This Collaboration With a Hip-Hop Group Revived One of Rock’s Biggest Bands

In the 1970s, Aerosmith had a string of hits, starting with “Dream On” in 1973. Aerosmith planted themselves as potentially the “next big thing” in rock music. They capitalized on this with their Toys in the Attic album in 1975, spawning the hits “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” The latter peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After three more albums, drug use began to sway the band’s success. Eventually, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band. Joe Perry created The Joe Perry Project shortly before his departure in 1979. Brad Whitford went on to create Whitford/St. Holmes, a duo with former Ted Nugent lead singer Derek St. Holmes. The duo released an album in 1981.

Lead singer Steven Tyler stuck with Aerosmith, releasing Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Two new guitarists were recruited for the album, Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay. The album peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard 200. Whitford/St. Holmes disbanded after one album, and Brad Whitford joined The Joe Perry Project. The reunion of guitarists led to the ultimate reunion with Aerosmith on the album Done With Mirrors in 1985. Steven Tyler was still in and out of rehab at the time, not entirely sober. The band sounded great once again, but the album didn’t perform as well as the group would’ve liked.

Producer Rick Rubin Had an Idea

The hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. would regularly use a sample track of the “Walk This Way” beat. The group didn’t know who the original song belonged to, but their producer, Rick Rubin, was well aware of Aerosmith. Rick Rubin sought to bridge the gap between hip-hop and rock music, inviting Steven Tyler and Joe Perry into the studio with Run-D.M.C. Initially, the hip-hop group didn’t take to the idea. Jam Master Jay pushed the group to take the collaboration seriously. Together, they re-recorded Aerosmith’s 1975 hit “Walk This Way” with a hip-hop twist to it.

The 1986 collaboration on “Walk This Way” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Paired with a successful music video, the track helped re-establish Aerosmith’s rock status while further popularizing hip hop. Following the successful collaboration, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith completely sobered up. They went on to release some of their biggest hits yet.

Their next studio album, Permanent Vacation, hit No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, spawning three hit singles. “Dude (Looks Like A Lady” peaked at No. 14, “Angel” peaked at No. 3, and “Rag Doll” at No. 17. This proved that the group can find success with sobriety, and the band sounded brand new. Aerosmith followed up on this success with 1989’s Pump, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

Aerosmith’s 1986 collaboration with Run-D.M.C. set their career back on track and cemented the band as the best-selling American hard rock act of all time, selling over 150 million records worldwide. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Run-D.M.C. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.