Steven Tyler Enters Rehab, Aerosmith Cancels Part of Vegas Residency
Aerosmith has announced they are canceling part of their upcoming Las Vegas residency due to Steven Tyler entering rehab.
The band issued the following statement:
“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years. After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.
We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must cancel our first set of Las Vegas Residency dates this June and July while he focuses on his well-being.
We will continue our 2022 dates starting in September, and weâll let you know any further updates as soon as we can. We are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows.
Thank you for your understanding and for your support for Steven during this time.
If you purchased your tickets via Ticketmaster, you will be refunded and will receive an email shortly with details, otherwise please contact your point of purchase for information on refunds.”
Aerosmith’s Las Vegas residency dates were slated to kick off on June 17 at Park MGM's Dolby Live. In March, it was announced drummer Joey Kramer would be sitting out of the residency. Per USA Today, Kramer “…regrettably made the decision to sit out the band’s concerts in 2022 so he can focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times.” Filling in for Kramer will be John Douglas, with the band further noting Kramer not taking part in the residency is only a “temporary leave of absence.”
Aerosmith: Top 50 Songs in Their Catalog
Itâs a dirty pun, get it?! (Would it really be a proper Aerosmith ranking without kicking things off with some crude humor?) It also wouldnât be a proper Aerosmith ranking without pointing out the dynamic guitar work of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. âLord of the Thighsâ is the first of many examples of that on this list.
"Pinkâ isnât even a dirty pun; itâs just dirty, but itâs a whole lot of fun. (Oddly enough, âDirty, but a whole lot of funâ is a perfect, succinct way to describe the Bad Boys from Boston.) Steven Tylerâs harmonica is the bow on top of this package, which may or may not be wrapped in rubber.
Thereâs a lot of energetic tracks on âHonkinâ on Bobo,â Aerosmithâs 2004 blues covers album, but the bandâs cover of Smiley Lewisâ âShame, Shame, Shameâ is a standout. It only clocks in at 2:15, but damn, if itâs not a total party.
âBig Ten Inch Recordâ is so tongue-in-cheek filthy youâd assume the songwriting credit would read âTyler/Perry.â It was actually written by Fred Weismantel and first recorded by Bull Moose Jackson in 1952.
âWhat you pissing in the wind for/You must have snorted too much bleesâ is probably one of Aerosmithâs most underrated lyrics ever. Itâs fitting since âMy Fist Your Faceâ is another underrated track in the bandâs catalog.
While it was the lead single off of âNine Lives,â âFalling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)â couldâve easily found a home on 1993âs âGet A Gripâ thanks in part to the lovely use of horns. Also, only Steven Tyler could write lyrics like, âIâm jonesing on love/Yeah, I got the DTâs/You say that we will/But there ainât no guarantees/Iâm major in love/But in all minor keys.â
To be blunt, âNight in the Rutsâ is just not a great album. Itâs one saving grace is this hard rock version of The Shangri-Las classic âRemember (Walking in the Sand).â The cover even features Shangri-Las's lead vocalist Mary Weiss as an uncredited backup vocalist.
This Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac song has been a regular part of Aerosmithâs setlist since the early â90s, but it wasnât until 2004âs âHonkinâ on Boboâ that Aerosmith recorded the tune. Joe Perry is on lead vocals, and because heâs Joe f---inâ Perry, he can make a cool song sound even cooler.
Knowing Steven Tyler wrote âSeasons of Witherâ inspired by a Massachusetts winter landscape, you can almost feel a chill in the air when listening to this track. Of course, if youâve never experienced a harsh winter before and canât relate to the bleakness that can sometimes come with it, buy a parka and go somewhere really cold for a week during the winter months. Youâll learn right quick what âSeasons of Witherâ is about.
Some songs are just fun parties about being a rock star, putting on a great show and getting laid. âLick and a Promiseâ is one of those songs. Joey Kramerâs drums come on strong out the gate and donât let up for the whole track providing a no-nonsense backbone.
From the late â80s to the mid-â90s, Aerosmith seemingly couldnât miss with their singles. Sometimes, they would hold onto them for years before releasing them. âDeuces Are Wildâ was recorded during the studio sessions for 1989âs âPump,â but it would finally see the light of day in 1993 when it was featured on âThe Beavis and Butt-Head Experienceâ compilation album. It's pretty mind-blowing that such an obvious hit took so long to be released.
âI Donât Want to Miss a Thingâ is Aerosmithâs biggest ballad for multiple reasons. Penned by songwriting powerhouse Diane Warren, the track was the lead single off the soundtrack from the 1998 blockbuster film âArmageddon,â which starred Liv Tyler, daughter to Steven Tyler. From the beautiful string section to The Demon of Screaminâ hitting some of his boldest notes, it was simply the perfect song for an epic disaster movie. It also gave Aerosmith their lone number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in their whole career.
From the jump, Aerosmith wasnât playing around as evident on âMake It,â the opening track from their self-titled debut album. (âWhen life and people bring on primal screams/You got to think of/What itâs going to take to make your dreams.â) Itâs both a mission statement and a rallying cry. It might lack the bombast of other songs on this list, but it packs relatable drive and hints at the swagger fans would grow to love.
You gotta love a big, bold chorus, and they donât get bigger or bolder than âJaded.â It figuratively explodes with, âMy, my baby blue,â and it glides on an effervescent riff. âJadedâ peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the last Aerosmith song to appear on the chart.
On the surface, âRats in the Cellarâ is just a badass tune, but thereâs a far darker backstory to it. Steven Tyler wrote in his 2004 memoir âDoes The Noise in My Head Bother You?,â â'Rats' was more like what was actually going on. Things were coming apart, sanity was scurrying south, caution was flung to the winds, and little by little the chaos was permanently moving in.â For those not fluent in Tyler-ese, the band was going through a tough time.
âIâm Downâ wasnât the first Beatles cover from Aerosmith, but their fun take on the raucous track sure is right at home on âPermanent Vacation.â And the band just sounds like theyâre having a blast, too. (BTW: Youâll see their other Beatles cover later in this list.)
There probably isnât an award for âCoolest Song About Cannibalism,â but if there was one, âEat the Richâ would surely be named the winner. From the weird jungle vibe to the overt middle finger to the snooty folks âdancinâ in the yacht club with Muff and Uncle Biff,â Aerosmith showed with this track alone that over 20 years into their career, they didnât lose any of their edge.
Built around a chunky riff, 'Somebodyâ seems to paint a somewhat desperate picture of loneliness. Steven Tyler begins asking for âa lady, not somebody shady,â but not long after he said he wouldnât be âchoosyâ and would settle for a âfloozy.â Honestly, havenât we all been there?
A precursor to âJanieâs Got a Gun," âUncle Saltyâ tells the sad story of a woman who was the victim of abuse as a child and would later become a prostitute. The trackâs sustained blues was written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton, who also played rhythm guitar on the recording.
'Get A Gripâ was just chock-full of massive, arena-ready songs. âShut Up and Danceâ is one of those songs, and it wasnât even released as a single in the United States. (And this album had six singles!) Many might remember it closing out âWayneâs World 2â when Aerosmith showed up at WayneStock. What people may not remember is that in addition to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw also have songwriting credits on this jam.
âWoman of the Worldâ is a whole damn vibe. From Joe Perry and Brad Whitfordâs funky, melodic guitars in the nearly minute-long intro to the songâs titular subject itself, it just drips with cool.
A loverâs quarrel + booze + murder = Pretty much the perfect ingredients for a great blues song, which is exactly what âHangman Juryâ is. Add in Steven Tyler on harmonica and the beyond catchy hook of âWhoa, boy, dontcha line the track-a-lack-a" in the chorus, and what you had was the beginnings of Aerosmithâs second act.
Look, none of us really want to remember Aerosmith without Joe Perry, but if his absence was necessary to create âLet the Music Do the Talking,â so be it. The track, of course, was written by Perry and originally recorded and released by The Joe Perry Project in March 1980. While the actual music wasnât altered much when Aerosmith re-recorded it for âDone With Mirrors,â the lyrics were given a complete overhaul and for the better.
Since weâre already on the topic of Joe Perry, âWalk On Downâ is the lone track on the packed âGet a Gripâ where heâs credited as the sole writer. He also sings lead and recorded backing vocals, too. No other song in the Aerosmith catalog is more Joe Perry than this one. Simply put: This song kicks ass. Any other band wouldâve released âWalk On Downâ as a single, but Aerosmith isn't just any other band, and âGet A Gripâ wasnât just any other album. In retrospect, its tracklisting reads more like a greatest hits album than a studio album.
Steven Tyler knows how to paint a word picture more succinctly and more colorfully than others as evident on âS.O.S. (Too Bad).â Just look at the second verse for proof: âSalt Lake City, salt-licking betties/Bogies turn, stinking of gin/Well my daddy was hard, his face was pretty scarred/From kicking ass and playing poker to win.â Plus, that opening riff from Brad Whitford is just killer.
Similar to âWalk on Down,â âLine Upâ wouldâve been a single for any other band; itâs just that good! Helping Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in writing âLine Upâ was Lenny Kravitz, who also provided backing vocals on the track. âLine Upâ was also famously used in âAce Ventura: Pet Detectiveâ during a montage of Ace (Jim Carrey) trying to track down which Miami Dolphins player kidnapped Snowflake, the teamâs dolphin mascot. Sure, it wasnât a single, but âLine Upâ was prominently featured in one of the biggest films of 1994. Not a half bad consolation prize.
Anyone that has battled addiction or loves someone who has can easily relate to âAmazing,â one of Aerosmithâs most personal songs. Steven Tyler penned the lyrics with help from friend/former bandmate Richard Supa, who, like Tyler, struggled with addiction. Itâs a sobering reminder that life truly is one day at a time. (Side note: âAmazingâ also features backing vocals from Don Henley.)
Weâve all been here, havenât we? Someoneâs absolutely broken your heart, but despite that, you just canât kick those deep feelings about them. âWhat It Takesâ is truly one of the best breakup songs ever, and it features one of the best examples of Steven Tylerâs trademark scream in the chorus when he stretches out the word âdice.â It might not be the most acrobatic of his screams, but it really hits just right.
Horns! A massive sing-a-long chorus! A songwriting credit to Motownâs legendary team of Holland-Dozier-Holland due to it sounding too similar to âStanding in the Shadows of Loveâ! âThe Other Sideâ has IT ALL! By the time it was released as a single, Aerosmith was on an incredible chart roll. The fourth and final single from âPump,â âThe Other Sideâ was the bandâs third number one song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Song chart from âPump.â
Sure, the 1978 film âSgt. Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Bandâ famously bombed, but at least its soundtrack was significantly better. Easily among the high-points of the soundtrack was Aerosmithâs cover of âCome Together,â which would peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 23. There are plenty of Beatles covers in the world, but this is one of the best, which is the highest of compliments given the source material.
âTrain Kept A Rollinââ was first recorded and released by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951 and was later covered by The Yardbirds, but Aerosmith was the driving force in popularizing the blues tune. The trackâs two halves are the perfect yin and yang experience of loose blues and aggressive hard rock. A tip of the hat to Steve Hunter in the first half and Dick Wagner in the second, who provided the lead guitars on the recording.
Out of the gate on âToys in the Attic,â Aerosmith just was not messing around, as was evident on the opening title track. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were on another synergistic level and Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer provided a borderline anxious, but incredibly infectious, rhythm track. Whether âToys in the Atticâ has a symbolic or literal meaning is anyoneâs guess, but when a chorus is that straight-forward and catchy, does it really matter?
By the time Aerosmith began recording âDraw the Line,â their fifth studio album, drugs were really starting to tear the band apart. The album certainly wasnât a cohesive work, but thereâs no denying that its title track features all five members firing on all cylinders. They couldnât get it together for an entire album, but they certainly did on âDraw the Line,â one of the most undeniable bangers in their catalog.
âYou See Me Cryingâ sends âToys in the Atticâ off on a stunning, soaring note thanks to the beautiful use of a symphony orchestra and piano courtesy of Steven Tyler. Part of the songâs legend, of course, might come from how Tyler forgot at one point he wrote the touching ballad due to memory loss from excessive drug use. Supposedly during the recording sessions of 1985âs âDone with Mirrors,â Tyler heard âYou See Me Cryingâ on the radio and then told the band they should consider covering the tune. Joe Perry tactfully told Tyler, âItâs us, f---head.â The bummer of Tylerâs memory loss aside, Perry calling Tyler âf---headâ is just plain funny.
"No More No Moreâ finds Aerosmith enjoying the highs and lows that come with being a rockstar, from never seeing daylight, seeing plenty of hotel rooms and loving and leaving women âwith your sold out reviews.â There likely wasnât any blood stains on the ivories of the piano played by Scott Cushnie on this track, but thereâs no doubt âNo More No Moreâ wouldnât be the same without it.
Fun fact: Arrests for public fornication in elevators went up a staggering 69% percent following the release of âLove in an Elevator.â Okay, thatâs a lie, but what is an absolute truth is just how ridiculously fun this song is. Is it out here trying to save the world? No, but itâs peak absurd lust, and thatâs always welcomed. (Whoa, yeah!)
The â80s birthed a lot of power ballads, and âAngelâ was definitely one of the best. It was a massive love song, but there wasnât anything cheesy about it, unlike some power ballads. Some of that could be thanks to Desmond Child, who co-wrote the song with Steven Tyler, and was coming off massive success with Bon Jovi -- he co-wrote âYou Give Love a Bad Nameâ and âLivinâ on a Prayer.â âAngelâ is the second-highest charting song in Aerosmithâs catalog on the Billboard Hot 100 chart topping out at number three.
Another power ballad that isnât cheesy! Hooray! Desmond Child returns again co-writing the track with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Of course, itâs hard to talk about âCrazyâ without mentioning its music video starring Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, which closed out the âSilverstone trilogyâ of Aerosmith videos (along with âCryinââ and âAmazingâ) in epic road trip fashion. Both the song and the video still hold up today.
Thereâs so much to love about âRag Doll.â Once again, all five Aerosmith member are just in their respective grooves perfectly, especially Joey Kramer on the intro. The horns in the chorus are nothing short of delightful. Massive kudos to co-writer Holly Knight who convinced Steven Tyler to change the title to âRag Doll,â which led to some minor edits to the lyrics. Its original title was âRagtime,â which is just not a good title at all. Can you imagine âRagtimeâ being a hit? Didnât think so!
"Cryinââ explodes on entry and basically dares the listener to not get sucked in and hooked by the first run of the chorus. Itâs a magical mix of blues, country twang and hard rock all while being super accessible to lovers of all those genres. Itâs a big, bold, arena-ready song thatâs just impossible to ignore. âCryinââ is also the first video in the Alicia Silverstone trilogy and helped launch the actress into the pop culture stratosphere. The video ended up being the most-requested video on MTV in 1993 undoubtedly helping propel âGet a Gripâ to its massive success.
Aerosmithâs resurgence in the mainstream following their first initial boom in the 1970s can be traced back to âDude (Looks Like a Lady).â The second single off of âPermanent Vacation,â the track was the first hit collaboration of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Desmond Child. While the song has been accused of being transphobic in recent years, Child said in an appearance on a 2019 episode of the podcast âTalk is Jericho,â â... The wonderful thing about the song is, especially the second verse which goes, 'Never judge a book by its cover, or who you're gonna love by your lover' - that's a song of acceptance.â The song was famously included during a montage in the 1993 film âMrs. Doubtfire,â and itâs hard not seeing Robin Williams playing broom guitar whenever you hear this song now.
We donât discuss the grizzly, bizarre narrative of âSame Old Song and Danceâ enough, which makes sense because its killer groove takes up most of the listenerâs attention. However, thereâs murder, drugs, a potential police raid and an escape to the south side of town. This song is f---ing mental! While the opening riff understandably gets the most attention, the guitar solo on âSame Old Song and Danceâ was recorded by Dick Wagner. Add in some killer horns, and you have a very unique recipe for a rock and roll classic.
Inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots, âLivinâ on the Edgeâ might just be the Aerosmith song that resonates the most today. Following the 2020 summer of activism against police brutality, the opening verse just lands heavier: âThere's something wrong with the world today/I don't know what it is/Something's wrong with our eyes/We're seeing things in a different way/And God knows it ain't his/It sure ain't no surprise.â
Mr. Brad Whitford: please take center stage. The rhythm guitarist co-wrote this classic tune with Steven Tyler, which served as the first single off of âRocks.â Whitford also is responsible for the trackâs guitar solo break. The funk influence on âLast Childâ makes it one of the more unique songs in Aerosmithâs catalog.
âMama Kinâ may not have been a hit out the gate, but its legacy sure has grown in the almost 50 years since its release. The song captures a certain romantism about chasing the rock and roll dream that could only really be written by someone who is young and hungry and yet to reach stardom. After listening to âMama Kin,â youâd be hard-pressed not to get a bug up your ass and finally take a chance on something. It just has that kind of spark.
The chugging build of âBack in the Saddleâ draws you in, and then Steven Tylerâs screeching âIâm baaaaaccckkkk!â practically slaps you in the face (but in a good way.) There are plenty of songs in the Aerosmith catalog full of sexual innuendo, but the overarching old west themes in the song give âBack in the Saddleâ a playful setting reminiscent of âGunsmokeâ and Miss Kitty. Whether that was a concept Steven Tyler kept in mind when he penned the lyrics is anyoneâs guess, but âBack in the Saddleâ is yet another example of the type of magic the band can produce when all five of its elements are clicking.
Graphic and heartbreaking, "Janieâs Got a Gunâ was inspired by stories Steven Tyler read about gun violence in the United States and sexual abuse suffered by children by their parents. It is one of Aerosmithâs most haunting and heavy songs both lyrically and musically. The song would net Aerosmith a Grammy in 1990 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. In 2015, Tyler would launch Janieâs Fund, a non-profit organization offering resources and shelter for girls experiencing abuse.
Like âMama Kin,â âDream Onâ could have only been written by someone who was still scratching and clawing their way to make it big, which is probably why Steven Tylerâs lyrics are so relatable. Most of us have probably had a âDream Onâ moment at least once in our lives, likely after being knocked down for some reason or the other. The song may have even helped you get back up and help you âDream until your dreams come true.â âDream Onâ is rightfully beloved, and not just because Aerosmith have played it 1,630 times live in their history. Itâs because itâs symbolic of the band in general. They were five kids with a wild rock and roll dream, and they fought like hell to make that dream come true. If you donât find that inspiring, you might just have to look in the mirror yourself and do some soul searching.
Intros and builds of a song have been mentioned elsewhere on this list, but without a doubt, âSweet Emotionâ has the best intro/build of any song in the Aerosmith catalog. Tom Hamiltonâs dope-as-hell bassline, Joe Perryâs talk box and, lest we forget, Steven Tylerâs shaking of sugar packets lays down a vibe like none other. (The perfect visual of said vibe was captured in the opening scene of the Richard Linklater film âDazed and Confused,â which featured âSweet Emotionâ providing the soundtrack for the first scene.) Sure, Tyler used the song to make some jabs at Perryâs then-wife, Elyssa, but if youâre going to be immortalized in a song (especially in a negative way), it better be good. âSweet Emotionâ is more than just good; itâs a damn classic.
Really, what other song could be number one? From its beyond iconic riff to the way it would eventually bridge the gap between rock and hip-hop a decade after its release, âWalk this Wayâ is in the same company as â(I Canât Get No) Satisfaction.â Itâs the kind of song every band dreams of writing, because it becomes part of the greater lexicon of pop culture; it transcends genre. Someone may not know a lot about Aerosmithâs catalog (BTW: How sad for them?), but they more than likely know or have heard of âWalk This Way.â (The fact the songâs title is a nod to a joke in âYoung Frankensteinâ only makes its popularity sweeter.) The song also kicked off Aerosmithâs renaissance in the â80s thanks to Run-DMC's remake of the song with Tyler and Perry. Who knows what wouldâve become of the Bad Boys from Boston had it not been for their collaboration with the âKings of Rockâ?! Only a song this good could have had multiple acts in a given career. Truthfully, music, in general, is better for the existence of âWalk This Way.â