10 Best Hard Rock Bands Of The 1980s
6. Aerosmith
In the 70's, Aerosmith were on top of the world with their trademark brand of swinging hard rock music. However, the beginning of the 80's were not kind to the Bad Boys from Boston, as they lost guitar god Joe Perry and released subpar albums to little fanfare.
Once the band looked like they were down and out, the band made amends with Perry and began working again. In an unheard-of risk, the band ended up rerecording their trademark hit "Walk This Way" with rap legends Run-DMC, which catapulted them into the stratosphere once again. This led to a more refined sound on the albums Permanent Vacation and Pump, which put them at the same level as rock contemporaries like Bon Jovi. Throughout both records, Perry's guitar breaks are the perfect counter to the trademark wails from singer Steven Tyler.
Were the edges more polished? Sure, but songs like "Rag Doll" and "Love in an Elevator" are staples of classic rock radio and proof that Aerosmith never lost their trademark swing. Though the decade began with tragic lows, Aerosmith rose up from hard times and proved that their trademark sound could go toe-to-toe with any other hard rock band.