The origins of Aerosmith can be traced to the late 1960s. Steven Tyler (originally from Yonkers, New York) had been a drummer and vocalist in a few relatively unsuccessful bands (such as The Vic Tallarico Orchestra, The Strangeurs/Chain Reaction, The Chain, Fox Chase, and William Proud) when, in 1969, while vacationing in Sunapee, New Hampshire, he met Joe Perry, who was at the time washing dishes at the Anchorage in Sunapee Harbor, and playing in the Jam Band with bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer David "Pudge" Scott. Perry and Hamilton moved to Boston, Massachusetts, in September, and met Joey Kramer, a drummer also from Yonkers, New York, who had known Tyler, and had always hoped to form a band with him. Kramer, a Berklee College of Music student, decided to quit school and join Perry and Hamilton in a band. In October 1970, the trio met up once again with Tyler, who insisted he’d only join the new band as front man and lead vocalist. The others agreed, and Aerosmith was born. Their name comes from Kramer, who said he used to write ’Aerosmith’ all over his school notebooks - the name had popped into his head after listening to Harry Nilsson’s album “Aerial Ballet” (a homage to Nilsson’s grandparents’ aerial circus act, the sleeve of the album featuring a picture of a circus performer jumping out of a biplane). The band added Ray Tabano, a childhood friend of Tyler, as rhythm guitarist and began playing local shows, but in 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford (who had also attended the Berklee College of Music, and was formerly of the band Earth Inc). Aerosmith eventually secured a management deal with David Krebs and Steve Leber in 1972, who invited Columbia Records President Clive Davis to see the band at Max's Kansas City club in New York City. After the show, Aerosmith signed with Columbia, issuing their self titled debut album in January 1973, which initially peaked at number 166 (the highest charting single being "Dream On", at number 59), reaching gold status, but eventually reached number 21 on the US Billboard chart, sold 2 million copies and achieved double platinum certification

Second album “Get Your Wings” was released in March 1974, produced by Jack Douglas, and included a cover of The Yardbirds’ "Train Kept A-Rollin’”. The album reached number 74 on the US Billboard chart, and went multi platinum, selling over 3 million copies. 1975's “Toys in the Attic” was kicked off with the single "Sweet Emotion" (which became the band's first Top 40 hit), included a re-release of "Dream On", which made number 6, and also included "Walk This Way", which reached the US Top 10 in early 1977. “Toys in the Attic” reached number 11 on the US Billboard chart, and has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the US, with sales of over 8 million copies.

Aerosmith’s next album, 1976's “Rocks”, went platinum very quickly, has sold over 4 million copies, and contains the tracks "Last Child" (charting at number 21) and "Back in the Saddle" (Number 38). It reached a peak of number 3 on the US Billboard chart. 5th album, “Draw the Line”, released in December 1977, reached number 11 on the US Billboard chart, going on to sell 2 million copies, and the band followed this up by acting as the ‘Future Villain Band’ in the movie version of “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” (their cover of The Beatles’ "Come Together" was included in the album's soundtrack, and represented Aerosmith’s last Top 40 hit for nearly 10 years). 1978 saw the release of “Live! Bootleg” as a double album, recorded during the “Draw the Line” tour. However, just after the recording of their 6th studio album (1979's “Night in the Ruts”), Joe Perry left the band, citing differences with Steven Tyler, and formed The Joe Perry Project. Perry was initially replaced by longtime band friend and songwriter Richard Supa, and then by Jimmy Crespo (formerly guitarist with the band Flame). “Night in the Ruts” quickly fell off the charts, with only a cover of The Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" charting, at number 67 (although the album would go platinum several years later, reaching a high of number 14 on the US Billboard chart).

The start of the 80’s saw Aerosmith release its “Greatest Hits” album, which has gone on to sell over 11 million copies in the US, although in late 1980, Steven Tyler was injured in a motorcycle accident, leaving him hospitalized for 2 months, and unable to tour or record until well into 1981. Brad Whitford departed the band in 1981, with replacement Rick Dufay on board for the recording of 7th album “Rock in a Hard Place” in 1982. The album went gold, made number 32 on the US Billboard, but failed to produce a major hit single.

In 1984, Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour entitled ‘Back in the Saddle’, and signed to Geffen Records, whilst their old company Columbia released the live companion albums “Classics Live I”, “Classics Live II”, and the collection “Gems”. Their first studio album with Geffen, 1985’s “Done with Mirrors” went gold, and made number 36 on the US Billboard chart, its most notable track, “Let the Music Do the Talking", was a cover of a song originally recorded by The Joe Perry Project (and released on that band's album of the same name). In 1986, Tyler and Perry featured on Run D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith’s "Walk This Way", a track which went a long way to cementing rap into the US mainstream, reaching number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and winning the Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single in 1987.

“Permanent Vacation” was released in September 1987, becoming the band’s bestselling album in over a decade, climbing to number 11 on the US Billboard chart, and shifting over 5 million copies in the US, with the singles "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" reaching number 14, “Rag Doll’ number 17, and "Angel" soaring to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed in October 1989 by “Pump”, which featured the Top 10 single “What It Takes”, and the Top 5 singles "Janie's Got a Gun" and “Love In An Elevator”, as well as “The Other Side”, which made number 22. “Pump” sold over 7 million copies, made the US Billboard Top 5, and earned Aerosmith their first ever Grammy, in the category of “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” ("Janie's Got a Gun").

The follow-up to “Pump”, 1993’s “Get A Grip”, was Aerosmith’s first album to debut at number 1, selling over 7 million copies in just 2 and a half years in the US, and over 15 million worldwide. 2 more Grammys came their way as well, both for “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” ("Livin' on the Edge" in 1994 and "Crazy" in 1995). The band opened their own club, The Mama Kin Music Hall, in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1994, and during the same year, released a compilation for Geffen Records, “Big Ones”, featuring their biggest hits from “Permanent Vacation”, “Pump”, and “Get a Grip”, as well as 3 new songs, "Deuces Are Wild", "Blind Man", and "Walk on Water".

1997’s “Nine Lives” overcame an early slide down the charts by going on to top the charts, achieved double platinum status in the US and produced the Top 40 single "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" and the Top 30 single “Pink" (which won the band their fourth Grammy Award for “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” in 1999). 1998 saw the single "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", written by Diane Warren, from the film “Armageddon”, stay on top of the charts for 4 weeks, receiving an Academy Award nomination. The same year, Aerosmith also released a double-live album, “A Little South of Sanity”, containing performances from the “Get a Grip” and “Nine Lives” tours, which went platinum. The following year, Aerosmith provided the soundtrack and theme to a new ride at the Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, called the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and in 2000, contributed the song "Angel's Eye" to the “Charlie's Angels” movie.

In March 2001, Aerosmith released their 13th studio album, “Just Push Play”, which reached number 2 on the US Billboard chart and went platinum, helped by the Top 10 single "Jaded", and the use of the title in the Dodge commercials in the US. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon after “Just Push Play” was released, becoming the only band to be inducted to the Hall of Fame with a song active in the charts ("Jaded"). In July 2002, Aerosmith released a 2 disc compilation, ”O Yeah! Ultimate Hits”, spanning the hits of their career, and also featuring the new single "Girls of Summer". The compilation has since been certified double platinum.

Aerosmith’s long-promised blues album, “Honkin' on Bobo”, was released in 2004, for which the band recorded in live sessions, and worked with former producer Jack Douglas. It made the Top 5 on the US Billboard, and was followed by a live DVD, “You Gotta Move”, in December 2004, taken from performances on the Honkin' on Bobo Tour. 2005 saw Steven Tyler appear in the film “Be Cool”, and Joe Perry release his self-titled solo album, which included the track “Mercy”, for which he received a nomination for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” at the 2006 Grammys. That year was also marked by the release of a CD/DVD, “Rockin' the Joint”.

Another compilation album, “Devil's Got a New Disguise - The Very Best of Aerosmith” was released in October 2006, containing previous hits, and 2 new songs, "Devil's Got a New Disguise" (which peaked at number 15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart) and "Sedona Sunrise". The album was intended to fulfill Aerosmith’s contract with Sony and tide fans over until the bands new, but as yet untitled studio album was released, which is now anticipated in late 2009.

Aerosmith hold several chart and album sales feats, including the 2nd highest number of number 1 singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for a group (9), the only number 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 by a rock group ("I Don't Want to Miss a Thing") and the most gold and multi-platinum albums by a US group (they have 25 gold, 18 platinum and 12 multi-platinum album certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)). Aerosmith have had 21 songs chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and have sold 150 million albums worldwide, 66.5 million of which in the US, (making them the second-bestselling US group after The Eagles).