1987 Rock Album, Saved Aerosmith’s Career, Is Still a Beloved Hit 4 Decades Later

Geca FloresSun, August 9, 2026 at 2:15 AM UTC

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Aerosmith members Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton during the Back in the Saddle Tour in 1984.Ross Marino&solGetty Images

Aerosmith, one of America’s greatest rock and roll bands, made a successful comeback after the release of its 1987 album Permanent Vacation.

For decades, the band had delivered high-octane performances and hard-rocking songs that captivated audiences with their timeless appeal.

Consisting of the original lineup of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford, the band delivered a remarkable album that kicked off its second golden age.

Nearly four decades after the record’s debut, Permanent Vacation remains one of the most celebrated albums in Aerosmith’s music legacy.

Of the band’s 15 studio albums, it ranked No. 6 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 10 Best Aerosmith Albums, according to the publication’s poll.

On top of that, Permanent Vacation has retained its timeless charm, with Reddit users continuing to praise the album and its standout tracks.

With some describing it as Aerosmith’s “best work,” others praised the album for being a comeback that made a lasting impression.

“Them coming back with this record was a dream come true for me when it came out,” a commenter said.

“Not only is it an amazing album on its own, but as you said, ‘Girl Keeps Coming Apart’ should get more love. To me, my favorite is Permanent Vacation, with the island-vibe outro and Stephen’s always great harmonica. Phenomenal album!!!” another added.

A Reddit user also mentioned how Aerosmith successfully bounced back from a slump.

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“Permanent Vacation is not Toys in the Attic, Rocks, or Pump, but it´s an enjoyable and consistent record from a band getting their shit together behind the scenes. A good 8.5/10,” one wrote.

“All in all, it's a good album and has their highest charting hit up to that point (Angel), and was part of their resurgence into pop culture,” a commenter echoed.

True enough, the ninth studio album marked a pivotal moment for the band and helped revive its music career.

After years of lineup turmoil and substance-abuse struggles, the band released its commercially disappointing eighth studio album, Done with Mirrors, which also marked the reunion of its original lineup. Permanent Vacation then became the band’s sober comeback.

Hamilton once shared that they made major changes to their creative process and worked alongside hit-making songwriters such as Desmond Child and Jim Vallance.

"We really felt that we had to tear down our creative process, examine it and rebuild it," the bassist said in Aerosmith: The Ultimate Illustrated History of Boston's Bad Boys, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock, adding, "That involved collaborating with people outside of the band and that was a big success for us. All these songs were true collaborations. It wasn’t like ‘Joe Blow’ comes in and teaches Aerosmith their song and we play it how they say it."

As for Whitford, he spoke about how the album resulted from the band overcoming their personal struggles and regaining their passion for music.

"We crawled out from under our problems and got in touch with ourselves," the lead guitarist shared. "It was a wonderful experience because, after all that abuse, you go dead inside. You go dead musically, too."

Permanent Vacation not only dominated the MTV era thanks to its standout tracks like "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Angel" and "Rag Doll," but also sold over five million albums in the U.S. alone, earning a five-times platinum certification by the RIAA.

Related: 1995 Rock Song, Written by Iconic Supergroup Mad Season, Is Still a Generational Hit 31 Years Later

This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”