What are Aerosmith’s 5 Biggest U.S. Hits?

Aerosmith came burning out of Boston in the ’70s like some unholy cross between The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, proving that hard and dirty rock and roll could come from the States as well. Their resilience helped them overcome a fallow period in the early ’80s, so that they once again become one of the world’s biggest bands by the end of that decade going into the next.

As a result, their biggest hits in the U.S. are stretched across a long span of time. Let’s look back at Aerosmith’s top U.S. singles.

“Dream On” (No. 6 in 1976)

It took a while for this ballad to make its way into the wider world from its local origins, even after doing well in the band’s native Boston in 1973. Two years later, the band reissued the song, and their record label gave it a marketing push. The single edit robs the song of the buildup you get listening to the longer album take. When you hear the latter version, the impact of Steven Tyler’s screaming vocals and the staccato instrumental blasts are undeniable. Amazingly, Tyler wrote the song when he was just a teenager while ruminating on some of the classical music his father loved.

“Love in an Elevator” (No. 5 in 1989)

Aerosmith turned things around in 1987 with their career-saving album Permanent Vacation. To prove they were back for good, “Love in an Elevator,” the band’s first single off Pump in 1989, did monster business and set the tone for their biggest album yet. Remember this was the prime of the hair metal era, so Aerosmith, who had been doing the whole loud, ribald thing way before it became popular, were poised to pounce with songs like this. Tyler’s fast-talking, innuendo-laden shtick was new to the youngsters, and the band could still bring the might when called upon on a track like this.

“Janie’s Got a Gun” (No. 4 in 1989)

Has there ever been a 180-degree turn from one single to the next as what Aerosmith did with this epic track following up “Love in an Elevator”? You have to give them a lot of credit, considering they could have coasted with songs like “Elevator” and done just fine. But “Janie’s Got a Gun” found them tackling some pretty sobering topics (child abuse, gun violence) with deadly seriousness and sharp insight. The track is a monster as well, with the synth bass adding some modern texture and Joe Perry’s guitar solo delivering a maelstrom of appropriately panicked notes.

“Angel” (No. 3 in 1988)

A low-key hero in the Aerosmith saga is songwriter Desmond Child. It was Child who came aboard as a collaborator on Permanent Vacation, and what dividends he paid. First it was with the band’s comeback single “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” which brought them back them from the commercial doldrums. Then came “Angel,” which nailed the power ballad template that was needed to succeed in the late-’80s. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Child could pass the song off to co-writer Tyler, who gives an all-in, soulful performances to push the song to the heights.

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (No. 1 in 1998)

Look, we get it, this song is somewhat formulaic coming from Diane Warren, who could write stuff like this in her sleep. But Aerosmith had to step up and give it needed personality, bringing a kind of specificity to the general emotions the lyrics evoke. Remember that Warren thought she was writing for Celine Dion. She also knew she was writing for a movie (Armageddon) that needed the over-the-top treatment. Tyler’s manages to lend the whole thing, sweeping strings and all, just a tiny bit of modesty with his tender vocals in the verses. Thus, Aerosmith earned their biggest hit more than a quarter-century into their career.

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