Home Tonight
"Home Tonight" is a power ballad by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, the song is the closing track on Aerosmith's 1976 album Rocks. It was released as the second single from Rocks and reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100.
| "Home Tonight" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Aerosmith | ||||
| from the album Rocks | ||||
| B-side | "Pandora's Box" | |||
| Released | August 27, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steven Tyler | |||
| Producer(s) | Jack Douglas | |||
| Aerosmith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Cash Box said that "the soft, almost ballad-like vocal holds a lot of appeal, and the harsher rock 'n' roll bridge seems to fit just right."[1]
Background and release
"Home Tonight" was solely written by lead singer Steven Tyler and produced by Aerosmith and Jack Douglas, American record producer.[2]
"Home Tonight" was released as the second single from Rocks on August 27, 1976, with "Pandora's Box" (a song from their 1974 album Get Your Wings) serving as its B-side.[3] The band hoped that the single would impact the charts similarly to their 1973 song "Dream On". However, "Home Tonight" only reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.[4]
Record World said the song "contains a raw heavy metal edge but at the same time conveys a gentleness for pop play."[5]
Live performances
In later concerts, Tyler would occasionally perform a segment of "Home Tonight" as an in-concert intro into "Dream On". This is to underscore the relationship between the two songs.[4]
In other media
"Home Tonight" is one of the two theme songs performed by Aerosmith used in the video game Dead or Alive 3 for the Xbox created by Team Ninja. It is played during the extended/full ending credits.[6]
Legacy
On VH1's That Metal Show with Eddie Trunk, the panel declared it number one on their Top 5 Greatest Power Ballads of all Time.[7]
Charts
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 82 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 71 |
References
- "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 11, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- "Home Tonight by Aerosmith". genius.com. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
- "45 Years Ago: Aerosmith Get Vulnerable With "Home Tonight"".
- Christopher, Michael (May 14, 2021). "Aerosmith's Rocks: a Track-by-Track Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. September 11, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- "Dead or Alive 3 (Video Game 2001) - Soundtracks". imdb.com.
- TMS Top 5 (2010-11-11). "Top 5 Ballads on That Metal Show W/ Eddie Trunk". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5098b." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- "Aerosmith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
