10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 1970s
6. Toys In The Attic - Aerosmith
While many of the hard rock acts from Britain were delivering devastating hard rock hitters, only few were able to possess the swagger as well as the riffs. Over in America, Aerosmith came out with the groove lowdown and swinging.
With the release of Toys in the Attic, the band took their British blues influences and brought with them a grooving rhythm that was a great change of pace from the straightforward speed of their contemporaries. On cuts like the title track, "Sweet Emotion," and the breakout single "Walk This Way," Aerosmith shows their strength as the heaviest swing band you've ever heard. Hell, even their cover of "Big Ten Inch Record" has the perfect dash of horn lines to keep the band rocking along.
Towards the end of the album, the band also offers up a proto-power ballad with the piano tune "You See Me Crying," which went on to impact many of the 80's hair metal acts. In spite of some sonic variety, Toys in the Attic shows Aerosmith at the peak of their powers and took hard rock from a solid marching rhythm to a boot swinging strut.