Aerosmith surprised everyone when their 1987 album, Permanent Vacation, was a success, coming as it did after several releases that had done nothing but verify the belief that the band had peaked a decade earlier. ‘Pump’ (1989) followed its radio-friendly predecessor and proved the Boston quintet’s comeback was no fluke. Hits like ‘Love in an Elevator’ and ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ were ubiquitous on MTV and radio at the time, while the album in its entirety had enough substance to warrant repeated listens. ‘What it Takes’ closes the album and finds the band showing off their deft power-ballad abilities, while carefully straddling the line of cheese without ever succumbing to it. Aerosmith would sustain their commercial success with the subsequent Get a Grip, but it would not contain the same balance of artistic and populist intent that puts PUMP amongst their best records.