Forty years ago in January 1973, Aerosmith released their self titled debut album. And although not considered as solid as their future recordings, their album was an introduction to what would be known as the signature Aerosmith sound.
Not surprisingly, the biggest highlight of the album was the track “Dream On”. The song is credited with pioneering the term “power ballad”. It would become not only one of Aerosmith’s most beloved singles, but also one of the greatest songs of all time. Other tracks on the albums included “Mama’s Kin”, and a cover of Rufus Thomas’s “Walkin’ the Dog”.
But initially, when Aerosmith’s debut album first came out in 1973, it was not a success. In fact, the album peaked at number 166, when it first appeared on the charts, with “Dream On” making it to number 59. In addition, some critics deemed them as the “poor man’s Rolling Stones”, and they were on the verge of getting dropped, by the time the band recorded their 1974 follow-up Get Your Wings. Yet, Aerosmith’s debut album set the stage for the success, the band would obtain throughout the 1970s and beyond. Plus, the album got a second life on the charts, when it was re-released in 1976. This time around, the album peaked in the top thirty, and would go on to sell over two million copies. Meanwhile, “Dream On” cracked the top ten, further solidifying Aerosmith as one of America’s biggest bands.
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