15 Greatest Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die
2. Rocks - Aerosmith
Aerosmith were on top of the world by the mid-70's. As the band quickly grew out of the Stones and Yardbirds plagiarisms of their early years, they had finally hit the jackpot with the album Toys in the Attic, which has become a must-hear for any classic rock fan.
It's totally understandable why many would pick Toys as the band's best, but Rocks was where things started to get a bit more interesting. With the band now comfortable in their sound, they use these 9 tracks to establish themselves as one of the best hard rock bands in existence. The opening one-two punch of "Back in the Saddle" and "Last Child" hit you like a ton of bricks, combining the idea of the rockstar with the modern day outlaw.
The main crux of these tunes are still centered around the band's funkier blues sound, but the tone hits you like a smack in the face. Even tracks like "Rats in the Cellar" have a relentless pace that give off the impression that the music may become airborne at any second. It's not easy to stand next to a record like Toys in the Attic, but the entire modern rock scene would not look the way it does without Rocks laying the blueprint.