AEROSMITH - ANGEL

Released: January 5, 1988

Charts: US: #3    UK: #69 

"Angel" is a power ballad released in 1988 as the third single from the band's “Permanent Vacation” album, it became a major hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, it was the band's highest-charting single. As of 2024, it ranks second behind "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," which became Aerosmith's first and only #1 hit on the Hot 100 in 1998.

"Angel" was written by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and songwriter Desmond Child. At the urging of John Kalodner from Geffen Records, Aerosmith brought in outside writers like Child to help them recover from two underperforming albums, “Rock in a Hard Place” and “Done with Mirrors”. Although initially resistant, the band saw success with Child's input, especially on "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)." "Angel" marked a departure from Aerosmith's usual sound. It was a relationship ballad, lacking the band's typical humor and edge. While it became a hit, longtime fans criticized it for being too soft. Tyler himself has mixed feelings, once suggesting that Kalodner "ruined his career" by pushing the band in that direction.

According to songwriter Desmond Child, "Angel" was inspired by Steven Tyler's relationship with Teresa Barrick, whom Tyler had recently started dating and later married in 1988. Child recalled how Tyler referred to Barrick as his "angel," which became the theme of the song. Child also noted that Tyler’s delivery of the word "angel" reminded him of Mick Jagger’s performance of "Angie," influencing the repeated use of the word in the lyrics. The song, which reflected Tyler's personal life, became a commercial success and opened the door for Aerosmith to explore more ballads, such as "Cryin'," "Crazy," and "What It Takes”,  although Tyler initially viewed the song as too pop-oriented and resisted performing it live for many years.

Directed by Marty Callner, who also helmed their previous video, the clip combines footage from Aerosmith's 1988 North American tour with a variety of rock video tropes such as "guitarist on a deserted highway," "band in a back alley," and scenes of smashing through a wall. With strong production values and a hit song, the video was guaranteed heavy rotation on MTV.