10 Best Rock Music Videos Of The 1980s

4. Walk This Way - Run-DMC Ft. Aerosmith

Sometimes you don't need a great story or big name actors to make a music video compelling - you just need to show an audience something they've never seen before.

Case in point, the video for the 1986 version of Aerosmith's Walk This Way, which literally broke down the wall between rock and hip hop.

Run-DMC got their hands on the band's original track and gave it a total rap makeover. This new version became a massive hit and both acts leapt on the chance to capitalise on its success.

The video starts with Aerosmith rehearsing next door to the rappers, who complain that they're playing too loud. This incites a noise war between the two, until Steven Tyler smashes his way through the partition and the two start playing together.

This video is so simple and yet so effective in conveying everything that this song is about. Not only does it literally bring together two very different styles, but it does so in a way that is fun and accessible for everyone.

There's a reason you couldn't escape this one on MTV back in the day.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.