Aerosmith emerged in 1970 from the Boston music scene, a merger of two bands, Chain Reaction and the Jam Band. Their signature blues-rock sound and the frontman’s undeniable charisma Steven Tylerexperienced the band’s rapid success. This success eventually led to them being recruited for the 1978 film Sergeant. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as Future Villain Band, which in turn gave them the opportunity work with legendary Beatles producer George Martin on a cover of Abbey Road Classic “Come Together”. More importantly, it began the band’s long-standing relationship with the screenwhere they contributed eight tracks in seven different films. And here they are, from worst to first.
8. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from “Armageddon”
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from 1998 Armageddon is Aerosmith’s first and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, an orchestral power ballad that also received an Oscar nomination, to which it lost The Prince of Egyptis “If you believe.” But let’s be honest: As an Aerosmith song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” sucks. Aside from Tyler’s stellar vocals, there’s nothing about the track that suggests the band is even playing it: no guitar from Joe Perry and/or Brad Whitford; and only muted contributions from the bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer.
Compared to other ballads in their catalog, like “Angel” or the iconic “Dream On,” this Do have a distinct Aerosmith vibe, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is seriously missing. Of course, the fact that they weren’t involved in writing it goes a long way toward explaining this. The song was written by the respected person Diane Warrenwho wrote for people like Michael Bolton, Cher, Taylor Swift…pretty much everyone who is definitely not Aerosmith. If you think it’s unfair to be ranked last on a list like this, consider this: even Aerosmith doesn’t like it.
7. “Come Together” by “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Aerosmith’s “Come Together” is a faithful cover of the Beatles classic… and that’s the problem. It’s a great cover, perhaps even one of the best, and it has a heavier edge, largely eschewing the original’s standout electric piano in favor of a greater focus on the guitar. But the band doesn’t really make “Come Together” their ownas Gary Clark Jr. And Junkie XL did the same with their 2017 cover Justice League.
It’s not that the band can’t or won’t: they certainly did that with their other Beatles covers, “Helter Skelter” and “I’m Down.” Maybe it was the collaboration with George Martin or simply their first kick at the cat, but if the worst thing you can say about their version of “Come Together” is that it’s a harsher reproduction of the original, then that’s still pretty damn good.
6. “Love Me Two Times” by “Air America”
Aerosmith’s cover of The doors‘ 1967 classic “Love Me Two Times” for the 1990s Air America is exactly what their cover of “Come Together” should have been: faithful to the original, but with a distinct Aerosmith feel. Unlike the latter, which retained the keyboard, albeit significantly toned down, Aerosmith does without it Ray Mazarek‘s harpsichord and clavinet entirely, replacing them with Perry’s outstanding acoustic blues-rock guitar work and Tyler’s robust harmonica intro.
The instrumental element is one of the main differences, but it’s arguably the second thing that really separates the two versions: the vocals. The original has Jim Morrisonis the deep, seductive baritone, while the Aerosmith cover features Tyler’s distinct growl and range. Two truly unique singers, each putting their own stamp on “Love Me Two Times,” each complemented by their respective band’s signature sound.
5. “Deuces Are Wild” from The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience CD.
The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience is a compilation album for the 1993 MTV animated series Beavis and Butt Head. So it’s not a movie, but we’re not going to split hairs here, especially with a title as solid as “Deuces Are Wild.” It’s everything “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” isn’t: a powerful ballad with cojones, driving tempos and the bluesy vibe that defines the Aerosmith sound. It also utilizes Tyler’s harmonica skills in a brilliant solo, Perry’s slide guitar and some great rolling drum work from Kramer, giving the song a different feel than your usual entries. Butt-Head is right in his assessment at the end of the song: “These guys are the kings of rock. There’s nothing higher than that.”
4. “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu” from “Less Than Zero”
“Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” was originally recorded by Huey “Piano” Smith in 1957 and previously reached number 52 on the Billboard Top 100 Johnny Rivers took it to No. 6 with its 1972 cover. The crickets, Gratefully dead, Patti LaBelle and many others tried as well before Aerosmith tackled it in 1987 Less than zero Soundtrack. While it’s possible that one of these covers is better, it seems very unlikely that anyone will top what Aerosmith brought to the table. Instead of the original’s bluesy piano intro, Aerosmith’s version begins with Joey Kramer laying down a catchy, mellow beat before the guitars kick in with a slow blues jam that runs throughout the entire track. It’s reminiscent of 1976’s “Last Child.” rockwith Tyler’s smooth vocals topping it all off. Like “Love Me Two Times,” “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” is hard to find, but it’s definitely worth it.
3. “I Love Trash” from “The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland”
Sesame Street. Elmo. Steven Tyler. Which of these things is not like the other? Still, Tyler contributed “I Love Trash,” a cover of Oscar the Grouch’s 1969 original, to the soundtrack Elmopalooza!A Sesame Street 30th anniversary special that ran on ABC before being added to the soundtrack of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Although credited solely to Tyler, it is Aerosmith who performs, and despite its affiliation with the children’s television classic, “I Love Trash” is a really great song. It’s bordering on perfection with Tyler’s dark vocals embodying the wonders of dirty, grubby, rusty trash, and the rest of the band’s contributions are solid on what could have been a simple throwaway track.
2. “What Kind of Love Are You On” from “Armageddon”
No one understands Aerosmith better than Aerosmith themselves, which is why the final two titles on this list are originals by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. And that starts with “What Kind of Love Are You On?” the superior route on the Armageddon Soundtrack. The song drives hard, with a sing-song hook from Perry that grabs you and Tyler at his raspy, raw best. Then there’s a tedious stop at the bridge, where Tyler comes in with a lascivious version of a childhood nursery rhyme that fits better than it probably should, before launching again with a great Perry solo. That it was left out Nine lives album is surprising considering it would have been one of the better tracks from the 1997 release (of which “Full Circle” is a personal favorite).
1. “Angel’s Eye” from “Charlie’s Angels”
There is a clear difference between Aerosmith’s early and modern eras, with most citing 1987 as a more polished and commercial era than the raw, harder sound of the band’s early releases. That’s why “Angel’s Eye” from 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” stands out and takes the top spot here. It’s reminiscent of the drive of songs like “Rats in the Cellar” and “Jailbait”: raw, wild and extremely energetic. It sounds unpolished, like a garage band that’s just out for money. Everything that is Aerosmith is right there, led by Tyler’s signature hoarse yelp. If there was ever any doubt that Aerosmith could reach this level, “Angel’s Eye” emphatically puts it to rest.
