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 a CD, and was the third rap album to become a platinum album. 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.

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.
ReleasedJanuary 21, 1985
Recorded1984
StudioGreene Street Recording, New York City, New York
GenreRap rock
Length43:46
LabelProfile, Arista
ProducerRussell 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. "Jam-Master Jammin' (Remix)"
    Released: 1985
  4. "Can You Rock It Like This"
    Released: November 6, 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Chicago Tribune
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Pitchfork5.7/10
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10
The Village VoiceB+

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 first certified as Gold on June 3, 1985, before it was certified as Platinum by the RIAA on February 18, 1987. The album features four Billboard chart singles: "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 and contained 4 previously unreleased songs.

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