Originally decried by critics as an American rip-off of the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith blew these criticisms away by going on to become the biggest and best hard rock band of the '70s. Fronted by funky and fast-talking Steven Tyler, Aerosmith was anchored by the rock-solid rhythm tandem of Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, while guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were the instrumental gunslingers of the band.

Much of Aerosmith's appeal lies in the band's outlaw personas, particularly on such incendiary cuts as "Back in the Saddle" and the equally powerful "Draw the Line." The flip side of these nuggets were arena anthems like the prototype power ballad "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion," a simmering classic written by Tyler about Perry's wife. Unlike many hard rock bands of the time whose sound was solely rooted in heavy blues-rock, Aerosmith was an unabashed fan of pop. Not only did the band cover the Beatles ("Come Together") and The ShangriLas ("Remember [Walking in the Sand]), but paid tribute to James Brown by writing its own "Mother Popcorn."