King of Rock

This article is about the album by Run–D.M.C. For the title track on the album, see King of Rock (song). For the "King of Rock and Roll", see Honorific nicknames in popular music.
King of Rock
Studio album by Run–D.M.C.
Released February 5, 1985
Recorded 1984
Genre Rap rock
Length 43:46
Label Profile/Arista Records
Producer Russell Simmons, Larry Smith
Run–D.M.C. chronology
Run-D.M.C.
(1984)
King of Rock
(1985)
Raising Hell
(1986)
Singles from King of Rock
  1. "King of Rock"
    Released: January 15, 1985
  2. "You Talk Too Much"
    Released: 1985
  3. "Can You Rock It Like This"
    Released: November 6, 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Pitchfork Media5.7/10[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[7]
The Village VoiceB+[8]

King of Rock is the second studio album by hip hop trio Run–D.M.C.. Produced in 1985, the album sees the group adopting a more rock-influenced sound, with several tracks prominently featuring heavy guitar riffs.

Background

Though Run-D.M.C.'s original version of "Slow and Low" (recorded as a demo during the sessions for this album) would not be officially released until the 2005 Deluxe edition of King of Rock, a cover version, recorded by the Beastie Boys (who themselves often played a fusion of rap and rock), appeared on the latter's 1986 debut album, Licensed to Ill.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Rock the House"  Russell Simmons, Joseph Simmons, Larry Smith 2:42
2. "King of Rock"  Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Larry Smith 5:14
3. "You Talk Too Much"  Daniel Hayden, Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell, Joseph Simmons, Russell Simmons, Larry Smith 5:59
4. "Jam-Master Jammin'"  Run-D.M.C. 4:20
5. "Roots, Rap, Reggae" (feat. Yellowman)Run-D.M.C. 3:12
6. "Can You Rock It Like This"  Rick Rubin, James Smith, Larry Smith 4:30
7. "You're Blind"  Antonio Lucien Herrera, Darryl McDaniels, Russell Simmons, Larry Smith 5:31
8. "It's Not Funny"  Run-D.M.C. 5:35
9. "Darryl and Joe (Krush-Groove 3)"  Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons, Larry Smith 6:39
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
10. "Slow and Low (Demo)"  Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels 4:27
11. "Together Forever (Krush-Groove 4) (Live)"  Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons 3:35
12. "Jam-Master Jammin' (Remix, Long Version)"  Run-D.M.C. 6:45
13. "King of Rock (Live, from Live Aid)"  Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Larry Smith 7:26

Chart positions

The album spent 56 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of #52 in early March 1985.[9]

Album

Chart (1985) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[10] 52
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[10] 12

Singles

Year Single Chart positions
US US R&B
[10]
US Dance
[10]
UK
[11]
1985 "King of Rock" 108 14 40 80
"You Talk Too Much" 107 19 301
"Can You Rock It Like This" 19
"Jam-Master Jammin'" 53

Notes:

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "King of Rock – Run-D.M.C.". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. Kot, Greg (December 2, 1990). "A Rundown On The Recording History Of Run-d.m.c.". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 2584. ISBN 0857125958.
  4. Breihan, Tom (September 22, 2005). "Run-D.M.C.: Run-DMC / King of Rock / Raising Hell / Tougher Than Leather". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  5. Considine, J.D. (March 28, 1985). "Run-D.M.C.: King Of Rock". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 708–09. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Run–D.M.C.". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  8. Christgau, Robert (April 2, 1985). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  9. "Billboard 200: March 2, 1985". Billboard.com. Billboard. 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Run-D.M.C. Chart Positions". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  11. "The Official Charts Company - Run–D.M.C. discography". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
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