Aerosmith Celebrates 50th Anniversary and Completely Moves to Universal Music! Aerosmith celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a complete transfer of its entire catalog to Universal Music! For 50 years, the legendary Boston rock band, Aerosmith, has been a household name, delivering anthems and hits that everyone knows and loves, winning four Grammy Awards(R) and being certified Diamond for the highest-selling album of all time (note: 10 million copies sold in the U.S.). This 3 CD deluxe edition of the ultimate best-selling album of the Smiths' entire career includes 3 bonus live discs prepared by the band for Japanese fans, for a total of 6 discs.

Almost all the heavy-hitters are hauled out for The Essential Aerosmith, from "Mama Kin" to "Jaded," and including both versions of "Walk This Way." Some of the songs are presented in a remixed form – "Draw the Line," "Pink," "Just Push Play" – but all of the new mixes are good, possibly even improvements, and the newer song, "Girls of Summer," is strong (its companion, "Lay It Down," isn't as noteworthy). So, all the parts are in place – why doesn't it feel definitive, then? After all, there are no big songs or hits missing (apart from the cover of "Come Together," which isn't much of a loss), just fan favorites and album tracks like "Lick and a Promise," and "Chip Away the Stone".

In retrospect, it's a bit shocking how fully formed the signature Aerosmith sound was on their self-titled 1973 debut – which may not be the same thing as best-executed, because this album still sounds like a first album, complete with the typical stumbles and haziness that comes with a debut. Despite all this, Aerosmith clearly showcases all the attributes of the band that would become the defining American hard rock band of the '70s. Here, the Stones influences are readily apparent, from the Jagger-esque phrasing of Steven Tyler to the group's high-octane boogie, but the group displays little of the Stones' deep love of blues here.

John Lennon would have turned 67 in 2007. If alive, he could well be at the forefront of bringing peace to Darfur, where more than half a million have died from violence and disease during four years of rebel discord. So to create awareness of the ongoing conflict, Amnesty International (with permission from Yoko Ono) has mined Lennon's solo work and rounded up nearly two dozen current artists to reinterpret the music, which spans the ex-Beatle's entire post-band catalog (plus a pair from while the Fab Four were still in business). As with any attempt to cover Beatles-related music, results are hit and miss, with kudos going to Snow Patrol and the Postal Service for capturing the starkness of "Isolation" and "Grow Old with Me," respectively, Mexican rock band Jaguares for uncovering the fear and fury in "Gimme Some Truth," and (surprise!) Christina Aguilera for nailing the complex composition and mood of "Mother." Other highlights include Jackson Browne's piano-led "Oh My Love," Green Day's louder straight take on "Working Class Hero," and the Black Eyed Peas turning "Power to the People" into a gospelly protest. Will resurrecting 30-to-40-year-old messages of peace and love be enough to help end the brutalities in Darfur? That remains to be seen. But selecting John Lennon as the author of those messages will make people listen and, with this collection, may keep them listening.

At the beginning of the 1990s, Aerosmith were celebrating a high point in their career. In the wake of 1987's Permanent Vacation, which had gone 5 x platinum and spawned the Top 20 singles Dude (Looks Like A Lady), Rag Doll and Angel, their 1989 follow up Pump was an even greater success. With four hit singles, all on heavy rotation at MTV, Pump was certified 7 x Platinum in the U.S. alone, and earned Aerosmith their first Grammy award for the song Janie Got A Gun. In addition, Janie also received two MTV Video Music Awards, and is still regularly featured in lists of all-time great videos. In support of the album, the group embarked on the year-long Pump Tour, which saw Aerosmith play 166 shows across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Most would say Nine Lives, the clever title of the first Aerosmith album in four years, is an understatement – this band has been through so much trouble it's quite surprising that this album was even released at all. Originally titled Vindaloo and set for a July 1996 release date, the album was pushed back time and time again after the band failed to meet Columbia Records' standards. Kevin Shirley replaced Glen Ballard in the producer's seat, and the band re-recorded every song until the album was as perfect as it could get. Well, frankly, it is. When the title track begins with the sounds of meowing mixed in with Steven Tyler's well-known screams, it is so shocking that the listener might suddenly turn it off.

When Aerosmith got wind that their then-former record label, Columbia, was going to release a follow-up to the lifeless Classics Live!, the band wisely decided to get more involved this time around. The result is arguably the band's finest live album, even though it may be a bit short (not even 39 minutes in length)…

Since Aerosmith had become one of America's premier rock & roll concert attractions by 1978, it was only natural that an in-concert collection was issued that year, the double album, Live Bootleg. Unlike other live albums at the time, it's obvious that not a lot of overdubbing was involved to fix up the tracks, which results in a refreshingly authentic representation of Aerosmith at the group's most drugged-out and rocking…