10 Hard Rock Bands That Went Pop
1. Aerosmith
In the early '70s, Aerosmith was many rock fans' go-to band for a nice helping of rock and roll thunder. The band's unique mix of a strong backbeat with Led Zeppelin style riffs made them the soundtrack of the '70s for many, with records like Rocks and Toys in the Attic becoming staples of the genre. However, something strange started to happen once the band made their comeback in the '80s.
After the impressive offering Done With Mirrors, Aerosmith morphed themselves into a hair metal act on Permanent Vacation, which seemed to suit them pretty well with songs like "Rag Doll." Even if later records like Get a Grip and PUMP were treading poppier waters, there didn't seem to be anything inherently wrong with the shift. On the other hand, the band's ascent into the mainstream with "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" was both the best and worst thing that happened to them.
Though they finally had a bonafied #1 hit, Aerosmith have spent the rest of their career trying to recreate it, with albums like Just Push Play and Music From Another Dimension attempting to mold themselves into the modern pop sound. Instead of gradually dipping their toes into different genres, Aerosmith jumped into the mainstream pool headfirst and came out looking almost unrecognizable to their '70s fans.