I don't recall anyone back in the day, no matter their background or color that didn't love this. Aerosmith had already built themselves a reputation as rock gods by the time this came out and even if you were a die hard rock fan, you totally got this merge. It's so cool to look at this now and see the birth of an entire genre. Old school rap and hip hop a bit later took everyone by storm. It was so new and fresh. I know for me, mostly everyone I grew up with in NYC embraced this right from the get go. Good times man...good times.
Actually this song with Run DMC, revived Aerosmith’s career. They weren’t the rock gods they are today. This catapulted them into the 80’s, and well into the 90’s.
@@ElectroT0y Done With Mirrors was the worst selling album they'd ever done and held that title until just a few years ago. Sales weren't great and there was internal conflict in the band. This song ABSOLUTELY brought them back into relevance in the 80's and even outsold the original. Introduced Aerosmith to a lot of people who didn't know who they were.
@@ElectroT0y It's fine to like Aerosmith. It's another thing to pretend they never had low points. Most bands that have their longevity do at one point or another. They didn't NEED Run DMC. They needed a hit to pentrate the mainstream in the 80's and this song was it.
Run DMC had some success as rap pioneers in the 80's... they went into their 3rd album 'Raising hell' in 1986, and (the late) DJ Jam Master Jay sampled a guitar riff for a track in the studio and producer Rick Rubin knew that record was Aerosmith's 'Walk this way' from 1975. Rubin suggested that the group cover the song... but they hated it 😂 They couldn't understand the lyrics... but Rubin contacted Aerosmith about sampling the track. They agreed to meet Run DMC in the studio. The original track was written by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler (vocals) about his first 3some 😁 on the band's 3rd album 'Toys in the attic' in 1975... But by 1985, drugs and alcohol had destroyed Aerosmith's status and creative output... They had reunited the original band in 1984, but they hadn't had a hit record since 1979 (Their last album 'Done with mirrors' in 1985 was a commercial failure) When Aerosmith met Run DMC, they had no idea what rap music was... the group showed Steven Tyler & Joe Perry (guitar) what they had sampled and Tyler had to explain to the group that the lyrics were about a sexual tryst ... Only then, they agreed to remake 'Walk this way' as a cover. Both Tyler & Perry signed on for the music video... It was huge hit for Run DMC, selling millions of copies. It also gave Aerosmith their first hit single in years, and introduced this old 70's rock band to a new generation of fans on MTV. Aerosmith has always credited Run DMC for rejuvenating their career. Aerosmith's next album 'Permanent vacation' in 1987 was a 5X platinum selling record ... Run DMC's final tour in 2003 was opening for Aerosmith.
Really good explanation. On point. I remember when this came out, I was 14. I was one of the little suburban white rock-n-roll kids, into AC/DC and Def Leppard, already familiar with Aerosmith, although most of my peers and I only listened to their classic hits, really, because like you said, their more recent albums were definitely not as good. When this song hit I think was probably the first time I ever heard rap music. Then the next cassette (lol yeah, cassette tapes) I bought was "Raising Hell".
Well said. I will add though, at that time, MTV wouldn't play hip hop videos. The collaboration not only brought Aerosmith back from the dead, but introduced Run DMC to the world
This collaboration was iconic for so many firsts, so many ground breaking moments and made history in so many ways. Songs like these will always remain relevant!
I'm 49 and was in 9th grade when this came out. I'm a white guy who was into metal but went to a equally mixed school so when this came out I noticed everyone was on board with this one and changed the mood of my very racially divided school for the better. But we did have many racial fights. People are People
Aerosmith is legendary!!!!! Steven Tyler is still one of the best vocals out there . This cross over was great . I got too see Aerosmith several times live also Run DMC with Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff great concerts
We can all thank producer Rick Rubin for coming up with this idea and convincing both groups to do it. It jumpstarted Run DMC‘s huge career into the main stream, and gave Aerosmith a fresh start after all of their drug and alcohol issues that temporarily broke up the band.
One of the best collaborations of all time. I like all genres of music, but it’s awesome when two different styles mix so well. Music is about fun and story telling after all is said and done.
This is the ultimate crossover. This is actually the closest thing to what you are actually doing right now, bringing rock music to Gen Z who might listen to pop/R&B/rap. Back in the day, kids in the inner cities listened to rap, but here you have it being introduced to a new audience. You wouldn't have all of the lesser crossovers that we have now between rap and pop singers if you didn't have this first. A key piece of musical evolution here.
Everything on the Raising Hell album is awesome. I was one of the suburban white rock-n-roll kids that discovered rap music from this song. LOL I had to have that album. Got the cassette tape and listened to it constantly on my Walkman.
A historical moment with the first rap and rock collaboration. Everybody was jamming to this back in the day from all walks. Brings back good memories n' vibes of the time.
Yo, now you have to check out Anthrax & Public Enemy - Bring The Noise... That's the other big crossover track, and it goes a lot harder than this one!
Growing up all i ever did was listen to Run DMC, to me it was my kinda rebel music. It was rough, gritty, everything from the clothes they wore, the adidas with no shoelaces (look ma!) to the gold chains and fedora hats, and they hated pop just as much as i did. They were without a doubt my biggest idols!
This is a wonderful song which is a classic and the beginning of a new way to do rock music. I don't even like so much Aerosmith and do not know very much about Run DMC, but everybody knows and love this song. It should be one of my top tens. Regards from Chile!
Aerosmith originally wrote and recorded this song way back in 1971 or 72, I think. 25 some yrs. later, Rap Group "Run DMC" did a duet with the Band that made this a hit years before. (Aerosmith/Steven Tyler) This was a sort of made for Mtv version.
I mean this was a Aerosmith song from the early 70s I highly recommend listening to their version of the song because it definitely lend itself to the rap version run DMC put out
Trivia facts! This song is the First successful song to marry Rap with Heavy Metal, it was soo advanced that all the songs that mixed the 2 types of music are called Walk This Way Clones! Run DMC loved Aerosmith music and character, but at the time Aerosmith were in decline and close to break up, Run DMC collaborated with Aerosmith for this song, thus saving the band and revived Aerosmith career. At the time of writing this, Aerosmith and Run DMC, still meet each other for a vacation or for discussing new groups or outcoming singers.
Lead Singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler is like 75 with like a 3yr old! He Has an older Daughter Liv Tyler & she's mainly acted. She done a movie years ago with Ben Affleck & several others. It was a smash!! It is called Armageddon & Steven Tyler Does a song for the movie called Don't Wanna Miss a Thing!! Ck it out!!
Fun Fact: Run-DMC didn't adapt the lyrics to be rapped, Steven originally sang them this way, so it was already a Rock-Rap song before they made this cover.
You're parents are cool. I was in high school when this came out in the 80's.Run Dmc is rapping the lyrics from Aerosmith's song. We had the best music.
This was The Shit back in the day. Monster hit. I don't know about rap fans, but it turned metal & rock fans into rap........well, maybe not fans, but we found common ground. NOW, you guys are ready for Public Enemy & Anthrax, "Bring The Noise"
This was the first time MTV played rap music on their channel and this collaboration with Aerosmith opened the doors to the rest of the rap industry artist to promote their music in MTV and right after this came out it became huge!
This is one of the biggest crossovers in history in terms of impact. Aerosmith was really considered kind of has beens from the 1970's when this came out and it totally got new teens to listen to them. It led to them having probably even bigger success than in the 1970's as they made new hits from the late 1980's until the 1990's again with sold out shows. Meanwhile, rap at that time was strictly kind of a novelty and really only listened to by african american teens. Most white kids did not listen to it at all, and this crossover might be one of the first rap groups they heard. If white teens heard rap at all, it was usually "funny" rap. Not only did it make RUN DNC a star, but it can be argued made rap as it became cool for a much bigger audience. It led to MTV signing some of the big names in rap now they felt comfortable middle america would not hate it.
When this song debuted, it blew everyone away because it crossed genre lines and it was great! Oh, how I wish you two could have seen MTV before reality TV reared its ugly head! 24/7/365, you had music videos on tv. You'd walk into your friend's house and there it was playing. Even if you weren't watching, your house was full of music! I WISH some network would stream old MTV from the beginning. Yeah, you'd have to gag through Video Killed the Radio Star (the 1st MTV video) , but it would be well worth it to watch music evolve again.. :)
Let’s get to 100k subs…Rod Stewart “Maggie May” off Unplugged & Seated live album. Rod is two time member of the rock and roll hall of fame. Or The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar, Some Girls, Satisfaction”
This collaboration was huge for thothe rock and hip hop at the time. Aerosmith (the rock band) was kind of past their prime and this collaboration introduced a younger audience to them kind of reviving their career for a 2nd run. And then of course this was huge for hip hop because they were kind of the outkast of the music industry. But when rock fans realized that hip hop wasn't so different from rock it got alot of new fans to listen to hip hop.
Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) Slash (Guns n Roses) Dream On - m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GilzbcZOcHU.html This will blow you away. Phenomenal vocals of Tyler combined with the awesome guitar work of Slash 🔥
HUGE hit when it came out back in the day. You should check out "Rock Box" from Run-D.M.C.'s first album, great song song, a classic. "King of Rock" and "Raising Hell" are great songs too.
Initially, neither group was excited about collaborating. The “Walk This Way” lyrics: You ain't seen nothin’ / ’Til you’re down on a muffin / Then you’re sure to be a-changin’ your ways. Run in particular was unamused. “This is hillbilly gibberish ... Country bumpkin bullshit!”
Before this amazing collaboration, band, Aerosmith were in disarray from all issues such as alcohol and drugs. Plus, conflicts in the band. Then Aerosmith in process of a comeback. I think they and their management contacted management for RUN DMC for a collab. This song is the outcome of this famous collab merging Rock with Hip-Hop. Actually, in the eyes of Rock Hall of Fame, Hip-Hop (Rap) is considered as a unique genre of Rock N Roll.
Interesting fact on the name of this classic, "Walk This Way" is that Aerosmith were recording a new album in 1975. Band and their producers took a break from recording. They went to a movie theater to watch "Young Frankenstein" with Gene Wilder, classic movie by Mel Brook. During one of the scenes, Frankenstein's "assistant" Igor played by late comic actor, Marty Feldman tells Dr. Frankenstein, "Walk This Way". Producers and the band were laughing about that line, "Walk This Way".
The 80's was my decade for music. I definitely knew who Run DMC were, but wasn't familiar with Aerosmith. This song changed that, with the video getting heavy rotation. Love it, and love seeing your smiles as you watched. It's hard not to smile.
I love music collaborations & this is one of my faves especially since I grew up listening to these two groups & I’m proud to say that I knew who Steven Tyler was when this video came out 🤪 I read that Aerosmith would only allow a remake if they were in on it but yeah just love them both ❤️❤️
The greatest thing about this is Aerosmith and Run-DMC came together and made history notice Eminem inducted Run DMC in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and did dream on with Aerosmith
Run DMC are the originals .. please check them out. Legendary and what I grew up with as a precursor to all the rest that came after.Always diverse back in the day.
MTV use to be the sh#t back in the day been catching up on the harry mack omegle freestyles on your channel today . Aerosmith was my first concert. 1976 market square arena I was 14 yrs old went with my older cousins $5.50 ticket price I have over 200 hundred ticket stubs from just market square arena. Which use to be on Washington st dont know if you remember it. But it was an amazing venue back in the day. Have an awesome day guys ✌
I cried when they were announced at my local festival in Denmark. I have always said I was born to late because my favourite artist are the old(er) hiphop In my mind Kendrick is still one of the new ones. And I was too young to be allowed to go to concerts and festivals when they were playing. But in one month of pure joy in 2017 the stars aligned and at three different festivals I got to experience Run DMC, Ice Cube and Eminem. And then Eminem played at my favourite festival in 2018. The purest of happiness is at a warm summer night in a sea of 110.000+ people singing for the moment.
