Walk This Way: How Run-DMC and Aerosmith Changed Music Forever
In the summer of 1986, something happened in a recording studio in New York City that nobody — not the label executives, not the musicians themselves, and certainly not radio programmers — fully saw coming. Run-DMC and Aerosmith walked into the same room, made a record together, and blew up every wall separating hip-hop from rock. What came out the other side wasn’t just a hit song. It was a cultural earthquake whose aftershocks are still being felt today.
Before the Bridge: Two Worlds That Never Touched
By 1986, Aerosmith were survivors in the worst sense of the word. The Boston rock band that had lit up arenas through the 1970s with Dream On and Sweet Emotion had spent the early 80s stumbling through a drug-fueled fog. By 1984, guitarist Joe Perry had left and come back, lead singer Steven Tyler was barely functional, and the band’s commercial fortunes were in free fall. Aerosmith were considered washed up — a cautionary tale about excess rather than a relevant act.
Run-DMC, meanwhile, were kings of a different universe. Joseph Simmons (Run), Darryl McDaniels (DMC), and DJ Jam Master Jay had exploded out of Hollis, Queens, transforming hip-hop from a party scene into a bona fide commercial force. Their 1984 debut went gold. King of Rock (1985) went platinum. They rocked Adidas tracksuits and no-lace shell-toes. They performed in arenas. They were the biggest act in rap — and rap was still largely ignored by rock radio and MTV’s mainstream programming.
The Retro Almanac
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These two worlds existed in parallel, overlapping only in the minds of a few visionary people. One of them was a 23-year-old producer named Rick Rubin.
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The Retro Almanac
A monthly roundup of "on this day" highlights from that month, decades back — plus first dibs on new retro merch drops. No spam, just the good stuff.
