with Tak's guitar, producing an experimental sound, very different from their well-known hard rock sound of today.

Instead of immediately performing live after a debut, as many Japanese bands were doing, B'z chose to have a clear vision of how they wanted to perform and decided to wait until they had enough material to play for at least 90 minutes. The two concentrated on recording, raising the quality of their music. Their efforts resulted in a second album, Off the Lock, released on 21 May 1989. With this second album came their first series of live performances known better to their fans as "Live-Gym". "Live-Gym #00" started in Nagoya, continuing into Osaka, and finishing in Tokyo. Tickets were sold out on the day they became available. On 21 October, their first mini album, Bad Communication was released. The title track was a blend of rock and dance music, and was still a classic to their "Live-Gyms." It was charted for 163 weeks on the Oricon Charts. Their first nationwide tour, B'z Live-Gym #001, finished with 16 shows around the country.

On 21 February 1990, the third album Break Through was released. To promote it, they started a tour with 22 shows nationwide. Their single "Taiyō no Komachi Angel", was released on 13 June and was able to peak at #1 on the Oricon Chart. Since the release of the single, each of their singles have since debut at #1 on the Oricon charts. Wicked Beat, their second mini album, was then released on 21 June. In contrast to the many promotional efforts for Break Through, Wicked Beat received little promotion and the duo went back to the studio and began recording. Their 4th album, Risky was released on 7 November and went platinum. Their "Risky" tour, totaling 49 performances, also started in November. Their first music video, Film Risky, was recorded in New York and London within 4 weeks, and was released on 16 December. With a barrage of releases, 1990 came to be the busiest year for B'z.

Transitioning into hard rock music: 1991–1992

The third mini album, Mars was released on 29 May 1991. Little promotion was done for it and after releasing only two singles, B'z released their fifth album, In the Life, on 27 November. The release of the album marked B'z shying away from their advanced digital sounds and more towards rock. Their first live video, "Just Another Life" was out on 11 December. For promotion, B'z also embarked on their "In the Life '91–'92" tour, with 66 performances in total. The tour started in December and managed to flow into the next year. The total number of "Live-Gyms" they did during this year exceeded 100.

In the summer of 1992, the "Pleasure '92-Time" tour took place with 12 performances in 3 major cities. The arena-class tour had amazing features such as a huge lighting set, called the "Starfish", and seats that rotated 360 degrees. 28 October marked the release of their sixth album, Run, and proved to be more hard rock oriented than the previous. On 9 December, they released a slightly different mini album Friends. Different from Run, its concept is somewhat similar to that of a movie soundtrack.

Switching to blues: 1993–1994

In the early 1993, the "Run" tour concluded after 49 performances in 21 locations. In the following year, they held an open-air concert for the first time, called "Jap the Ripper". The show took place in Bentenjima of Hamamatsu-city, Shizuoka on 31 July and 1 August. The successful event gathered 50 thousand people per day, totaling 100,000 people in the end. Following this, B'z concentrated on recording once again, this time, producing a two-disc seventh album, The 7th Blues. The album title not only came from it being their seventh album, but also after the seventh chord, that is frequently used in Blues. Becoming much more "bluesier" and soulful, this album evidently shows their lean towards blues, the roots of rock music.

On 9 February 1994 the "B'z Live-Gym '94—The 9th Blues" tour started. The tour became their longest and biggest tour thus far, managing 87 performances in the year. During the tour, the album, The 7th Blues, was released on 2 March. The tour finished in Sapporo's Tsukisamu Green Dome on 24 December. This album was a kind of "fans trap", because they made it to "clean" their fandom and just keep the rock and blues loving people with them.

Adopting J-pop: 1995–1998

In the first half of 1995, B'z spent their time recording and after creating numerous demos, they held the "Pleasure '95 Buzz Stadium" tour with 12 shows in 7 cities. Their eighth album, Loose, was released on 22 November. Loose was concentrated on the original concept of a two-man band. While combining rock with pop sounds, this album is well balanced with a variety of sounds. The album sold over 3 million copies, marking it as the best seller for B'z.

The B'z Live-Gym '96 "Spirit Loose" tour, started on 15 March 1996 and held 44 performances in 21 locations. The show opened featuring a short B'z action movie, shot in Los Angeles. A short while afterwards, B'z released their 6th mini-album titled Friends II on 25 November. The album displayed more of an adult oriented rock.

On 29 January 1997, member Inaba's first solo album, Magma, was released. He had been recording the album since the previous year, writing all the music and lyrics. The album, which topped the charts, showcased another side of him, different from that of his usual image in B'z. In March, the dome tour "Pleasure '97 Fireball" consisted of 9 performances in 5 locations. Tickets for each dome, which have a capacity of about 30 to 50 thousand people each, were all sold out. The tour included stops at Tokyo (3 nights), Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Maebashi, all being successful. On 19 November, their ninth full album Survive showcased yet another new direction in sound and style.

B'z's first promotional effort for the album included performances in concert halls in Akita, Hakodate, Kōchi, Shiga, and Nagasaki, before plunging into the main tour. "B'z Live-Gym '98 Survive" started on 24 January 1998. On 20 May, B'z released their first official compilation album, B'z The Best "Pleasure", which also marked their 10th year since debuting. Every song included in this album was a huge hit, and was highly acclaimed and its first shipment had sold more copies than any other Japanese artist in history. By this album, their sales in Japan surpassed 50 million records, making them the first artist to do so after Oricon started. On 6 June, the "Survive" tour had successfully ended.

On hiatus: 1998–1999

In the mid 1998, B'z entered a period of both rest and recording. Both Tak and Koshi had wanted to start on their own solo projects since the "Survive" tour, and finally got a chance to begin. During the period, on 20 September, their second best-of album, B'z The Best "Treasure" was released. After a lengthy period, on 16 December, Koshi released his first solo maxi single, "Toku-made."

At the beginning of 1999, Tak released his first solo maxi single, "The Changing" on 25 March, which was the first time he had sung on a released record. The single entered in at No. 2 its first week on the charts. On 14 April, he released the album, Knockin' "T" Around, which contains many other tracks with full vocals and also includes, the Formula-1 '99 theme song, Go Further. The album has both instrumental and vocal tracks. However, even before the release of the album, B'z had already started recording again.

Returning to the music scene: 1999–2000

B'z started off the year of 1999 by busily promoting their recent singles and their tenth album Brotherhood, which was released on 14 July. The album's track "Giri Giri Chop (Version 51)" was recorded by the support of Mr. Big drummer Pat Torpey and its bassist Billy Sheehan. In July, another dome-class tour began starting in Sapporo. The title of the tour, B'z Live-Gym '99 "Brotherhood" included 14 performances in 7 locations. They did away with extra stage acts and concentrated on their musical performance, playing songs from the new album and many hits from the past. On 28 August and 29, they played in the Yokohama International Stadium. B'z concert was the first ever to be held in this stadium and gathered a stunning 140,000 people in just two days. Although the second day at Yokohama experienced heavy rain, the tour ended successfully. Shortly afterward, B'z started recording again and continued to do so throughout the rest of the year without rest.

On 23 February 2000, they released the album B'z The "Mixture", which included re-mastered tracks of past songs, songs from past singles that were not the featured track, remixes, and a new song. In the middle of May, they started a rehearsal for the summer tour B'z Live-Gym Pleasure 2000 -Juice-, starting a hall class venue show in Toyama, 30 May. The tour totalled 18 shows in 10 cities, including a performance on the famous Nippon Budokan on 20 June as a start. The recording of their single "Juice" was supported by drummer Brian Tichy. When they released "Juice", on 12 July, the duo set a Japanese record of marking No.1 on the first week, making it their 25th #1 single in sequence. During the tour, Once Upon a Time in Yokohama ~B'z Live Gym'99 "Brotherhood"~ was released. The year of 2000 was finished with the release of the eleventh album Eleven on 6 December. B'z finished their work in 2000 with the appearance on the TV show Music Station Special and would start the rehearsal for the tour "B'z Live-Gym 2001 -Eleven-" which kicked off on 26 February, in the following year.

Continuing into the 2000s: 2001–2007

On 26 February 2001, "B'z Live-Gym 2001 -Eleven-" kicked off at Ehime Kenmin Bunka Kaikan. Most of the shows of that tour were exclusive for the fan club members to get a ticket. After the Okinawa show on 27 June and 28, B'z departed abroad. They officially released their CDs in Taiwan and Hong Kong and after having Live-Gym that year, they made a promotion trip for the first time there. Warmly welcomed with local fans and all the media, they continued their tour with high expectation towards the Live-Gym in August. "B'z Live-Gym 2001 -Eleven-" had 46 shows in 19 locations and 600,000 audiences all together. After the Eleven tour, B'z prepared for the first Asia tour which includes "B'z Live-Gym in Taipei 2001" on 25 August 26 and "B'z Live-Gym in Hong Kong 2001". The first B'z Asia tour was successul, with the duo finishing their activities as "B'z in 2001" by August. The two later spent rest of the year concentrating on their own solo production.

While B'z started recording as soon as the year 2002 starts, Tak finished his solo albums. On 27 February, two solo albums are released at the same time, Dragon From The West which consists of hard rock tunes, and Hana which includes more melodic and Asia orientated tunes. B'z finished their recording in the middle of May, and started the rehearsal in Tokyo for the Live-Gym tour soon beginning. B'z performed with Aerosmith on the stage of FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Official Concert International Day, at Tokyo Stadium on 27 June.

On 3 July, right before the main tour started, a new album Green which is also the name of the tour that year was released. The tour started from Saitama Super Arena on 8 July to the last show at Osaka Dome on 9 September, gathering 700,000 audience all together for 14 shows in 11 cities. The live band was rounded out by bassist Billy Sheehan and Canadian drummer Shane Gaalaas whose credits include Cosmosquad, Yngwie Malmsteen, the Michael Schenker Group, and Uli Jon Roth. On September, after the last show at Osaka, B'z first US tour at a live house on the West Coast took place in San Diego "Canes" on 22 September and Los Angeles "The Palace" on 24 September. The U.S, tour "Live-Gym 2002 Rock n' California Roll" was announced and sold only in the US. On 9 October, Inaba released his second solo album, Shian, five and half years after his first solo album. On 27 November, a live video "A Beautiful Reel" was released in addition to B'z "Live-Gym 2002 Green ~Go★Fight★Win~", which packaged everything that happened at the Green tour. The title not only focused on the Green tour but also contain a second disc including the tour "Live-Gym 2002 Rock n' California Roll". On 11 December, their first ballad compilation album The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ was released.

The year 2003 marked their 15th anniversary and the two started recording from the beginning of the year, traveling to U.S. in February for additional recording. Apart from B'z, Inaba released his solo single, "KI", on 11 June. Along with these continuous releases, the tour B'z Live-Gym The Final Pleasure "It's Showtime!!" started in July. The tour "Pleasure" series started since '91 would end this year. The tour kicked off 3 July at Hakodate Shimin Kaikan and finished at Nagisa-en on 21 September, which was ironically the day of their debut, having a total of 23 shows all together. As it has been 10 years since B'z had perform at Nagisa-en since their 1993 performance of B'z Live-Gym Pleasure '93 "Jap the Ripper", it gathered 100,000 audience for two days. Even though the shows were hit by typhoon and it rained very hard, it manage to still attract thousands of audience.

After the Nagisa-en performance, B'z flew to the U.S. The tour "B'z Live-Gym 2003 Banzai in North America" concluded with 7 shows including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver. Their thirteenth album, Big Machine, was released on 17 September. As they flew back to Japan, B'z started their third tour in 2003, "B'z Live-Gym 2003 Big Machine." It was a dome tour in 6 locations, from Saitama Super Arena to Tokyo Dome in December. During the tour, Tak announced his solo project. As the start, he worked with the late Izumi Sakai from Zard for the song "Ihoujin", as well as with Mai Kuraki for the song "Imitation Gold". Later, the compilation cover album The Hit Parade with various vocalist was released on 26 November.

Kicking off 2004, B'z went back to the studio to began recording again. On 25 February, a DVD, Typhoon No.15 ~B'z Live-Gym The Final Pleasure "It's Showtime!!" in Nagisaen~ in Nagisa-en, was released. For the rest of the year, they worked mainly on their solo projects. Soon after finishing each solo tour, they began recording together again.

On 6 April 2005, B'z released their fourteenth album The Circle. For the album's recording, the duo were particularly worried about its live sound. For promotional activities, B'z started the tour B'z Live-Gym 2005 "Circle of Rock" that ran from April to September, totalling 27 shows in 41 locations. On 1 August, their box set The Complete B'z was digitally released only for the Japanese iTunes Store. House of Strings label, which Tak established a year before, released the artist's second album, Theatre of Strings, on 19 October. On 30 November, B'z The Best "Pleasure II", the third compilation album, was released, reaching one million by the end of 2005. On 28 June 2006, their fifteenth original full album Monster was released. Most of the recording took place in Los Angeles. B'z kicked off the tour B'z Live-Gym 2006 "Monster's Garage" from Amami Bunka Center on 2 July, having 17 shows in all, including 5 big domes in 11 locations and 450,000 audience members all together. In the end of 2007, more precisely on 5 December, B’z released their sixteenth album, Action. The drum parts of their two singles from Action, "Eien no Tsubasa" and "Super Love Song", were recorded by drummers Josh Freese and Jeremy Colson respectively. On 19 November 2007, B'z was inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk as the first Asian inductee in Sunset Boulevard, California, US.

B'z 20th Anniversary: 2008–present

In February 2008, B'z released a DVD titled B'z Live In Nanba. The show was recorded in 2006 and was also broadcast online. The concert featured songs from The Circle and Monster eras, along with a number of older hits as well as several English versions. On April 16, 2008, the band released their forty-fifth single, "Burn -Fumetsu no Face-", which became their forty-first consecutive #1 single.

2008 also marked the twentieth anniversary of the band. To commemorate the occasion, the "B'z 20" campaign was launched that saw two further compilation albums. B'z The Best "Ultra Pleasure" was released on 18 June 2008 and featured the greatest of the band's hits on a two-disc collection, and in chronological order, with two all-new modern recordings of older tracks. B'z The Best "Ultra Treasure" was released on 17 September 2008. Its two-disc track listing was decided by fans who were invited to vote for three of many songs at the B'z 20th Anniversary website, which featured an exclusive song on a three-disc gift bundle, as well as a re-recording and a remix.

On January 25, 2008, B'z performed only the latest of its "Showcase" series, which are generally small-venue performances of older album songs and the more obscure B-side that are mostly unsuitable for the larger arena concerts. Following this, B'z immediately embarked on their eight month Action tour that saw them perform all over Japan. Afterward, they segued into their 2008 Pleasure tour, titled "Glory Days". Throughout the month of September, B'z performed for hundreds of thousands of fans in nine performances across three cities. The special tour ended on September 21 with a concert on the 20th anniversary of their first release. This performance was later released on DVD February 25, 2009 as B'z Live-Gym Pleasure 2008 -Glory Days-.

Following their massive tour in 2008, B'z returned to the studio to record new material. Their first release of the year was a Double A-side single, "Ichibu to Zenbu/Dive", released on August 5, 2009 that features drummer Chad Smith. The non full-track ringtone downloads (Chaku Uta) of "Ichibu to Zenbu" began on July 13, 2009, and the full-track ringtone downloads (Chaku Uta Full) of the song also began on August 26, 2009. For its strong download sales in August and September on Recochoku, the song served the "Monthly Recochoku Award, Best Song Award Grand Prix" for Chaku Uta and Chaku Uta Full each for two consecutive months. On October 13, 2009, KDDI also announced that "Ichibu to Zenbu" was awarded the "Utatomo Award" of September 2009 for the sales on "Utatomo" via au's LISMO. The second release was the single "My Lonely Town". The physical CD of the single was released on October 14, 2009. Both singles are featured in the band's next studio album, entitled Magic, released on November 18, 2009. On December 10, 2009, it was announced that their song "Ichibu to Zenbu" won the "Billboard Japan Hot 100 of the Year 2009" award.

Discography

Studio albums

1988: B'z

1989: Off the Lock

1990: Break Through

1990: Risky

1991: In The Life

1992: Run

1994: The 7th Blues

1995: Loose

1997: Survive

1999: Brotherhood

2000: Eleven

2002: Green

2003: Big Machine

2005: The Circle

2006: Monster

2007: Action

2009: Magic

Other appearances

Live-Gym (concert tours)

Live-Gym #00 (1989)

Live-Gym #001 "Off the Lock" (1989)

Live-Gym "Bad Club-Gym" (1989)

Live-Gym "Break Through" (1990)

Live-Gym '90~'91 "Risky"

Live-Gym "Pleasure '91"

Live-Gym '91~'92 "In the Life"

Live-Gym Pleasure '92 "Time"

Live-Gym '93 "Run"

Live-Gym Pleasure '93 "Jap the Ripper"

Live-Gym '94 "The 9th Blues" Part 1

Live-Gym '94 "The 9th Blues" Part 2

Live-Gym Pleasure '95 "Buzz!!"

Live-Gym '96 "Spirit Loose"

Live-Gym Pleasure '97 "Fireball"

Live-Gym '98 "Survive"

Live-Gym '99 "Brotherhood"

Live-Gym Pleasure 2000 "Juice"

Live-Gym 2001 "Eleven"

Live-Gym in Taipei 2001 / Live-Gym in Hong Kong 2001

Live-Gym 2002 "Green ~Go★Fight★Win~"

Live-Gym 2002 "Rock n' California Roll"

* 22 September – Canes Bar & Grill: California

* 24 September – The Palace: California

Live-Gym 2003 The Final Pleasure "It's Showtime!!"

Live-Gym 2003 Banzai in North America

* 12 October – House of Blues: Las Vegas, Nevada

* 14 October – House of Blues: Los Angeles, California

* 15 October – House of Blues: Los Angeles, California

* 18 October – The Fillmore: San Francisco, California

* 19 October – The Fillmore: San Francisco, California

* 21 October – Showbox: Seattle, Washington

* 23 October – Commodore Ballroom: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Live-Gym 2003 "Big Machine"

Live-Gym 2005 "Circle of Rock"

Live-Gym 2006 "Monster's Garage"

B'z Showcase 2007

*The showcase 2007 is an unofficial tour they made this year. They visited a few cities (3 to 5) and played to small audiences. They played a lot of their old songs. Many of them were rarely played live including their new English song, that was released with Burnout Dominator's soundtrack, "Friction".

Live-Gym 2008 "Action" – Nagasaki Brick Hall

Live-Gym Pleasure 2008 -Glory Days-

Live-Gym 2010 "Ain't No Magic"

B'z covers by other musicians

Eric Suen covered "Easy Come, Easy Go!" as the theme for the 2000 Taiwanese drama, Huai Yu Gong Zhu (懷玉公主). The title of the cover is Wei Feng Shi Ke (威風時刻).

Priscilla Chan has covered a Cantonese version of "Native Dance" called "放鬆三分鐘".

For her second major label single, Aya Kamiki has covered Pierrot, the B-side of Yuruginaimonohitotsu.

Aya Kamiki has also covered Love Phantom and ''Juice in several of her live performances.

A cover of 熱き鼓動の果て (Atsuki Kodō no Hate) appeared as a stage theme in the Nintendo DS rhythm game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. The performance is credited to Tetsushi Kimura.

Covers by B'z

"This Love" by Maroon 5 .

"Oh! Darling" and "Let It Be" by The Beatles.

"Train Kept A-Rolling" by Tiny Bradshaw (with Aerosmith)

Featured songs

During the height of The X-Files' popularity in Japan, the B'z single "Love Phantom" was used as the closing credits theme song.

Their song "Devil", an English cover of their song "Tokyo Devil", was produced for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.

Their song "Atsuki Kodō no Hate" appears in the arcade drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin 4, and recently in the Nintendo DS rhythm game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan.

Their song "Bad Communication" appears in the Game Boy Color rhythm game beatmania GB GotchaMIX2.

Their song "Kon'ya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" was used in the 2000 TV drama Beautiful Life.

Their song "Ocean" was used in the 2005 TV drama of the Umizaru Evolution project.

Their song "Liar! Liar!" appears in the arcade and PlayStation 2 rhythm game GitaDora! GuitarFreaks 4th Mix & DrumMania 3rd Mix.

Their song "ultra soul" appears in the arcade drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin 2.

Their English song "Friction" is featured on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable game Burnout Dominator. This marked their debut on an official United States property. It is also included in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game Burnout Paradise.

Several B'z songs were used in the Detective Conan anime series.

* "Giri Giri Chop" (TV series OP from Ep. 143–167)

* "Shoudou" (TV series OP from Ep. 425–437)

* "One" (Movie #3 ED)

* "Everlasting" (Movie #6 ED)

* "Yuruginaimono Hitotsu" (Movie #10 ED)

"Roots" by B'z was also used as the ending theme to the four-part Black Jack OVA series to promote the then newest TV series. Tak Matsumoto also did a guitar-lead instrumental as the opening.

"Lonely Stars" by B'z was used in the ending credits in the movie, The Legend of which is part of the Fist of the North Star anime series.

"Ore to Omae no Atarashii Kisetsu" (オレとオマエの新しい季節) is currently used as the ending theme to the Japanese dub of "The OC."

The song "Mienai Chikara ~Invisible one~" was the first ending theme to the anime Hell Teacher Nube.

The song "Ichibu to Zenbu" was used as the theme song for the Fuji TV 2009 drama Buzzer Beat starring Yamashita Tomohisa and Keiko Kitagawa.

The songs "Signal" and "Utsukushiki Sekai" were used as the opening theme and the ending theme respectively for the 2002 female-oriented dating sim video game Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side.

References

B'z biography at the official website

External links

B'z Official Website B'z 20th Anniversary Special Website OFF THE LOCK B'z news in English, Lyrics Translations.

Category:1980s music groups Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1988 Category:Japanese hard rock musical groups Category:Rock music duos

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Aerosmith

Name	Aerosmith
Landscape	No
Background	group_or_band
Genre	Hard rock, blues-rock, heavy metal
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Years active	1970–present
Label	Columbia, Geffen
\| associated acts	The Joe Perry Project, The Jimmy Crespo Project, Whitford/St. Holmes, The Strangeurs/Chain Reaction, Run–D.M.C.
Url
Current members	Steven Tyler Joe Perry Brad Whitford Tom Hamilton Joey Kramer
Past members	Ray Tabano Jimmy Crespo Rick Dufay

Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.

They were signed to Columbia Records in 1972, and released a string of multi-platinum albums, beginning with their 1973 eponymous debut album, followed by their 1974 album Get Your Wings. In 1975, the band broke into the mainstream with the album Toys in the Attic, and their 1976 follow-up Rocks cemented their status as hard rock superstars. By the end of the 1970s, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a loyal following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army". However, drug addiction and internal conflict took their toll on the band, which resulted in the departures of Perry and Whitford, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. They were replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the band scored several hits and won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997). Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock 'n' roll history. including 66.5 million albums in the United States alone. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine #1 Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and were included among both Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

History

Formation (1969–1971)

In 1964, Steven Tyler formed his own band called The Strangeurs—later Chain Reaction—with Don Solomon in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Perry and Hamilton formed the Jam Band, which was based on free-form and blues. Hamilton and Perry moved to Boston, Massachusetts in September. There they met Joey Kramer, a drummer from Yonkers, New York. Kramer had known Steven Tyler and had always hoped to play in a band with him. Kramer, a Berklee College of Music student, decided to quit school to join Jam Band. The band settled upon this name after also considering "The bananas" and "Spike Jones."

Soon, the band added Ray Tabano, a childhood friend of Tyler, as rhythm guitarist and began playing local shows. Aerosmith played their first gig in Mendon, Massachusetts at Nipmuc Regional High School in 1970. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, who also attended the Berklee School of Music and was formerly of the band Earth Inc. Brad Whitford, being from Reading, Massachusetts, had played at Reading's AW Coolidge Middle School. Other than a period from July 1979 to April 1984, the line-up of Tyler, Perry, Hamilton, Kramer, and Whitford has stayed the same.

Record deal, Aerosmith, Get Your Wings, and Toys in the Attic (1971–1975)

After forming the band and finalizing the lineup in 1971, the band started to garner some local success doing live shows. the band signed a promotion deal with Frank Connelly and eventually secured a management deal with David Krebs and Steve Leber in 1972. Krebs and Leber invited Columbia Records President Clive Davis to see the band at Max's Kansas City in New York City. Aerosmith was not originally scheduled to play that night at the club, but they paid from their own pockets to secure a place on the bill, reportedly the only band ever to do so at Max's. "No Surprize" off their Night in the Ruts album celebrates the moment their fame began. Aerosmith signed with Columbia in mid-1972 for a reported $125,000 and issued their debut album, Aerosmith. Released in January 1973, the album peaked at #166. Although the highest charting single from the album was "Dream On" at #59, several tracks (such as "Mama Kin" and "Walkin' the Dog") would become staples of the band's live shows and receive airplay on rock radio. The album reached gold status initially, eventually went on to sell two million copies, and was certified double platinum after the band reached mainstream success over a decade later. After constant touring, the band released their second album Get Your Wings in 1974, the first of a string of multi-platinum albums produced by Jack Douglas. This album included the rock radio hits "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a cover done previously by The Yardbirds. The album also contained several fan favorites including "Lord of the Thighs", "Seasons of Wither", and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)", darker songs which have become staples in the band's live shows. To date, Get Your Wings has sold three million copies. Toys in the Attic was an immediate success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", which became the band's first Top 40 hit. This was followed by a successful re-release of "Dream On" which hit #6, becoming their best charting single of the 1970s. "Walk This Way", re-released in 1976, reached the Top 10 in early 1977. As a result of this success, both of the band's previous albums re-charted. Toys in the Attic has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the States, with certified U.S. sales of eight million copies.

Rocks, Draw the Line, and Live! Bootleg (1976–1978)

Aerosmith's next album was 1976's Rocks, which "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". It went platinum swiftly and are cited by members of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Mötley Crüe as having large influences on their music. Soon after Rocks was released, the band continued to tour heavily, this time headlining their own shows and playing to several large stadiums and rock festivals. during the heyday of the Draw the Line tour. Lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry became known as "The Toxic Twins" because of their notorious abuse of drugs on and off the stage. Also in 1980, Aerosmith released its Greatest Hits album. The album has gone on to become the band's bestselling album in the United States, with sales of 11 million copies. In 1981, the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad Whitford who recorded Whitford/St. Holmes with former Ted Nugent vocalist/guitarist Derek St. Holmes. After recording guitar parts for the song "Lightning Strikes", Whitford was replaced by Rick Dufay and the band recorded their seventh album Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. The album was commercially weak, only going gold,

On February 14, 1984, Perry and Whitford saw Aerosmith perform. They were officially re-inducted into the ranks of Aerosmith once more two months later. Steven Tyler recalls:

Back in the Saddle reunion tour, Done with Mirrors, and drug rehab (1984–1986)

In 1984, Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour entitled "Back in the Saddle",

In 1985 the band signed a new record contract with Geffen Records and released the album Done with Mirrors, their first studio album since reuniting. While the album did receive some positive reviews, it only went gold Nevertheless, the band became a popular concert attraction once again, touring in support of Done With Mirrors, well into 1986. In 1986, Tyler and Perry appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way", a track blending rock and roll with hip hop.

Yet the band members' drug problems still stood in their way. In 1986, Tyler completed a successful drug rehabilitation program, at the direction of his fellow band members and manager Tim Collins, who believed that the band's future would not be bright if Tyler did not get treated. The rest of the band members also completed drug rehab programs over the course of the next couple of years. According to the band's tell-all autobiography, Collins pledged in September 1986 he could make Aerosmith the biggest band in the world by 1990 if they all completed drug rehab. Their next album was crucial because of the commercial disappointment of Done With Mirrors, and as the band members became clean, they worked hard to make their next album a success.

Permanent Vacation and Pump (1987–1991)

Permanent Vacation was released in September 1987, becoming a major hit and the band's bestselling album in over a decade (selling 5 million copies in the U.S.),

Aerosmith's next album was even more successful. Pump, released in September 1989, featured three Top Ten singles: "What It Takes", "Janie's Got a Gun", and "Love in an Elevator", as well as the Top 30 "The Other Side", Pump was a critical and commercial success, eventually selling 7 million copies, The band also won its first Grammy in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, for "Janie's Got a Gun". On February 21, 1990, the band appeared in a "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live, debating the fall of communism and the Soviet Union, and performed their recent hits "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Monkey on My Back". On August 11, 1990, the band's performance on MTV's Unplugged aired. In October 1990, the Pump Tour ended, with the band's first ever performances in Australia. That same year, the band was also inducted to the Hollywood Rock Walk. In November 1991, the band appeared on The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe's" and released a box set titled Pandora's Box. In 1992, Tyler and Perry appeared live as guests of Guns N' Roses during the latter's 1992 worldwide pay-per-view show in Paris, performing a medley of "Mama Kin" (which GN'R covered in 1986) and "Train Kept-A Rollin".

Get a Grip and Big Ones (1992–1995)

The band took a brief break before recording their follow-up to Pump in 1992. Despite significant shifts in mainstream music at the beginning of the 1990s, and racking up sales of 7 million copies in a two-and-a-half-year timespan. for the first half of the decade. Steven Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler was also featured in the "Crazy" video. Get a Grip would go on to sell more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone, The band won two Grammy Awards for songs from this album in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: for "Livin' on the Edge" in 1994 and "Crazy" in 1995. In addition to Aerosmith's grueling 18 month world tour in support of Get a Grip, the band also did a number of things to help promote themselves and their album and appeal to youth culture, including the appearance of the band in the movie Wayne's World 2 where they performed two songs, the appearance of the band and their music in the video games Revolution X and Quest for Fame, performing at Woodstock '94, using their song "Deuces Are Wild" in The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience, and opening their own club, The Mama Kin Music Hall, in Boston, MA in 1994. That same year saw the release of the band's compilation for Geffen Records, entitled Big Ones featuring their biggest hits from Permanent Vacation, Pump, and Get a Grip, as well as three new songs, "Deuces Are Wild", "Blind Man", and "Walk on Water", all of which experienced great success on the rock charts. The band took time off with their families before working on their next album, Nine Lives, which was plagued with personnel problems, including the firing of manager Tim Collins, The album's producer was also changed from Glen Ballard to Kevin Shirley. Nine Lives was released in March 1997. Reviews were mixed, and Nine Lives initially fell down the charts, and Joey Kramer suffering second degree burns when his car caught fire at a gas station. However, the band also released their only #1 single to date: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", The song stayed on top of the charts for four weeks The song helped open Aerosmith up to a new generation and remains a slow-dance staple. 1998 also saw the release of the double-live album, A Little South of Sanity, which was assembled from performances on the Get a Grip and Nine Lives tours. The album went platinum shortly after its release.

In 1999, Aerosmith was featured in the Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World (and later in 2001 at Disneyland Paris in the Walt Disney Studios Park) ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, providing the ride's soundtrack and theme. On September 9, 1999, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry reunited with Run-D.M.C. and were also joined by Kid Rock for a collaborative live performance of "Walk This Way" at the MTV Video Music Awards, a precursor to the Girls of Summer Tour. The band celebrated the new millennium with a brief tour of Japan, and also contributed the song "Angel's Eye" to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. In the fall of 2000, they started work on their next album.

Just Push Play, O, Yeah!, and Rocksimus Maximus (2001–2003)

The band entered their next decade by performing at the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, in January 2001, along with pop stars 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. All of the stars collaborated with Aerosmith at the end for a performance of "Walk This Way".

In March 2001, the band released their 13th studio album Just Push Play, which quickly went platinum, They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon after their album was released, in late March 2001. Aerosmith is the only band to be inducted to the Hall of Fame with a song active in the charts ("Jaded"). The band flew back to Indianapolis for a show the same night, as part of their Just Push Play Tour.

The band started 2002 by ending the Just Push Play tour, and simultaneously recording segments for their Behind the Music special on VH1, which not only chronicled the band's history but also the band's current activities and touring. The special was one of the few Behind the Musics to run two hours in length. On June 27, the band performed a collabortion live with B'z. While FIFA offered Aerosmith to perform for the event, the band accepted the offer with the condition of going on the stage along with B'z. In July 2002, Aerosmith released a two-disc career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, which featured the new single "Girls of Summer" and embarked on the Girls of Summer Tour with Kid Rock and Run-D.M.C. opening. O, Yeah! has since been certified double platinum. In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, in preparation for release of their blues album. They also performed a song for Rugrats Go Wild, "Lizard Love".

In May, Aerosmith covered the theme from Spider-Man for the album of the 2002 film of the same name.

Honkin' on Bobo, Rockin' the Joint, and Devil's Got a New Disguise (2004–2006)

Aerosmith's long-promised blues album Honkin' on Bobo was released in 2004. This was a return to the band's roots, including recording the album in live sessions, working with former producer Jack Douglas, and laying down their blues-rock grit.

2005 saw Steven Tyler appear in the film Be Cool. Joe Perry released his self-titled solo album that same year. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, he was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for the track "Mercy", but lost to Les Paul. In October 2005, Aerosmith released a CD/DVD Rockin' the Joint. The band planned to tour with Cheap Trick in the spring, hitting secondary markets in the U.S. Almost all of this leg of the tour was canceled, however. Dates were initially canceled one by one until March 22, 2006, when it was announced that lead singer Steven Tyler needed throat surgery, and the remaining dates on the tour were subsequently canceled.

Aerosmith commenced recording a new album on Armed Forces Day 2006. Tyler and Perry performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra for their annual July 4 concert on the Esplanade in 2006, a milestone as it was the first major event or performance since Steven Tyler's throat surgery. Around this time, the band also announced that they would embark on the Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe in late 2006. On August 24, 2006 it was announced that Tom Hamilton was undergoing treatment for throat cancer. In order to make a full recovery, he sat out much of the Route of All Evil Tour until he was well again. Former Joe Perry Project bassist David Hull substituted for Hamilton until his return. On September 5, 2006, Aerosmith kicked off the Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe in Columbus, Ohio. The co-headlining tour took both bands to amphitheaters across North America through November 24. After that, a select few arena dates were added, some of which were with Mötley Crüe. The tour ended December 17.

On October 17, 2006, the compilation album Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith was released. The album contained previous hits with the addition of two new songs, "Devil's Got a New Disguise" and "Sedona Sunrise", which were older outtakes re-recorded for the album. "Devil's Got a New Disguise" peaked at #15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Touring, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and unfinished album (2007–2009)

, Argentina on April 15, 2007]] In early 2007, the band announced a new World Tour, their first for nearly a decade to include dates outside North America or Japan. The band performed at London's Hard Rock Cafe in February 2007 to promote their European tour which included a night in Hyde Park as part of the Hyde Park Calling festival sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe. In the spring, the band toured Latin America to sold-out stadium crowds. The band also played a few select dates in California and Canada in late July. One such date, a July 21 concert in Prince Edward Island, was the largest in that province's history. In September, the band performed eight dates in major markets in Northeastern North America. These shows were opened by Joan Jett. The band also played a private gig in Hawaii. A public show in Maui was canceled for logistical reasons, which spurred a class action lawsuit against the band. In April 2009, Aerosmith agreed to compensate all ticket buyers of the canceled show with a free ticket to a rescheduled Maui show to be held on October 20, 2009, along with reimbursements of all out-of-pocket expenses related to the show.

On November 1, 2007, the band began work on the final studio album of their current contract with Sony. It is believed that the album will be a mix of re-recorded tracks left off previous albums as well as brand new material. In an interview, guitarist Joe Perry revealed that in addition to creating a new album, the band was working closely with the makers of the Guitar Hero series to develop , which is dedicated to the band's music. The game was released on June 29, 2008 and contains many of their most popular songs. Steven Tyler announced on VH1 Classic Radio on September 4, 2008 that Aerosmith intends to enter the studio at the end of September 2008 to complete the band's 15th studio album. It will be the band's first album of original material since 2001's Just Push Play. Tyler also confirmed that the band plans to begin a new U.S. tour in June 2009, in support of the as-yet-untitled album. This tour was supposed to be preceded by a concert in Venezuela on February 1, 2009. However, on January 15, Tyler said the band would be unable to play the gig because of a second knee injury of guitarist Joe Perry. In mid-February 2009, it was announced that the album would be produced by the famed Brendan O’Brien and that the album would likely be recorded live, like their earlier records. Although the band had hoped to finish the album before the tour started in June 2009, Perry said that the group "realized there wasn't any chance of getting [the album] finished before we hit the road for the summer." The tour featured ZZ Top as the opening act for most of the tour. The Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour, presented by Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, was officially announced and the first dates released on April 8, 2009.

The tour was slated to take the band across North America from June to September 2009. The tour featured the band perform nearly all of the songs on the band's 1975 album Toys in the Attic during the first seven dates of the tour and also featured Joe Perry sing lead vocals on the 1976 deep cut "Combination". The tour was plagued with several health problems however. Guitarist Brad Whitford had to sit out the first seven dates of the tour in order to recover from head surgery, after injuring his head getting out of his car. On June 28, 2009, at the band's seventh show of the tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, lead singer Steven Tyler injured his leg, which required the following seven shows to be postponed. As soon as the band resumed the tour on July 15, Whitford returned to the fold, however Tom Hamilton had to depart the tour in order to recover from non-invasive surgery. On August 5, 2009, Tyler was rushed to the hospital after falling from the stage at a concert in Sturgis, South Dakota. He was helped up by security staff and taken backstage, before guitarist Joe Perry told the audience the show was over. Tyler was airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he received treatment for head and neck injuries and a broken shoulder. In the wake of Tyler's injuries, the band was forced to postpone five shows in Western Canada. On August 14, 2009, Aerosmith announced that they had decided to cancel the rest of their U.S. tour dates with ZZ Top, due to Tyler's injuries.

In the midst of the tour, Perry completed work on his fifth solo album, Have Guitar, Will Travel and drummer Joey Kramer released his autobiography, Hit Hard. Perry's solo album was released on October 6, 2009.

After Tyler recovered from falling off stage, the band returned to the stage in mid-October for two shows in Hawaii, one in Maui which was rescheduled from 2007 and finally played as part of a legal settlement, and an additional show which was played in Honolulu. In early November, the band played a concert in Abu Dhabi at the Grand Prix.

Tyler-Perry feud and Cocked, Locked, and Ready to Rock Tour (2009 onward)

Tyler pulled out of a planned South American tour at the end of 2009 and seemed intent on pursuing solo projects, including his autobiography Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?. Tyler told Classic Rock magazine, "I don’t know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself – Brand Tyler." Meanwhile, guitarist Joe Perry toured the United States at the end of 2009, and Japan and the UK early in 2010. Perry stated that the rest of the group was "looking for a new singer to work with." It had also been reported that singer Lenny Kravitz had been approached for Steven Tyler's position, which he then denied.

However, despite the rumors of his leaving the band, Tyler joined The Joe Perry Project onstage on November 10, 2009 at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, and Tyler and Perry performed the Aerosmith single "Walk This Way" together. According to sources at the event, Tyler assured the crowd that he was "not quitting Aerosmith."

On December 22, People magazine reported that Tyler had entered a rehabilitation facility to manage his addiction to painkillers, brought on by injuries to his knees, legs, and feet, that resulted from years of performing. In his statement, Tyler said he is grateful for the support he is receiving, is committed to getting things taken care of, and is eager to get back on stage and in the recording studio with his bandmates.

On January 20, 2010, Perry confirmed the band were about to audition for a new singer to replace Tyler. Perry said that Tyler's surgery to his legs would "take him out of the picture" for up to a year and a half, and in the meantime, the rest of the band wanted to continue performing. Perry also said that the band would be willing to continue working with Tyler in the future if the singer wanted to. In response, Tyler's attorney sent the band and its manager a "cease and desist" letter and threatened further legal action against both if the band did not discontinue this effort to replace Tyler.

On February 15, 2010, it was announced that Aerosmith were to headline Download Festival at Donington Park, England in June 2010. Steven Tyler was confirmed as the frontman for the show by festival promoter Andy Copping. It was also announced that the band would precede the June 13 date with an appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 10 in Sölvesborg. During the Donington show, Perry celebrated Tyler's position as frontman, dubbing him "the best frontman in rock and roll". On February 24, the band announced the first batch of dates for their upcoming Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour. The tour saw the band play seven dates in South and Central America in May, followed by eleven dates in Europe, in June and early July. The band performed in Colombia, Peru and Greece for the first time in their careers on this tour. The band also performed 24 concerts in North America in late July, August, and September. Many of the concerts were in locations the band canceled on in 2009. As part of the tour, the band played Fenway Park in Boston with fellow Bostonians the J. Geils Band.

In June 2010, Keystone Entertainment slapped Aerosmith with a $6 million lawsuit over the band's last minute cancellation of Canadian concert dates in 2009, after Tyler was injured falling off the catwalk at a show in August 2009. The company's attempts to reschedule dates with the band in order to recoup losses exceeding $10 million were reportedly ignored, resulting in the lawsuit. As of July 23, Aerosmith have rescheduled Canadian dates for their Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock Tour. However, Keystone has not confirmed that it will back down from its lawsuit now that the band has booked new Canadian tour dates.

Problems on the band's Cocked, Locked, and Ready to Rock Tour arose in August 2010, including Steven Tyler accidentally hitting Joe Perry in the head with his microphone stand at a show in Wantagh, New York and Perry bumping into Tyler at the Toronto show, which caused Tyler to tumble off the stage. Perry suffered a minor head injury at the Wantagh show and Tyler was helped back up by fans and Perry at the Toronto show, and both shows went on.

Around the same time as these incidents, tension flared again between Perry and Tyler due to Tyler's plans to become a talent judge on American Idol. Perry criticized Tyler for not consulting the rest of the band, saying that he "found out on the internet, like the rest of the world" and that nobody else in the band knew anything about it. On August 18, it was reported that Tyler officially signed on with the show. When asked about this in October, Perry declared he understood Tyler's reasons and wished him luck, but stated that he would seek different projects - "I'm tired of waiting around, so I'm not passing up anything right now".

While announcing the Cocked, Locked, and Ready to Rock Tour in 2009, Tyler and Perry said that the next item on the agenda was a new Aerosmith album, the group's first since 2004's Honkin' on Bobo. The group did some recording with producer Brendan O'Brien in 2008 but halted because of Tyler's health problems. On November 5, 2010, Brad Whitford said the recording sessions will probably be in Los Angeles, where American Idol is headquartered, and a world tour would follow.

In a November 2010 interview reported at NME.com, drummer Joey Kramer confirmed that the band had every intention to finish and release their long-delayed album in 2011, stating, "Really, at this point in time, the only thing that's going to stop us is if someone out-and-out dies. Other than that, we've already been through what we've been through and stood the test of time. What else is there?" On January 7, 2011, Tyler declared that he is trying to reunite the band and begin prepping the album, but has not been able to locate Perry.

Band members

;Current members

Steven Tyler – lead vocals

Joe Perry – guitar, backing vocals

Brad Whitford – guitar

Tom Hamilton – bass

Joey Kramer – drums, percussion

;Former members

Ray Tabano – guitar

Jimmy Crespo – guitar, backing vocals

Rick Dufay – guitar

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable" |- !Date of Release !Title !Billboard peak''' The band has also been featured in the 2005 hit comedy Be Cool, starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Cedric the Entertainer and Vince Vaughn. Steven Tyler plays a major role, helping Chili Palmer (Travolta) and Edie Athens (Thurman) bring pop music star Linda Moon (Christina Milian) into the limelight.

The band has been the subject of several video games including Revolution X in 1994, Quest for Fame in 1995, and , in June 2008. and released seven home videos or DVDs.

Concert tours

1970-72: Club Days

1973: Aerosmith Tour

1974: Get Your Wings Tour

1975: Toys in the Attic Tour

1976-77: Rocks Tour

1977-78: Aerosmith Express Tour (supporting Draw the Line album)

1978: Live! Bootleg Tour

1979-80: Night in the Ruts Tour

1982-83: Rock in a Hard Place Tour

1984: "Back in the Saddle" Tour

1985-86: Done with Mirrors Tour

1987-88: Permanent Vacation Tour

1989-90: Pump Tour

1993-94: Get a Grip Tour

1997-99: Nine Lives Tour

1999-2000: Roar of the Dragon Tour

2001-02: Just Push Play Tour

2002: Girls of Summer Tour

2003: Rocksimus Maximus Tour

2004: Honkin' on Bobo Tour

2005-06: Rockin' the Joint Tour

2006: Route of All Evil Tour

2007: World Tour 2007

2009: Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour

2010: Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour

Awards and achievements

Despite Aerosmith's popularity and success in the 1970s, it wasn't until their comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s that they started winning awards and major recognition. In 1987, Aerosmith won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single for the re-mix of "Walk This Way" with Run-D.M.C.. In 1990, Aerosmith won their first Grammy award, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and went on to win a total of four such awards (all of them in the 1990s) for "Janie's Got a Gun", "Livin' on the Edge", "Crazy", and "Pink". Aerosmith is second only to U2 in the number of awards won in that category.

In addition, Aerosmith's music videos won numerous awards throughout the 1990s. Aerosmith ranks as the fourth most successful artist of all-time at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), with ten such awards to date. Aerosmith is also the all-time leader in the categories Best Rock Video (with four such awards) and Viewer's Choice (with three such awards). Aerosmith has also won once each in the categories Video of the Year, Best Group Video, and Best Video from a Film. The videos for which Aerosmith has won VMAs are "Janie's Got a Gun" (2 awards), "The Other Side", "Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'" (3 awards), "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", "Pink", and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".

Over the course of their career (primarily 1990 and after), Aerosmith has also collected seven American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two People's Choice Awards, sixteen Boston Music Awards, and numerous other awards and honors. the only number one debut on the Billboard Hot 100 by a rock group with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", and the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. From the Recording Industry Association of America, Aerosmith has achieved 25 gold, 18 platinum, and 12 multi-platinum album certifications, in addition to one diamond album and four gold singles. With 150 million albums sold worldwide and 66.5 million in the United States, Aerosmith is the bestselling American rock band.

Rankings on lists

"Dream On", "Toys in the Attic", and "Walk This Way" (with Run-D.M.C.) are all listed on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

In 1993, "Rolling Stone: The Top 100 Music Videos" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #11 and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #95.

In 1999, "MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #5 and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #48.

In 2000, "VH1: 100 Greatest Rock Songs" included "Walk This Way" at #35 and "Dream On" at #47.

In 2000, ranked #11 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

In 2001, "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" included "Walk This Way" (w/ Run-D.M.C.) at #11, "Crazy" at #23, and "Janie's Got a Gun" at #48.

In 2003, Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time included Rocks at #176 and Toys in the Attic at #228.

In 2003, "VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years" included "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" at #45.

In 2004, Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time included "Dream On" at #172, "Walk This Way" (with Run-D.M.C.) at #287, "Walk This Way" (original) at #336, and "Sweet Emotion" at #408.

In 2004, ranked #18 on the "Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years" chart.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Aerosmith #57 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked the original version of "Walk This Way" at #34 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

In 2009, "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" ranked Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" (original) at #8.

In 2010, "VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" ranked Aerosmith at #30.

References

Bibliography

Footnotes

External links

Official website

Official record label website

Aerosmith: 17 Classic Pics - image slideshow by Life magazine

Aerosmith's Big Ones Review at Spectrum Fm

Category:Aerosmith Category:1960s music groups Category:1970s music groups Category:1980s music groups Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:2010s music groups Category:American hard rock musical groups Category:American heavy metal musical groups Category:Blues-rock groups Category:Blues-rock musicians Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Geffen Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Massachusetts Category:Musical groups from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical quintets Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Rock music groups from Massachusetts Category:Musical groups from Massachusetts

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