Run-DMC’s 5th studio album “Back from Hell” was released 1990. The 16 track album was a big change in Run-DMC’s sound as they were adopting the at this time popular R&B influenced New Jack Swing.
The only songs reminding on the “old” Run-DMC sound and style are Bob Your Head – a reggae-fied track, Word is Born and Back from Hell – which kind of continues Raising Hell in sound and title.

Track list:
01 Sucker D.J.’s
02 The Ave.
03 What’s It All About
04 Bob Your Head
05 Faces
06 Kick The Frama Lama Lama
07 Pause
08 Word Is Born
09 Back from Hell
10 Don’t Stop
11 Groove to the Sound
12 P Upon a Tree
13 Naughty
14 Livin’ in the City
15 Not Just Another Groove
16 Party Time

In 1988 Run-DMC released their 4th studio album “Tougher Than Leather”, the follow-up to the Raising Hell hit album.

The album continues to combine rock and rap in a lot of tracks, this time adding a noisy, dirty funkyness, just listen to “Mary, Mary”, “Tougher Than Leather” or “Miss Elaine”. The song “Raising Hell” from their Raising Hell album or “Rock Box” from their first album Run-D.M.C.,  were great as rap songs influenced by rock, but these songs took it to the next level. Run-DMC did a lot of rockish combinations on their first four records even though they are mostly credited for what they did in terms of Rap.

Track list:

01 Run’s House
02 Mary, Mary
03 They Call Us RUN-D.M.C.
04 Beats To The Rhyme
05 Radio Station
06 Papa Crazy
07 Tougher Than Leather
08 I’m Not Going Out Like That
09 How’D Ya Do It Dee
10 Miss Elaine
11 Soul To Rock And Roll
12 Ragtime

In 2005 the album was re-released with four bonus tracks:

13 Beats To The Rhyme (Instrumental)
14 Crack (Demo)
15 Christmas In Hollies
16 Penthous Ad

In 1986 Run-DMC released their 3rd studio album “Raising Hell”.

The 12 track album was the real breakthrough for Run-DMC, reaching top chart positions and moving big numbers in sales.

Most well known is probably the cover of Aerosmith’s song “Walk This Way”, which features Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. Not to forget the iconic “My Adidas”, an ode to the sneakers Run-DMC were wearing, which eventually lead to an endorsement deal and long-time relationship with the Adidias brand. Another successfull singles taken from “Raising Hell” is “It’s Tricky”.

The album itself was available with two slightly different versions of the cover, the cover artwork being basically the same but in different colour.

Track list:

01 Peter Piper
02 It’s Tricky
03 My Adidas
04 Walk This Way
05 Is It Live
06 Perfectio
07 Hit It Run
08 Raising Hell
09 You Be Illin’
10 Dumb Girl
11 Son Of Byford
12 Proud To Be Black

In 2005 the album was re-released with five bonus tracks:

13 My Adidas (A Cappella)
14 Walk This Way (Demo)
15 Lord Of Lyrics (Demo)
16 Raising Hell Radio Tour Spot
17 Live At The Apollo Raw Vocal Commercial

In 1985 Run-DMC released their 2nd studio album “King of Rock”.

The 9 track album took the rock influences further, this time even going into reggae when collaborating with Yellowman for the song “Roots, Rap, Reggae”. This collaboration is probably the first significant collaboration on a Hip Hop album ever.

“King of Rock” is not only the title of the album, but also a name of the second track on this album. The track “King of Rock” was the first single released in 1985 from Run-DMC’s second album. Funny enough in the video for this track Run-DMC visit a “Rock n’ Roll Museum” and are told they do not belong in there. Well, the video was shot years before the real Rock ‘n Roll museum, the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum” was build. And in 2009, Run-DMC were inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. So 24 years after releasing the song Run-DMC became officially accredited Rock and Roll legends.

The second single released from the album was “Can You Rock It Like This”. LL Cool J had a ghostwriting hand in this song.

Track list:

01 Rock The House
02 King Of Rock
03 You Talk Too Much
04 Jam-Master Jammin’
05 Roots, Rap, Reggae
06 Can You Rock It Like This
07 You’re Blind
08 It’s Not Funny
09 Darryl And Joe (Krush-Groove 3)

In 2005 the album was re-released with four bonus tracks:

10 Slow And Low (Demo)
11 Together Forever (Krush-Groove 4) (Live)
12 Jam-Master Jammin’ (Remix, long version)
13 King Of Rock (Live, from Live Aid)

“Slow And Low” which was recorded September 14th, 1984 by Run-DMC but never released as a Run-DMC track before the 2005 re-release, was later recorded by the Beastie Boys for their “Licensed To Ill” album.

In 1984 Run-DMC released their 1st and selftitled studio album “Run-D.M.C.”.

The 9 track album’s electronic hard beats, aggressive rhymes and rock influences were quite contrary to the Hip Hop music of this time which was mostly light and funky.

Almost everybody will know “It’s Like That” which was Run-DMC’s debut single. Also likely well known is “Hard Times”, the opening track of the album. And “Rock Box” was the first Hip Hop video to be aired on MTV.

Track list:

01  Hard Times
02  Rock Box
03  Jam-Master Jay
04  Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2)
05  Sucker M.C.’s (Krush-Groove 1)
06  It’s Like That
07  Wake Up
08  30 Days
09  Jay’s Game

In 2005 the album was re-released with four bonus tracks:

10 Rock Box (B-Boy Mix)
11 Here We Go (Live At The Funhouse)
12 Sucker M.C.’s (Live)
13 Russell & Larry Running At The Mouth