If anybody were to compile a list of the most popular and successful bands of the 1970s, Aerosmith would assuredly make the cut.

By mid-decade, they had blown open the music charts and both FM and AM radio endlessly played their hits. They seemed to become bonafide superstars overnight, and it was pretty cool while it lasted. Now, depending on your opinion, you may still feel that Aerosmith retained that relevance for the next three decades (or even more, if you drank the Kool-aid), but from my perspective, they never again came near the promise or the greatness of "Toys in the Attic." I will concede that they subsequently made a few good records, but not a lot of them, and the consistency of their material wavered significantly.

The constant references to Aerosmith being 'the American Rolling Stones' didn't help matters, because it was all too obvious that the Stones had ten times the staying power, and twice that if you compared them song for song. In short, I see Aerosmith as a classic seventies act that ultimately suffered as styles changed and their creative juices dissipated. I don't mean to sound judgmental or harsh, though, because Aerosmith did a better job of surviving than 98% of other bands. My point is that their status as rock and roll gods lasted longer than their ability to deliver the goods, and if I were to accrue a list of the band's best material over a half-century (and counting), probably half of their best work stems from "Toys in the Attic."

Were they a flash in the pan? Certainly not. But were they retaining a status equal to other seventies superstars like the Rolling Stones, or Led Zeppelin, or the Who, or Pink Floyd, or even the Eagles, or AC/DC? As I see it, Aerosmith are to 1975 what the Cars are to 1978, and that stylistic change is exactly what derailed Aerosmith from the consistency that is necessary to be truly classic. Hey, though, it was great while it lasted!

Featured Tracks:

Toys in the Attic

Uncle Salty

Adam's Apple

Walk This Way

Big Ten Inch Record

Sweet Emotion

No More No More

Round and Round

You See Me Crying

April 1975 - Billboard Charthed #11