AEROSMITH – Revisiting Their Greatest Hits Album From 1980
AEROSMITH – If I had a buffalo nickel for every good-time moment I had, while this 1980 Greatest Hits album from Aerosmith played, I’d be a wealthy Metal lovin’ dude. Then again, the wealth of good-time memories that I’ve accumulated from listening to Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits can’t be taken away from me… like money can. Sometime in the early 80’s I bought this album due to my not owning every Aerosmith album at the time, it just made good sense to have their hits all in one shot.
If my Metal memory serves me correct, just about every keg party and date I experienced through high school had this Aerosmith album playing in the background. Granted, it was not the only cool Rock ‘N’ Roll being played, yet it was played. In all Metal honesty, I had my cassette copy of Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits in my car, straight through my college years. Whenever I listen to this album today, I can vividly picture cruising in my 1985, dark blue, Cutlass Supreme… and driving in my 1984 Dodge Charger 2.2… looking for a party and chicks. Not hot rods were my cars back then, only they got the Metal job done. Ah, Metal youth and easy daze. Um, I mean easy days.
This Aerosmith album was released back when a “greatest hits” was truly just that. These were days when bands actually had ten or more solid hits to compile for their fans both old and new. All ten of these Aerosmith songs were FM radio hits and not supposed hits, b-sides or rarities, like many of today’s greatest hits albums boast. The ten songs on this album are undisputed classics, crossing through the Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal genres. Steven Tyler’s vocals and Joe Perry’s guitar are as identifiable as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards or Steve Perry and Neal Schon. Icons all.
Little did I know back in 1980, that the legendary guitar duo of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford would not be on the following 1982 Aerosmith studio album (and seventh overall) Rock In A Hard Place. Brad Whitford did play guitar on Lightning Strikes, which is my favorite song on Rock In A Hard Place. I do remember the “buzz” being written regarding the departure of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford back then, in Hard Rock magazines such as Creem and Hit Parader. As soon as 1985 came around, Aerosmith released Done With Mirrors with Joe Perry and Brad Whitford back in the saddle again, (no pun intended).
Regardless of the time edited versions of Same Old Song and Dance, Sweet Emotion, Kings and Queens and Walk This Way, I never balked at this greatest hits. Heck, back in those days I didn’t know the damn difference anyways! As decades have passed since this album’s release date, there have been at least ten more greatest hits compilations from Aerosmith, with a 2004 revised version of this 1980 classic as well.
With more than ten million copies sold, this 1980 Greatest Hits has been certified Diamond by the RIAA. Any greatest hits album that becomes certified Diamond must be a tried and true collection of exemplary songs, which stand the test of time. At the end of my Metal day, the one real Aerosmith Greatest Hits is this memories filled and certified Diamond from 1980.
* Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits was released on Columbia Records.
Track Listing For Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits:
Dream On
Same Old Song and Dance
Sweet Emotion
Walk This Way
Last Child
Back In The Saddle
Draw The Line
Kings and Queens
Come Together
Remember (Walking In The Sand)
* For more info on AEROSMITH, click on the link below:
LONG LIVE AEROSMITH.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
April 17, 2011 at 4:46 am
Stone, like you, I have many of those same memories only it was my old beat to sh*t Chevy Nova that the cassette was blasting out of. I have always been an Aerosmith fan from my high school days in the late 70s, (man do I feel old), through the dark years when they were making records to pay their drug dealers, to the triumphant return to the top of the rock mountain.
Aerosmith will always one of those bands whose names which will always come to mind when you mention classic great bands. My only
April 17, 2011 at 4:47 am
Sorry the laptop went schizo on me. I was going to ask if Aerosmith have finally forgiven the fans of Philadelphia for the bottle incident back in 79 or 80?
April 17, 2011 at 3:16 pm
I’d have to research that story, I’m not “in the know” about it. Was this “bottle incident” all over the news back then? Who was hit by the bottle?
The Chevy Nova was very popular back then… a cool car once it was modified into a roadster like so many dudes did to ’em. \m/
April 18, 2011 at 7:16 am
I had this album on vinyl (now CD) and at the time I did not know the difference that the songs were edited or not, all I knew is the boys from Boston greatest metal (yes they were called a metal band by magazines back in the day and more importantly by fans back in the day) on one album.
Spent many days of my misspent cranking out this album, while I was 13 when I bought the album it lead me to being a life long fan of Aerosmith, still am American Idol not withstanding my love for this band and their legacy
April 19, 2011 at 4:24 am
I wasn’t at the concert but I know people who were. It was either 79 or 80, at the now demolished Spectrum in Philadelphia. Aerosmith were into the 3rd or 4th song of their gig when someone chucked a bottle at the stage hitting Steve Tyler. Aerosmith immediately walked off stage and the culprit was found, dragged on stage and the security pounded the crap out of him. Nothing happened for about an hour and a half and then Aerosmith returned to the stage and Steve Tyler announced, “Fuck you Philly, we’re not ever coming back!”
Obviously, they did come back, but when I saw them in 86, they were quick to remind the crowd not to throw anything and while they were really good, they seem to hold themselves back from giving their all that night.