This week’s video is a groundbreaking song that melded the worlds of rock and hip-hop from two of music’s most influential bands: Aerosmith and Run DMC. The song and subsequent video for 1986’s “Walk this Way” became a massive hit for both acts and a breakthrough for the hip-hop genre when MTV put the video into heavy rotation. Thanks mainly for the presence of Aerosmith, as the music video channel was still favoring almost exclusively white rock musicians.
“Walk This Way” was initially released in 1975 as the second single from Aerosmith’s smash LP “Toys in the Attic.” The single was a huge hit for the band, becoming one of their signature songs. Later in the mid-’80s, the hip-hop group Run DMC started sampling sections of the song at their live shows. They eventually decided to cover the song and brought Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith to collaborate on the project.
The music video was directed by Jon Small, who had worked with Whitney Houston on her “The Greatest Love of All” clip. It’s a spare concept as Aerosmith and Run DMC rock out, duel style, on a concert stage, with the metaphorical wall separating the two bands. The video culminates with Steven Tyler breaking through the barrier as he starts whaling the lyrics with those glorious big lips. The bands start jamming together, and a new music genre is born.
Both acts benefited greatly from the hit song and MTV airplay. Run DMC helped usher in the hip hop genre on a massive scale, and Aerosmith was introduced to a new generation of fans. They would follow up the hit single with their massively successful “Permanent Vacation,” released in 1987.
Check out the music video below, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.