Kings and Queens (Aerosmith song)
Kings and Queens is a hard rock song by Aerosmith from their 1977 album Draw the Line. It was written by Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and producer Jack Douglas, who also played mandolin on the track.
The song was released as a single on February 21, 1978, and appeared as the B-side to Aerosmith’s cover of The Beatles’ Come Together for the Sgt. Pepper film soundtrack promotion. Steven Tyler said the lyrics are about people who died in holy wars over beliefs, with a nod to knights of the round table.
Critics noted its big production and driving feel. Cash Box praised the driving beat, tight vocals, guitars, and a piano-bass interlude, while Record World highlighted Tyler’s European history themes.
Kings and Queens was a staple of Aerosmith concerts in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It later appeared on the live albums Classics Live! and Pandora’s Box. The band brought it back in 2005–2006 and again in 2010 during tours, and it was performed in 2014 at Jones Beach.
The track was included on Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits collections in 1980 and again in 2004 (with edits). The edited radio version is often heard, though many stations still play the full version. Kings and Queens is also a master track in the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, unlocked after finishing Train Kept A-Rollin’.
Glenn Hughes recorded a version of the song in 2011.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:47 (CET).