Aerosmith debuted at #1 with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing Aerosmith

Writer(s): Diane Warren (see lyrics here) Released: August 18, 1998 First Charted: May 29, 1998 Peak: 14 US, 11 BA, 18 RR, 13 AC, 2 A40, 4 AR, 4 UK, 2 CN, 18 AU, 10 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, 1.35 UK, 6.49 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.7 radio, 661.0 video, 879.51 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Aerosmith established themselves as one of the premiere classic rock band in the 1970s with album rock staples like “Walk This Way,” “Dream On,” and “Sweet Emotion.” By the end of the decade, the group looked like they were toast, but a late ‘80s revival restorted their commercial clout with hits like “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” “Angel,” “Love in an Elevator,” and “Janie’s Got a Gun.” However, it wasn’t until 1998 that Aerosmith landed their one and only #1 song with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” At the time, no act had waited longer – almost 25 years – from its first chart entry to its first chart-topper. FB The song was written by Diane Warren who wrote #1 hits in the 1980s and ‘90s for Bad English (“When I See You Smile”), Toni Braxton (“Un-Break My Heart”), Chicago (“Look Away”), Taylor Dayne (“Love Will Lead You Back”), Celine Dion (“Because You Loved Me”), Milli Vanilli (“Blame It on the Rain”), and Starship (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”). She envisioned someone like Celine Dion singing the power ballad which was featured in 1998 disaster film Armageddon. U2 was asked to perform it, but passed. SF Aerosmith emerged as a candidate after lead singer Steven Tyler’s daughter Liv was cast in the movie. The band’s drummer, Joey Kramer, said it was difficult to imagine them singing the song when he first heard it, but they were able to make it their own after they began playing it. WK Warren was also surprised Aerosmith was asked, but got chills when she was sitting at the piano with Steven Tyler teaching him the song and hearing him bring it to life. SF Birmingham Evening Mail said “Warren weaves her magic again with a bombastic power ballad…[which] perfectly suits Steven Tyler’s sleazy vocals.” WK Billboard’s Larry Flick wrote that it was “a high=voltage performance that is matched by a collision of rock-style instrumentation and grand, faux-classical orchestration.” WK The video for the song intercut performances of the band with clips from the movie, including appearances by one of the movie’s stars, Steven Tyler’s daughter Liv. It won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film and Nickelodeon’s Teen Choice Award for Love Song of the Year. It was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. Resources: FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 870. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/27/2021; last updated 7/24/2023.