Most frequent collaboratorJack Douglas · 72 tracks
GenresRockHard RockBlues Rock
Artist
86%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 136 of 159 tracks
Did Aerosmith write their own songs?
Mostly. Aerosmith are credited on about 86% of their catalogue, with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry writing the 1970s classics like 'Dream On,' 'Walk This Way,' and 'Sweet Emotion' themselves. The lower number reflects their comeback era, when they co-wrote with outside songwriters, and covers like the blues album Honkin' on Bobo. Their only number-one single, 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,' was written entirely by Diane Warren.
By the Numbers
15
Studio Albums
159
Tracks Credited
86%
Self-Written
more than 150 million
Records Sold
54
Years Active
64
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 136 / 159 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 159 tracks: how many Aerosmith wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Aerosmith has a writing credit86%
43%
43%
14%
Sole author68tracks43%
Co-written68tracks43%
Outside writers23tracks14%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Aerosmith's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 159 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)86%
Composer (music)86%
Producer56%
Performer100%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 159 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Steven Tyler
1970-2024
80%
80%
31%
100%
Joe Perry
1970-2024
52%
52%
25%
94%
Brad Whitford
1971-2024
9%
9%
0%
94%
Tom Hamilton
1970-2024
9%
9%
0%
100%
Joey Kramer
1970-2024
6%
6%
0%
100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Aerosmith's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 86%
88%
88%
89%
100%
89%
67%
80%
100%
92%
100%
100%
100%
92%
8%
93%
1973Aerosmith
1974Get Your Wings
1975Toys in the Attic
1976Rocks
1977Draw the Line
1979Night in the Ruts
1982Rock in a Hard Place
1985Done with Mirrors
1987Permanent Vacation
1989Pump
1993Get a Grip
1997Nine Lives
2001Just Push Play
2004Honkin' on Bobo
2012Music from Another Dimension!
Early · 91% written
Mid · 88% written
Late · 80% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
87%
1970s
Aerosmith, Get Your Wings +4 more
93%
1980s
Rock in a Hard Place, Done with Mirrors +2 more
100%
1990s
Get a Grip, Nine Lives
50%
2000s
Just Push Play, Honkin' on Bobo
93%
2010s
Music from Another Dimension!
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Aerosmith sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Aerosmith
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JD Jack Douglas · BF Bruce Fairbairn · MH Mark Hudson · KS Kevin Shirley · JV Jim Vallance
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Aerosmith's songwriting is almost entirely the domain of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the core 'Toxic Twins' writing partnership that appears on every album. The key authorship story is the shift from raw, self-contained band writing in the 1970s (when Perry, Whitford, Hamilton, and Kramer all occasionally received credit) to a professional hitmaker-assisted model beginning with Permanent Vacation (1987). On that comeback album and successors Pump and Get a Grip, Tyler and Perry co-wrote with Jim Vallance, Desmond Child, Taylor Rhodes, and Holly Knight, a formula that explains their commercial dominance in the late 1980s and 1990s relative to their underground-favorite 1970s catalog. Honkin' on Bobo (2004) is the outlier with only one original track, the rest being blues covers. Rock in a Hard Place (1982) is the only album without Joe Perry, featuring replacement guitarist Jimmy Crespo as Tyler's primary co-writer.
Quick Facts
SalesHave sold more than 150 million records worldwide, the best-selling American hard rock band
Rock HallInducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001
The Toxic TwinsSteven Tyler and Joe Perry are the band's core songwriting partnership
Their only number one'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' topped the charts but was written by Diane Warren, not the band
GrammysWon four Grammy Awards over their career
Creative Fingerprint
A self-writing band that later hired help: Aerosmith are credited on about 86% of their catalogue, with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry writing the 1970s classics themselves, then bringing in outside co-writers on their 1980s and 1990s comeback hits.
The Story
Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970, consisting of Steven Tyler (lead vocals, harmonica), Joe Perry (lead guitar), Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), and Joey Kramer (drums). Often called 'the Bad Boys from Boston' and 'America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band,' Aerosmith became one of the best-selling music artists of all time with an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide. The band's songwriting has been dominated by the Tyler-Perry partnership, dubbed the 'Toxic Twins' for their notorious drug addictions in the 1970s, which produced the bulk of their catalog across five decades. After a commercially troubled period in the late 1970s and early 1980s (when Perry and Whitford both briefly departed), the band staged a remarkable comeback beginning with Permanent Vacation (1987), collaborating with professional songwriters to produce some of their biggest commercial successes. The band officially retired in 2024 after Steven Tyler sustained a vocal cord injury during the Peace Out Farewell Tour.
Awards & Recognition
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001
Won four Grammy Awards over their career
'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' became their only Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
Best-selling American hard rock band of all time, with more than 150 million records sold
Frequently Asked Questions Aerosmith
Did Aerosmith write their own songs?
Mostly. Aerosmith are credited on about 86% of their catalogue, with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry writing the 1970s classics like 'Dream On,' 'Walk This Way,' and 'Sweet Emotion' themselves. The lower number reflects their comeback era, when they co-wrote with outside songwriters, and covers like the blues album Honkin' on Bobo. Their only number-one single, 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,' was written entirely by Diane Warren.
Who wrote 'Dream On'?
'Dream On,' from their 1973 debut album, was written entirely by Steven Tyler. It became the band's first signature ballad and one of the defining rock songs of the 1970s, long before they worked with outside writers.
Did Aerosmith write 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'?
No. 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,' from the 1998 Armageddon soundtrack, was written by professional songwriter Diane Warren. It became Aerosmith's first and only Billboard Hot 100 number one, even though the band did not write it.
Who are the Toxic Twins?
The Toxic Twins is the nickname for Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Aerosmith's lead singer and lead guitarist. They are the band's main songwriting team and wrote most of its original material, especially the early hard rock classics.
Why did Aerosmith use outside songwriters?
During their 1980s and 1990s comeback, Aerosmith worked with professional writers like Desmond Child, Jim Vallance, and Holly Knight to craft radio hits such as 'Dude (Looks Like a Lady)' and 'Cryin'.' This is why their later albums have more co-writing credits than their self-contained 1970s records.
Who wrote 'Walk This Way'?
'Walk This Way,' from Toys in the Attic (1975), was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Its 1986 remake with Run-DMC helped introduce rap-rock and revived Aerosmith's career.
How many albums did Aerosmith release?
This catalogue covers fifteen studio albums, from their 1973 self-titled debut through Music from Another Dimension! (2012), spanning their 1970s peak, a mid-career decline, and a huge comeback.
Are Aerosmith in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes. Aerosmith were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, recognised as the best-selling American hard rock band of all time.
What genre is Aerosmith?
Aerosmith play rock, hard rock, and blues rock, built on Joe Perry's riffs and Steven Tyler's vocals on classics like 'Sweet Emotion' and 'Back in the Saddle.'
Aerosmith