Aerosmith - Lightning Strikes

What this video is

Released in August 1982 alongside the album 'Rock in a Hard Place' on Columbia Records, this video arrives at a pivotal and turbulent moment for Aerosmith. It is the band's only charting song from the lineup without guitarist Joe Perry, who had departed in 1979 and been replaced by Jimmy Crespo. Guitarist Brad Whitford also departed after recording his parts. The video's gang-fight street narrative taps directly…

Why it matters

A historically significant artifact as one of Aerosmith's first deliberately produced music videos for MTV broadcast. The song reached #21 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and stands as the sole charting Aerosmith single from the Perry-absent lineup. It demonstrates how established hard…

The director

Arnold Levine is a pioneering music video director and former Senior VP/Creative Director of Sony Music. His directorial credits span the foundational era of the music video format, including landmark videos for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Blue Öyster Cult,…