The 20 Best Aerosmith Songs of All-Time

Aerosmith is a rock band that was formed in 1970 in Boston. The band consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, guitarist Brad Whitford, and drummer Joey Kramer.

Although they are known for their blues-based hard rock style, they also include elements of pop-rock, glam metal, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues in their music. Sometimes, Aerosmith is referred to as America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band, and the band is also known as the Bad Boys of Boston.

They first achieved wide stream success in the mid-1970s and were at the height of their fame at the end of the same decade. They had a resurgence in their career in the late 1980s following a collaboration with Run-D.M.C.

Since Aerosmith was formed, they have sold more than 150 million albums around the world, including more than 66.5 million albums in the United States. It means they are the biggest-selling hard rock band from the United States in history.

They have recorded 15 studio albums, 16 compilation albums, seven live albums, two EPSs, and 72 singles. Here are the 20 best Aerosmith songs of all time.

20. Last Child (1976)

‘Last Child’ was the first of three singles released from the 1976 album ‘Rocks.’ It was written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford. The song opens as a slow song but abruptly changes to become a hard-rocking song. It was one of Aerosmith’s earlier songs to make it onto the charts, and it peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

19. Dream On (1973 and 1975)

The Guardian lists ‘Dream On’ as one of the best Aerosmith songs of all time. It featured on the band’s self-titled debut album, and it was the first of their singles to chart. Like many debut singles, it did not do all that well commercially, reaching only 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 87 on the Canadian charts. However, it remains a fan favorite.

18. Hole in My Soul (1997)

‘Hole in My Soul was the third of six singles released from the album ‘Nine Lives’ in 1997. It peaked at number four on the rock charts in the United States and was a top ten hit in Canada. The song was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. The latter is a professional songwriter who collaborated with Aerosmith many times throughout his career.

17. Angel (1988)

Released in 1988, ‘Angel’ was the third of five singles released from the 1987 album ‘Permanent Vacation.’ It reached number two on the Mainstream Rock chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Steven Tyler co-wrote the song with professional songwriter Desmond Child. The B-Side to this single was ‘Girl Keeps Coming Apart.’

16. Blind Man (1994)

‘Blind Man’ was the first of two singles released from the 1994 album ‘Big Ones.’ Commercially, this song was very successful as it reached number three on the Mainstream Rock charts and number five on the charts in Canada. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Taylor Rhodes. The band also performed this song live in their ‘Get a Grip Tour,’ which ran from 1993 to 1994. Since then, the track has hardly ever made it onto a tour playlist.

15. Pink (1997)

‘Pink’ was one of Aerosmith’s many songs to top the Mainstream Rock charts. However, it only peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Steven Tyler co-wrote the blues-rock song with professional songwriters Glen Ballard and Ritchie Supa.

One of the highlights of the track is a harmonica performance by Tyler. The lyrics of the song are suggestive, and women’s reproductive organs were the inspiration for the song. It was the third single released from the ‘Nine Lives’ album.

14. Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (1987 and 1990)

Aerosmith first released ‘Dude (Looks Like a Lady)’ in 1987. It reached number four on the Mainstream Rock chart and number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Silver, and it was the first single from the ‘Permanent Vacation’ album. Three years later, Aerosmith reissued the song, and it reached number 20 on the UK charts. This track was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child.

13. Deuces Are Wild (1994)

‘Deuces Are Wild’ was written by Steven Tyler and Jim Vallance, a professional songwriter. The latter had originally written the music for the song in 1988. It was released as a promotional single in 1994 and is featured on the comedy album ‘The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience,’ which was produced by Geffen Records. The music video for this song featured a random compilation of clips of Aerosmith.

12. The Other Side (1990)

‘The Other Side’ was the second single from the album ‘Pump,’ and the album’s second single to top the Mainstream Rock chart. It also reached number 22 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian charts. Jim Vallance wrote the music for the song, and the lyrics were written by Steven Tyler.

However, Aerosmith was threatened with a suit by the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, as they claimed that there were similarities between ‘The Other Side’ and their song ‘Standing in the Shadow of Love.’ To avoid a suit, Aerosmith eventually added a songwriting credit to Holland-Dozier-Holland.

11. Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees) (1997)

Not only did ‘Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)’ top the Mainstream Rock chart, but it was also certified as Gold. Furthermore, it was a number two hit in Canada and reached the top ten in the Czech Republic and Finland. It was the second single released from the album ‘Nine Lives,’ and it was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Glen Ballard. The inspiration for the title of this song came from a bumper sticker that Tyler had seen.

10. Love in an Elevator (1989)

‘Love in an Elevator’ was certified Gold by the RIAA, and it topped the Mainstream Rock chart and reached number five on the Billboard hot 100 when it was released in 1989. This song was the first single released from the album ‘Pump.’ It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

9. Jaded (2001)

‘Jaded’ was the last of Aerosmith’s singles to top the Mainstream Rock charts, and it also reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band’s most successful single of the 2000s. It was released in 2001 and is featured on the ‘Just Push Play’ album. The song was written by Steven Tyler and songwriter Marti Frederiksen.

8. Janie’s Got a Gun (1989)

‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ was Aerosmith’s biggest success in Australia, where it topped the charts. It also reached number two in Canada and on the Mainstream Rock chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was certified Platinum by the ARIA. ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ was the third single released from the album ‘Pump.’ It was written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton.

7. What It Takes (1990)

Ultimate Classic Rock says that one of the best Aerosmith songs is ‘What It Takes.’ It was the fourth single released from the album ‘Pump,’ and it was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child.

The song is a power ballad that was critically and commercially successful, topping the Mainstream Rock chart. There are two music videos from this song. One features clips from ‘The Making of Pump,’ which was a documentary about making the album. The other is a video of Aerosmith performing at the Longhorn Ballroom.

6. Crazy (1994)

‘Crazy’ was the last of seven singles released from the album ‘Get a Grip.’ Although it never topped the charts in the United States, it was a number one hit in Iceland and reached number three in Canada.

The song became a favorite amongst fans and has regularly been included in playlists for Aerosmith’s live performances. It is a power ballad that was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. The single was released as a double A-side in the UK and Finland that also featured the song ‘Blind Man.’

5. Back in the Saddle

Rolling Stone lists ‘Back in the Saddle’ as one of the best Aerosmith songs of all time. Despite not being one of Aerosmith’s chart-topping hits, it is one that has stood the test of time and remains popular with the band’s fans. The song was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and it was the third and final single released from the album ‘Rocks.’

4. Walk This Way (1975, 1976, and 1986)

Aerosmith has released ‘Walk This Way’ three times over two decades. They first released the song in 1975 when it featured on the album ‘Toys in the Attic,’ but it did not chart. A year later, Aerosmith reissued the song, and it reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Canadian charts. In 1986, Run-D.M.C. released a version of the song that featured Aerosmith, and this version merged rock with hip hop. It became an international hit and won several awards.

3. Livin’ on the Edge (1993)

Aerosmith’s third single to top the Mainstream Rock chart in the United States during the 1990s was ‘Livin’ on the Edge.’ This song also reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and stayed in that position for nine weeks.

It was the first of six singles released from the album ‘Get a Grip.’ The song was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Mark Hudson. The inspiration for this song was the riots that took place in Los Angeles in 1992. Between the final verse and the chorus, there are four loud drum beats, which Steven Tyler says were played on a drum that he stole from his high school.

2. Cryin’ (1993)

‘Cryin’’ was the most commercially successful of the six singles released from the album ‘Get a Grip.’ It topped the Mainstream Rock chart, reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a top ten hit in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. In the UK, it reached number 17 on the charts. The power ballad was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Taylor Rhodes. The music video for this track features Alicia Silverstone, Josh Holloway, and Stephen Dorff.

1. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (1998)

In terms of commercial success, the best Aerosmith song of all time is ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.’ It was one of the two singles that the band recorded for the soundtrack of the film ‘Armageddon’. Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler, starred in this film alongside Bruce Willis. The other single Aerosmith released from the soundtrack was ‘What Kind of Love Are You On.’ ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ was a chart-topping hit in the United States, Australia, Germany, and Switzerland. The song was written by Diane Warren, who had intended for a singer such as Celine Dion to perform the song.

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