It's hard to say when Aerosmith first "sold out." There was the Armageddon soundtrack's single that-shall-not-be-named, the cringe-worthy cameo in the awful Be Cool, and the recent Guitar Hero game featuring the band. But most experts say it was when the band stopped taking drugs in the 1980s. Now, the once-great rock group that penned "Sweet Emotion" (opening scene of Dazed and Confused anyone?) and one of rock's first crossovers into rap music with Run DMC on "Walk This Way," will put its songs and images behind a branded lottery game, Billboard reports.
The group signed a deal with gaming technology company GTECH to launch a series of gambling-based games that use "Dream On" and other songs from the Aerosmith catalog. Fans at the band's summer tour will have the first opportunity to buy the themed scratch-off tickets for prizes like front-row seats, backstage passes, and memorabilia. Aerosmith knows how to make a buck: in addition to a base fee, the band will receive a bonus based on the number of tickets sold. So much for the purity of music.