12 PERFECT Hard Rock Albums With No Bad Songs
8. Rocks - Aerosmith
Aerosmith truly felt like a well-oiled hard rock machine throughout the 70's. With each passing record, it seemed like the band were pumping out great hard rock jams with each passing day. Many people single out Toys in the Attic as the band's rock and roll peak, but Rocks was something else.
After the success of Toys, the band had come into their own as players and songwriters. Whereas the band were kids before, they were now seasoned pros of the genre who had forged a bold sonic identity. Rocks took the next logical step forward for the band by doubling down on the heaviness, with songs like "Nobody's Fault" and "Rats In the Cellar" sounding like a blues band that was given a heavy metal makeover.
Aside from the heavier moments, the other standouts on this record are when the band keep things at a solid groove. Tracks like "Last Child" are straight up bluesy rock tunes, while "Back In the Saddle" is a hard rock pastiche of a modern outlaw of the West. It was still hard rock, but with a Rolling Stones sense of swagger to it. Though the band may have had bigger hits on their previous effort, Rocks is the moment where every single element of Aerosmith's sound reached its apex.