By Colin McCandless
Contributing Writer
BOSTON – Rock icons and the so-called “Bad Boys from Boston” Aerosmith have reached the end of the road after a half century of selling out rock arenas worldwide. The band announced on Aug. 2 that they are retiring from touring, citing frontman Steven Tyler’s inability to fully recover from a vocal cord injury that had previously sidelined him from performing in 2023.
Aerosmith was more than “just another band out of Boston,” to quote another legendary rock band who emerged on the scene in 1970s Beantown. They have sold over 150 million albums worldwide, won four Grammy Awards and have attracted legions of adoring fans over their storied Hall of Fame career, which spanned from 1970-2024.
Since the big news dropped, Aerosmith pages on social media have been blowing up with tributes, favorite memories of past shows, photos, artwork and wistful regrets over missing cancelled shows because of their retirement.
In a statement addressed to their fans on Facebook, the band expressed “A final thank you to you—the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”
1970s formation
Aerosmith formed in 1970 when Steven Tyler met Joe Perry while both were working in a Sunapee, New Hampshire, ice cream parlor. The band began as a power trio that included bassist Tom Hamilton and Tyler initially served as the drummer, but they soon grew into a hard rock quintet with the addition of guitarist Brad Whitford and drummer Joey Kramer. By year’s end Tyler became the full-time lead vocalist, and the group had relocated to Boston. They played their inaugural paid gig at a high school gym “student dance” in Mendon, Massachusetts.
During their formative years, Aerosmith played the Massachusetts and New York club circuit and scored a record contract with Columbia Records in 1972, releasing their self-titled debut in 1973. The power ballad “Dream On” was first released on this album and became a minor hit. In those early touring days, the band shared a Commonwealth Avenue apartment in the Allston neighborhood of Boston.
It wasn’t until their third album “Toys in the Attic,” released in 1975, that Aerosmith broke through and found commercial success. The first single “Sweet Emotion” cracked the Top 40 and the album ascended the charts to No. 11. They also re-released “Dream On,” which landed in the Top Ten. Their next effort “Rocks” went platinum and peaked at No. 3. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band in 1979 and 1980 respectively to pursue other projects.
In 1980 Aerosmith released a “Greatest Hits” record that sold over six million copies. After issuing a couple records with a different lineup, Perry and Whitford rejoined Aerosmith in 1984 for the “Back in the Saddle” reunion tour. Battling drug and alcohol addiction, Tyler and Perry completed rehab programs in 1986 and later that same year appeared in Run-D.M.C.’s cover of “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith’s final single off “Toys in the Attic”), also appearing in the MTV video of the hybrid rap/rock reimagining of the iconic tune.
Resurgence during 1980s
Then in the late ‘80s Aerosmith delivered an avalanche of hits with songs such as “Dude (Looks Like a Lady”), “Ragdoll,” “Janie’s Got a Gun” and “Love in an Elevator.” The hit parade continued into the early ‘90s with the album “Get a Grip,” which went double platinum and featured the hit singles “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin’” and “Amazing.” On the heels of this resurgence, the band opened a short-lived rock club on Lansdowne Street in Boston, Mama Kin Music Hall, which lasted from 1994 until they sold it in 1999.
Aerosmith would perform at the Super Bowl halftime show on Jan. 28, 2001.
Later that same year in March, they would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Tyler never left any doubt as to the lofty heights the band envisioned themselves achieving. “We weren’t too ambitious when we started out,” he once said. “We just wanted to be the biggest thing that ever walked the planet, the greatest rock band that ever was.”
However, like many other hard rockers who tour together for extended periods and live an extravagant lifestyle, the band members certainly experienced their share of adversity including multiple rehab stints, internal dissension and brief hiatuses for members to parlay their success as a group into solo projects, books, shows and other various business ventures. In 2010, Tyler joined the popular singing competition series “American Idol” as a judge. The appearance thrust Aerosmith back into the spotlight and he continued touring with the band. They later landed a residency at Park Theater in Las Vegas in 2019 called “Deuces Are Wild” that was shut down by the pandemic.
On Sept. 8, 2022, Aerosmith finally performed what had been a delayed 50th anniversary concert at Fenway Park in the city where it all started.
In September 2023, after just three dates during their “Peace Out: The Farewell Tour,” Tyler announced that he had injured his vocal cords. Aerosmith postponed the tour while he sought medical attention to repair the damage and heal. Tyler expressed hope for a 2024 return and tour resumption. Alas, it was not to be.
Remembering the sweet emotions
Fans across the internet have been sharing fond memories and recollections of Aerosmith whether in news article comment sections or on social media pages associated with the band.
One person responding to The New York Times article on their tour retirement lamented, “It’s sad to see medical issues ending the careers of some of the singers who defined our youth. Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, now Steven Tyler. I wish they all could have finished their careers with a triumphant farewell, rather than having their gifts essentially stolen from them (and from us, as fans).”
Another individual shared, “Joe Perry grew up in the neighborhood where I live, but I don’t know which house it was. Aerosmith’s first gig, once the band had formed, was at a school up the road from me.”
An early concertgoer gushed, “I saw Aerosmith three times in the ‘70s when I was a teenager and consider ‘Get Your Wings’ and ‘Rocks’ two of the greatest rock albums of all time.”
A fan on Aerosmith’s Instagram page reminisced, “First saw you when you played Beverly High School,” alluding to a Massachusetts show from May 1973. Another Instagrammer raved, “You’ve been the soundtrack to many memories of my life.”
And then there were those who worked with the band on some of their earlier gigs. “Promoted Aerosmith’s first concert on Cape Cod in ’73,” stated another commenter.
Several people replying to an Aerosmith Fans Facebook page post asking who has seen Aerosmith live and at what venue said they had been to 20-plus shows. One individual put their concert tally between 40 and 50.
Perhaps a contributor to the Aerosmith Fans page summed up the feelings of nostalgia and “bittersweet” emotion best, proclaiming, “We have enough music to last us a lifetime from you Steven Tyler, but we sure love to hear you if you’re ever able to sing again. If not, we will remember it all and play it all. You are part of the fabric of our lives.”
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