King of Rock

King of Rock is the second studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on January 21, 1985, by Profile Records. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Larry Smith. King of Rock became the first rap album to be released on CD, and was the third rap album to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album saw the group adopting a more rock-influenced sound, with several tracks prominently featuring heavy guitar riffs. The song "Roots, Rap, Reggae" features Yellowman, and was one of the first hybrids of rap and dancehall.

King of Rock peaked at number 52 on the Billboard 200, and number 12 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album was given a Gold certification on June 3, 1985, before being certified Platinum by the RIAA on February 18, 1987. The album features four singles, all of which appeared on the Billboard Hot 100: "King of Rock", "You Talk Too Much", "Jam-Master Jammin'" and "Can You Rock It Like This". "King of Rock" peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart on March 16, 1985.

King of Rock was ranked at number 44 on NME's list of the "50 Albums Released In 1985 That Still Sound Great Today". "King of Rock" featured a popular music video, which became a fan favorite on MTV. It featured Calvert DeForest, also known as Larry "Bud" Melman of NBC's Late Night with David Letterman fame. King of Rock was reissued by Arista Records in 1999 and 2003. An expanded and remastered edition was released in 2005 which contained 4 previously unreleased songs.