Aerosmith: 15 Highs -- and Lows

1

HIGH: Origins (1972)

Aerosmith, led by singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, signs with Columbia Records, two years after forming in Boston.

2

HIGH: Playtime is over (1975)

The band's third studio album, Toys in the Attic, breaks through. The first single, ''Sweet Emotion,'' cracks Billboard's Top 40, peaking at No. 36. The album sells more than 8 million copies in the U.S.

3

HIGH/LOW: Sex, drugs...well, you know (1976)

Aerosmith follows up Toys in the Attic with Rocks, which reaches No. 3 on the Billboard chart. The re-release of an older song, ''Dream On,'' charts at No. 6, 53 spots above its original peak in 1973. The success is infamously coupled with one of the band's most destructive periods. They develop a reputation for heavy drug and alcohol consumption.

4

LOW: The line between rock and dull (1977)

The rock 'n' roll lifestyle begins to take a toll on the band. The first indicator was Draw the Line, a chart disappointment.

5

LOW: Bye, Joe (1979)

Joe Perry leaves the band and forms the Joe Perry Project. Perry later says he needed a break after almost eight years of nonstop touring. Guitarist Brad Whitford follows Perry's lead and leaves the band in 1980.

6

LOW: Downward spiral (1982)

With two new members, Aerosmith releases the poorly received Rock in a Hard Place. It fails to produce a hit single.

7

HIGH: ''Back in the Saddle'' (1984)

Signed to a new deal with Geffen Records, the reconciled band launches 70-date Back in the Saddle reunion tour.

8

HIGH: A classic is born (1986)

Aerosmith teams up with Run DMC for a new version of ''Walk This Way.'' The collaboration puts Aerosmith back on the charts for the first time in six years, and stands as a signature record and video of its time.

9

HIGH: A well deserved ''Vacation'' (1987)

The band's Permanent Vacation album goes triple platinum and produces singles ''Dude Looks Like a Lady'' and ''Angel.'' The former got a second life in 1993 in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.

10

LOW: Try to make them go to rehab... (Late '80s)

Manager Tim Collins encourages Steven Tyler to enter rehab. Certain members of the band are in and out of rehab facilities over the next several years.

11

HIGH: ''Janie'' got a Grammy (1990)

After nearly 20 years in the music business, the band wins its first Grammy Award for ''Janie's Got a Gun.''

12

HIGH: Rockers finally ''Get a Grip'' (1993-94)

Released in 1993, Get a Grip yields five hit singles for Aerosmith, including ''Cryin,'' ''Amazing,'' and ''Crazy.'' Popular videos feature a pre-Clueless Alicia Silverstone and Steven Tyler's daughter Liv.

13

HIGH/LOW: Song for space movie puts band in orbit (1998)

The band's song ''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'' from the 1998 movie Armageddon, is the band's first song to debut at No. 1. While it was a commercial hit, longtime Aerosmith fans call the tune out-of-character. Before the soundtrack's release, EW's review called the song ''formulaic'' and ''grandly orchestrated''.

14

HIGH/LOW: Back in the game (2001)

In the midst of the pop-music era, Aerosmith bridges the generation gap with a halftime show performance at Super Bowl XXXV, sharing the stage with Britney Spears, N Sync, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. Again, old-school fans are troubled by the band's new, pop-friendly direction.

15

HIGH/LOW: All is well? (summer/fall 2009)

The long-awaited Aerosmith tour begins, with word from Tyler that the band is working on its first original material in more than seven years. But a string of injuries, most notably Tyler's fall from the stage during a show in South Dakota, postpones many dates. In November '09, Perry claims via Twitter that Aerosmith is looking for a new lead singer. Tyler refutes the claim hours later at an event hosted by Glamour magazine and then again on stage with Perry, saying ''I am not leaving Aerosmith!'' But Perry then tells People ''Nothing has really changed between two days ago and today.... Things are still up in the air.''

TELL US: What do YOU think? Should Perry and Tyler stop their ''Cryin''' and make up for good? Do you care? Sound off below.