10 Underrated Classic Rock Albums Of The '70s
7. Aerosmith - Aerosmith
Depending on who you asked, much of the American hard rock world in the '70s was dominated by Aerosmith. While other acts like KISS and ZZ Top were giving the world their fair share of thrashings, Aerosmith's songs had a visceral stomp that still made you want to dance. On the other hand, you wouldn't know that if you went off the band's debut record.
As opposed to their trademark boogie, most of the songs on this record seem to owe their origins to the blues rock of the late 60's like the Yardbirds and Cream. It may not be the sound the band would be known for, but tracks like "Somebody" and "One Way Street" are still decent attempts at hard rock, with melodies that will still make their way into your skull.
There may be a good chunk of Aerosmith classics on here like the first Tyler/Perry collaboration "Movin Out," but the standout is Tyler's "Dream On," which would go on to become the prototype for the 80's power ballad. That alone should have saved the album, but the press at the time tended to write them off as a Stones ripoff and moved on with their lives. With multiple decades of hindsight, these songs are the raw building blocks for the band's future classics.