After forming the band and finalizing the lineup in 1971, the band started to garner some local success doing live shows.[10] Originally booked through the Ed Malhoit Agency,[32]
the band signed a promotion deal with Frank Connelly and eventually
secured a management deal with David Krebs and Steve Leber in 1972.[33] Krebs and Leber invited Columbia Records President Clive Davis to see the band at Max's Kansas City
in New York City. Aerosmith was not originally scheduled to play that
night at the club, but they paid from their own pockets to secure a
place on the bill, reportedly the only band ever to do so at Max's. "No Surprize" from their Night in the Ruts album celebrates the moment their fame began.[34]
Aerosmith signed with Columbia in mid-1972 for a reported $125,000 and issued their debut album, Aerosmith.[35] Released in January 1973, the album peaked at number 166.[9]
The album was straightforward rock and roll with well-defined blues
influences, laying the groundwork for Aerosmith's signature blues rock sound.[36] Although the highest-charting single from the album was "Dream On" at number 59,[37] several tracks (such as "Mama Kin" and "Walkin' the Dog") would become staples of the band's live shows and receive airplay on rock radio.[38]
The album reached gold status initially, eventually went on to sell two
million copies, and was certified double platinum after the band
reached mainstream success over a decade later.[39] After constant touring, the band released their second album Get Your Wings in 1974, the first of a string of multi-platinum albums produced by Jack Douglas.[40] This album included the rock radio hits "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a cover done previously by the Yardbirds.[41] The album also contained several fan favorites including "Lord of the Thighs", "Seasons of Wither", and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)", darker songs which have become staples in the band's live shows.[42] To date, Get Your Wings has sold three million copies.[39]
It was 1975's Toys in the Attic, however, that established Aerosmith as international stars competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.[17] Originally derided as Rolling Stones knockoffs in part due to the physical resemblance between lead singers Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger,[10] Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a unique and talented band in their own right.[43] Toys in the Attic was an immediate success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", which became the band's first Top 40 hit.[44] This was followed by a successful re-release of "Dream On" which hit number 6, becoming their best charting single of the 1970s.[45] "Walk This Way", re-released in 1976, reached the Top 10 in early 1977.[10]
In addition, "Toys in the Attic" and "Big Ten Inch Record" (a song originally recorded by Bull Moose Jackson) became concert staples.[46] As a result of this success, both of the band's previous albums re-charted.[47] Toys in the Attic has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the States, with certified U.S. sales of eight million copies.[39] The band toured in support of Toys in the Attic, where they started to get more recognition.[17] Also around this time, the band established their home base as "the Wherehouse" in Waltham, Massachusetts, where they would record and rehearse music, as well as conduct business.[48]
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