AEROSMITH - DREAM ON

Publicació: 27 de juny de 1973

Llistes: EUA: #6

"Dream On" és una balada de l'àlbum debut homònim d'Aerosmith, llançada el 1973. Escrita pel cantant Steven Tyler, va ser el primer gran èxit de la banda i s'ha convertit en un clàssic del rock. Inicialment llançada el juny de 1973, la cançó va arribar al número 59 del Billboard Hot 100. Quan es va re-lançar el 1975 amb la versió completa de l'àlbum, va debutar al número 81 i va arribar fins al número 6 l'abril de 1976.

"Dream On" va ser el primer senzill d'Aerosmith i va tenir un paper clau en el llançament de la seva carrera. Steven Tyler va estar treballant-hi intermitentment durant uns sis anys, desenvolupant la cançó en fragments. El mànager de la banda els va fer viure junts en una casa per centrar-se en escriure les cançons del seu àlbum debut. Amb les contribucions de la resta de la banda, Tyler finalment va poder completar-la.

Steven Tyler va explicar que "Dream On" tracta del desig d'aconseguir l'èxit i la determinació de perseverar fins a fer realitat els somnis. Va descriure la cançó com un reflex de les lluites de ser una banda nova, especialment amb les crítiques que van rebre acusant-los d'imitar els Rolling Stones. Tyler va començar a escriure-la quan tenia uns 17 o 18 anys, sense ser conscient que es convertiria en una cançó important. Per a ell, va començar com un simple sonet tocat al piano, sense esperar que esdevingués un èxit.

"Dream On" va ser la cançó que va salvar Aerosmith de ser acomiadats per Columbia Records. El seu àlbum debut, “Aerosmith”, no es va vendre gaire al principi, principalment per la falta de promoció. La banda estava en perill de perdre el contracte, però la seva gestió va convèncer Columbia de llançar "Dream On" com a single. La cançó va arribar al número 59 a les llistes dels Estats Units amb una versió més curta i apta per a la ràdio. El seu èxit, especialment a la zona de Boston, va convèncer Columbia de mantenir la banda, que acabarien convertint-se en uns dels artistes més grans del segell.

Al guitarrista Joe Perry inicialment no li agradava "Dream On" perquè era una balada, que contrastava amb la seva preferència per actuacions de rock energiques. En una entrevista de 2002, Perry va explicar que en aquell moment el rock consistia en energia i espectacle, i les balades com "Dream On" no encaixaven en aquest estil. Tot i reconèixer-ne la qualitat musical, no li entusiasmava tocar-la en directe, especialment quan els repertoris de la banda eren curts. Tanmateix, va entendre que les balades eren claus per aconseguir èxit a la ràdio i entrar al Top 40. Només després que "Dream On" es convertís en un single d'èxit, la banda va començar a tocar-la amb més freqüència als seus concerts en directe.

AEROSMITH - DREAM ON

Released: June 27, 1973

Charts: US: #6 

"Dream On" is a ballad from the 1973 self-titled debut album. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, it was the band's first major hit and has since become a staple of classic rock radio. Initially released in June 1973, the single peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was re-released in 1975 with the full album version, which debuted at number 81 on the Hot 100 in January 1976, eventually reaching number 6 in April of that year. 

"Dream On" was Aerosmith's first single, and it played a key role in launching their career. The song had been a long time in the making, as Steven Tyler worked on it intermittently for about six years, developing it in fragments. The band's manager had them live together in a shared house to focus on writing songs for their debut album. With contributions from the rest of the band, Tyler was able to finally complete the song.

Steven Tyler explained that "Dream On" is about the desire to achieve success and the determination to persevere until dreams are realized. He described the song as reflecting the struggles of being in a new band, especially dealing with critics who panned their debut album and accused them of imitating the Rolling Stones. Tyler began writing "Dream On" when he was around 17 or 18, unaware it would eventually become a fully developed song. For him, it began as a simple sonnet played on the piano, never expecting it to evolve into a hit.

"Dream On" was the song that saved Aerosmith from being dropped by their record label, Columbia Records. Their debut album, “Aerosmith”, sold poorly at first, largely due to lack of promotion. The band was in danger of losing their contract, but their management persuaded Columbia to release "Dream On" as a single. The song reached #59 on the US charts, with a more radio-friendly edit than the album version. Its success, particularly in the Boston area, convinced Columbia to keep the band, who went on to become one of the label's biggest acts.

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry initially didn't like "Dream On" because it was a ballad, which contrasted with his preference for energetic, live rock performances. In a 2002 interview Perry explained that, at the time, rock was all about energy and putting on a show, and ballads like "Dream On" didn't fit that mold. While Perry acknowledged its musical quality, he wasn't enthusiastic about playing it live, especially when the band's setlists were short. However, he understood that ballads were key to getting radio play and achieving Top 40 hits. It was only after "Dream On" became a successful single that the band started playing it more often in their live shows.