Run-D.M.C. fuses rock and rap with this cover of the Aerosmith song, recording it with the actual band instead of simply sampling the original.

This song proved to be a smash hit, causing Run-D.M.C. to be the first hip-hop group to make the Billboard top 5, as well as relaunching Aerosmith’s career.

Though Run-DMC’s original plan was to simply sample “Walk This Way,” (which they mistakenly referred to as “Toys in the Attic”), it was Rick Rubin’s idea for the Rap group to actually re-record the original song featuring original Aerosmith members. At first, DMC members Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels hated the idea, but Rubin’s persistence, Steven Tyler’s caffeinated excitement, and Joe Perry’s cool brilliance eventually convinced them to go through with the idea. The result was a smash hit that took Run-DMC to the mainstream and Aerosmith out from the brink of obscurity.