Who We Are: Aerosmith, the Bad Boys From Boston

Some bands have hits. We have a whole songbook that rock fans know by heart. Here's a short guide to who we are, the Bad Boys from Boston.

Where did we start?

We formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1970 and played our first show on November 6 that year. Our classic line-up is Steven Tyler on vocals, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on guitars, Tom Hamilton on bass and Joey Kramer on drums. Whitford joined in 1971, replacing our original guitarist Ray Tabano.

Which albums made them famous?

• Aerosmith (1973): the debut, home of "Dream On".
• Toys in the Attic (1975): "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way", and our best-selling studio album in the US.
• Rocks (1976) and Draw the Line (1977): two more seventies classics.
• Night in the Ruts (1979): recorded as Joe Perry left the band; he came back in 1984.
• Permanent Vacation (1987) and Pump (1989): the comeback, with "Angel", "Love in an Elevator" and "Janie's Got a Gun", our first Grammy winner.
• Get a Grip (1993): "Cryin'" and more.

In all, we made fifteen studio albums, up to Music from Another Dimension! in 2012.

What came after?

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", from the 1998 film Armageddon, became our only No. 1. We joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. In August 2024 we announced our retirement from touring after Steven Tyler's vocal injury, and in 2025 we released the One More Time EP with Yungblud, our first new music in thirteen years.

Who are the Blue Army?

That's the name our fans go by. If you know every word of "Dream On", you're in.

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