Song · Run DMC
“Walk This Way” by Run DMC featuring Aerosmith and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & Joe Perry
From the album Raising Hell (1986) Featuring Aerosmith and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & Joe Perry
“Walk This Way” by Run DMC featuring Aerosmith and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & Joe Perry appears on 15 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1986 and 2026. It was first released in 1986 on the album Raising Hell. Its best result is #9 on the K-Rock Top 92 Party Songs of All-Time (2002). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #169 alternative song of 1986 and #2,751 alternative song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (RUNDMCVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
Run-D.M.C. took Aerosmith's "Walk This Way", a Steven Tyler and Joe Perry tune from 1975's Toys in the Attic, and hauled it onto Raising Hell in 1986 with the song's authors along for the ride. Perry brings the guitar, Tyler chimes in on vocals, and Jam Master Jay handles keyboards and percussion under beats that land like a sledgehammer. Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons produced, with Jam Master Jay and Run sharing a co-production credit.
On paper it reads like a stunt; on record it's a summit, the rhymes and the riff trading blows without either backing down. It went to number 4 on the Billboard charts, won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single, laid down the blueprint for rap rock and handed Aerosmith a second wind. Both this version and the original now sit in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 86 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1986 | 107 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 87 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 500 |
| 2002 | 9 | K-Rock | K-Rock Top 92 Party Songs of All-Time (2002) | 92 |
| 2004 | 72 | Q101 | Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) | 300 |
| 2004 | 106 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 500 |
| 2006 | 129 | Live 105 | Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) | 500 |
| 2006 | 321 | Virgin Radio | Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) | 500 |
| 2012 | 867 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2018 | 813 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2021 | 59 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2022 | 463 | 99.1 PLR | 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) | 500 |
| 2024 | 81 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs | 850 |
| 2025 | 96 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 58 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
| 2026 | 842 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Walk This Way" by Run DMC.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.