10 Greatest Hair Metal Albums Of All Time
7. Permanent Vacation - Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an intrinsic part of hair metal's DNA. Even though they weren't really a part of the Sunset Strip scene back in the '80s, their brand of boogie rock and swaggering attitude during the '70s became many artists' road map once the hair metal scene started to explode. Once the Bad Boys of Boston finally got back from their troubled past, they figured they'd show the new kids on the block how it was really done.
While many point to this era of Aerosmith as the start of the "sellout" years, this is the one time where those more manufactured elements end up working in the group's favor. As opposed to just being songs written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the addition of Desmond Child really gave these songs a kick in the ass, whether it was the weird loops on Dude Looks Like a Lady or the tender moments of Angel.
After experimenting with Run-DMC on their cover of Walk This Way, this was Aerosmith striking while the iron was hot and coming through with one of their greatest albums in over a decade. Some dark times may have been coming in the next few decades, but the view from here was an awesome party that never ends.