Pink (Aerosmith song)

"Pink"
Single by Aerosmith
from the album Nine Lives
ReleasedNovember 11, 1997 (1997-11-11)
Length3:55
LabelColumbia
Songwriters
ProducerKevin Shirley
Aerosmith singles chronology
"Hole in My Soul"
(1997) 		"Pink"
(1997) 		"Full Circle"
(1997)
Music video
"Pink" on YouTube

"Pink" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and professional songwriters Richie Supa and Glen Ballard. It was released as the third single from their 12th studio album, Nine Lives, in 1997. It gave the band their eighth number-one single on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 13 following a re-release in 1999.

Music video

The music video for the song used CGI to morph characters' faces to other bodies. A variety of random characters mixed in with band members moving towards the camera, morphing into different characters in the process (e.g., Joe Perry as a centaur, Brad Whitford as a little boy, Steven Tyler as a skeleton, and a boy dressed as the Easter Bunny). The video premiered on November 11, 1997, and was directed by Doug Nichol.[1]

Two versions of the music video exist. In the uncensored version, there is a woman dressed in a blue jumpsuit walking towards the camera. For a brief second, the top, unzipped portion of the jumpsuit is pulled away, revealing her right breast. There is another instance where a woman's breasts are briefly fully revealed when a woman, painted blue and green, does a pirouette.

The uncensored version caused minor controversy and several television networks required Nichol to censor the video for daytime airings. As a result, the edited version censored the pirouette scene. The censored version also shows Tyler and Perry presented as a two-headed man and only the coverup portion of the breast reveal scene is present.

Live performances

As of 2007, "Pink" is one of only two songs from Nine Lives consistently played on Aerosmith tours, along with "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)".

Awards

The song won the band their fourth and most recent Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[2] Additionally, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 1998.[3]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Pink" (album version)3:55
2."Pink" (The South Beach mix)3:54
3."Pink" (live)3:45

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 11, 1997 Contemporary hit radio Columbia [17]
United Kingdom December 15, 1997
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [18]
Japan December 26, 1997 CD Sony [19]
United Kingdom (re-release) June 14, 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
 Columbia [20]

Covers and other versions

A different version of the song, the South Beach Mix, was included on the career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits.

Japanese edition of the "Pink" single from 'Nine Lives' features six tracks: three mixes of "Pink", plus live versions of "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" & "Walk This Way" recorded in March 1997. As well, there is a techno remix of "Falling in Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" titled Moby Fucked Remix.

It is a bonus playable song in the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and the only track from Nine Lives present in the game. In the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions of this game, the word "high" (in "Pink gets me high as a kite") is removed.

Janelle Monáe's 2018 single "Pynk" interpolates Aerosmith's "Pink," with Steven Tyler and Glen Ballard being credited as co-writers.

References

  1. ^ "Aerosmith - Pink (1997)". IMVDb. November 11, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Madonna, Prodigy, Will Smith, Aerosmith Win Big At Video Music Awards" MTV news, September 10, 1998.
  4. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 3355". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Image 3334". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  6. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Aerosmith – Pink" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 21/12/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Aerosmith Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  10. ^ "Aerosmith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "Aerosmith Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 27. July 3, 1999. p. 11.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 20/6/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  14. ^ "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-73.
  15. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2025 – Del 1 de Enero al 30 de Noviembre de 2025 – Argentina – Anglo – Tocadas – Top 100" [Monitor Latino Annual Chart 2025 – From 1 January to 30 November 2025 – Argentina – English – Plays – Top 100] (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. December 1, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Aerosmith – Pink". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1222. November 7, 1997. p. 39.
  18. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. December 13, 1997. p. 35.
  19. ^ "エアロスミス | ピンク" [Aerosmith | Pink] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  20. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 14 June, 1999: Singles". Music Week. June 12, 1999. p. 23.
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