Aerosmith is the eponymous debut studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on January 5, 1973, by Columbia Records. "Dream On", originally released as a single in 1973, became an American top ten hit when re-released in December 1975.

The album peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200 album chart in 1976.

The album was not a success when it was released in January 1973.To the band's disappointment, it was not reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine. Moreover, Columbia released Aerosmith at the same time as Bruce Springsteen's debut album, for which they made a greater promotional effort. Critics compared the band unfavorably to the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls.

Modern reviews describe Aerosmith as "truly an American band, sounding as though they were the best bar band in your local town, cranking out nasty hard-edged rock"; considering "Dream On" "the blueprint for all power ballads" and the album a worthy debut where the band's "sleazoid blues-rock" sound is fully present but not yet perfected as in the next album.

 

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