> In 1986, the hip-hop group Run-DMC collaborated with which rock group for thehit single "Walk This Way?"And the answer: Aerosmith. Photo courtesy: Danny Sanchez via Boston Magazine.As the story goes, neitherRun-DMC nor Aerosmith was enthusiastic about the collaboration. But Run-DMCneeded a way to get radio play, and Aerosmith was in need of a come-back. Soproducer Rick Rubin convinced them to collaborate on Aerosmith's classic song"Walk This Way," and the recording became one of the most popular hits of 1986."Walk This Way" is a song that, perhaps, had no reason to happen. However, thisgenre-bending remake of Aerosmith's 1975 hit made waves in surprisingly palpableways – it vaulted the rap and hip-hop scene into the mainstream and revived theexpiring sounds of Aerosmith. Rick Rubin of the Def Jam label had a vision: shed visibility on theintelligence and wealth of the nascent genre of rap by mixing a well-known songwith some of hip-hop's finest. Rubin, still a young producer, took pains to gethis vision seen. He spent weeks settling the collaboration with the teams ofboth Run-DMC and Aerosmith, yet even then they weren't too sure of the project'ssuccess. Each group's preconceived ideas of one another were palpable in therecording booth, and tensions ran high. However, a record was finally completed. Much to Rubin's excitement, "Walk ThisWay" made its way onto Run-DMC’s 1986 album and became the No. 89 song onBillboard’s Year-End chart. At the height of its popularity, MTV played the songtwice an hour. What's more: Run-DMC gained notoriety in the music community,opening the door to the sounds of rap and hip-hop. This collaboration continues to have profound effects on mainstream musicculture. Listen to the hit below.