Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell is remembered as the album that helped turn hip-hop from a New York cultural force into a mainstream commercial phenomenon in 1986. Its crossover success, particularly through the Aerosmith collaboration “Walk This Way”, brought rap into the upper reaches of both the US album and singles charts and demonstrated that hip-hop could attract audiences beyond its original base.

Billboard reported that the album had more than 500,000 pre-orders and later exceeded two million sales, while becoming the first rap album to enter the Billboard 200 top 10 before peaking at No. 3. “Walk This Way” received significant Top 40 radio and MTV exposure, and the group’s blend of rap and rock helped connect inner-city and suburban teenage audiences; it also aided later crossover acts such as the Beastie Boys.