Start
End
StartEnd
Updated:Apr 23, 2026
|Privacy Policy

Run-D.M.C. and Hip Hop's Crossover to Rock and MTV (1983–1988)

Run-D.M.C. and Hip Hop's Crossover to Rock and MTV (1983–1988)

  1. Run-D.M.C. releases debut single “It’s Like That”

    Labels: Run-D M
  2. “Rock Box” begins regular rotation on MTV

    Labels: Rock Box, MTV
  3. Debut album “Run-D.M.C.” reaches stores

    Labels: Run-D M, Debut album
  4. Debut album becomes first rap Gold record

    Labels: Run-D M, RIAA Gold
  5. Single “King of Rock” frames the group’s message

    Labels: King of, Run-D M
  6. “King of Rock” album formalizes rap-rock direction

    Labels: King of, Run-D M
  7. “Krush Groove” puts early hip-hop on movie screens

    Labels: Krush Groove, Run-D M
  8. Album “Raising Hell” becomes a crossover engine

    Labels: Raising Hell, Run-D M
  9. “My Adidas” turns style into mass identity

    Labels: My Adidas, Run-D M
  10. “Walk This Way” single makes hip-hop a pop Top 5 force

    Labels: Walk This, Aerosmith
  11. “Raising Hell” reaches Platinum, confirming mass sales

    Labels: Raising Hell, RIAA Platinum
  12. Madison Square Garden show sparks Adidas deal

    Labels: Madison Square, Adidas
  13. “Walk This Way” video becomes an MTV staple

    Labels: Walk This, MTV
  14. Single “You Be Illin’” shows crossover didn’t require rock features

    Labels: You Be, Run-D M
  15. “It’s Tricky” extends the MTV-friendly hit run

    Labels: It's Tricky, Run-D M
  16. “Tougher Than Leather” marks the post-breakthrough stage

    Labels: Tougher Than, Run-D M