Steven Tyler’s favourite Aerosmith song to sing
During rock performances, most people can sense when there’s an energy shift, when a certain song makes you feel like you’re sharing a special moment that you’ll remember forever. Steven Tyler knows the exact feeling.
Being in a band like Aerosmith, those moments happen a lot. The band might have their share of haters, especially when it comes to rock traditionalists who believe that rock bands should look and sound a certain way, but in the grand scheme of things, Aerosmith are about as rock ‘n’ roll as it gets, if only in attitude and demeanour.
After all, it takes a thick skin to be able to handle constant scrutiny, and Tyler and his bandmates seem to excel in that department. When they’ve faced criticism about their position in the world of rock, they’ve either dismissed such comments with nonchalance or bit back with enough heat to shut up even the more persistent critics.
And a lot of that comes from knowing just how much magic and energy goes into their own community, independent of the rest of the rock community. Most bands like Aerosmith, who have experienced a multitude of mixed reviews and backlash, often discover resilience through re-focusing and re-framing their own legacy, knowing that, to get a ‘bad’ reception, you also have to reach a certain level of popularity.
And this is something that Tyler is still facing to this day. For instance, when he appeared alongside Joe Perry and Yungblud at the VMAs for their divisive Ozzy Osbourne tribute, which was met with online bashing – specifically from a certain member of The Darkness – he made it clear that he had nothing to say to defend himself, which, in itself, was the right amount of defence against ridiculous claims of inauthenticity.
Much of this attitude stems from Tyler’s innate humility, which is again a result of years of confidence in his own position and community. During live sets, this is most apparent, and Tyler feels the palpable energy from the crowd and how each parties feed off of one another – existing in a single moment of magic, separate from any sceptical outsider opinion.
During these moments, Tyler’s favourite moments are clear. For instance, he once said that his favourite song to sing live was ‘Draw the Line’, a quintessential track that ticks all boxes when thinking of archetypal Aerosmith songs, from a strong rhythmic underlayer to an iconic guitar section with Perry and Brad Whitford.
Tyler didn’t explicitly say why this was his favourite, but his enthusiasm makes it obvious that a lot of it comes from the reaction of the audience, likely from Perry’s extended solo during live sets and Tyler’s signature rock ‘n’ roll howl, enhancing the energy in the room and creating one of those special moments the audience will probably remember long after they’ve gone home that night.
Many Aerosmith songs create this same atmosphere, and it’s also one of the reasons they’ve survived long past their trials and tribulations: they succeed in living up to the familiar rock ‘n’ roll ethos, where it’s all about emotion and connection, and escaping the perils of the world by falling into the simple embrace of good music.
